The DOH temporarily closes both East Village locations of Kavasutra Kava bar

All reader-submitted photos 

In the past week, at least a dozen readers have reached out about the temporary closures of the two East Village outposts of Kavasutra Kava bar. 

The above photo shows the storefront on First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, where there are eight posted notices from the Department of Health...

According to public records, in a notice dated July 13, the following violations were logged against the Florida-based chain that serves drinks made with kava, a root that contains sedative and anesthetic properties:

1) Duties of an officer of the Department interfered with or obstructed. 

2) Food containing a prohibited substance held, kept, offered, prepared, processed, packaged, or served.

Kavasutra's first NYC outpost on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is also temporarily closed.

The DOH notice, dated July 12, lists the following:

1) Failure to comply with an order of the Board of Health, Commissioner or Department.

The DOH also cited this "failure to comply" in a visit on Jan. 4. 

We reached out to the DOH for more details about the closures. 

On 10th Street, there are also eight DOH notices on the front window ... along with various signs with messages ranging from "Enjoy Life Sober" to "Fight for Fiji" to "Defund the D.O.H." to some hand-drawn penises and breasts ...

There are also signs promising "Back soon" and "We will be back."

The 10th Street Kavasutra location opened in July 2015; the First Street outpost in December 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Report: Kavasutra ownership blasts educators who teach remotely, 'pussy leftists' for wearing masks (March 14, 2021)

[Updated] Expired health permit temporarily sidelines Joey Bats Café

Photos by Stacie Joy

Updated 4/4: Joey Bats reopened today after paying the fines.

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Joey Bats Café is temporarily closed at 129 Allen St. 

A posted notice from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene noted that the business was operating without a permit.

Owner  Joey Batista (aka Bats) responded with a message for patrons:

"I forgot to renew the health permit and it expired (Doh)! This means that despite my 'A' rating, I have to stay closed until Monday when the fine can be paid..."

We've seen similar DOH notices at Downtown Bakery on First Avenue (dated Feb. 21) and Mochinut on Second Avenue (dated March 21). Both of those businesses remain closed ... apparently, the city isn't able to expedite these permits any more quickly than five-plus weeks. 

DOH temporarily closes Mighty Quinn's on 2nd Avenue

[Photos by Derek Berg]

Mighty Quinn's on Second Avenue and Sixth Street received an unwelcome holiday gift on Dec. 26 when the popular BBQ establishment failed a Department of Health inspection and was ordered to close.

The violations from Dec. 26 have not yet been posted to the DOH website. While Mighty Quinn's currently has an A rating, previous inspections this year turned up several violations, according to public records at the DOH.

On Aug. 12, sanitary violations included "Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas." A subsequent inspection on Aug. 31 found 0 violations, per the the DOH. There were also violations issued in April, including for "evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas."

There isn't any notice about a closure from Mighty Quinn's posted at the restaurant. A look through the windows shows that some renovation work is taking place...



Mighty Quinn's got its start as a stall at Smorgasburg in 2011, later opening its first brick-and-mortar location here in December 2012. There are now 12 corporate locations in the NYC metro area, and ownership is now franchising, having opened several outposts overseas, including in Dubai, Manila and Taipei.

Bagel bummer: DOH temporarily shutters David's on 1st Avenue

A variety of concerned reader emails arrived in the EVG inbox in the last 24-48 hours about David's Bagels.

Here's one:

On Saturday, I stopped by the always excellent David's Bagels on First Avenue and 16th Street and found it was closed with the gate pulled halfway down. Even in the 30 seconds I stood there I met four or five people who loved David's and were shocked that it was closed.

This week, the gate was lifted high enough for people to see the familiar yellow notice from the Department of Health... several readers shared photos of this...


[Photo via EVG reader Doug]

According to public records, the Department of Health closed the establishment following an inspection last Friday that turned up 60 violations points.

The top-three sanitary violations noted by the DOH were:

1. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
3. Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

Public records show that David's has never run afoul of the DOH before... last inspection, from June 13, turned up just 9 violation points.

As the readers said, hopefully David's will be back open soon. Calls to the shop went unanswered yesterday.

Updated 11 a.m.

A reader says they are back open...

An honest post-DOH inspection reaction

Ten Degrees Bistro at 121 St. Mark's Place got dinged during a DOH inspection this past Thursday ... with the city agency forcing a closure after finding 48 violation points. (No. 1 item listed: "Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.")



And the management's meme-generated reaction ...

The DOH temporarily closes Bubbleology Tea on 1st Avenue

Updated 3/29: Bubbleology Tea has reopened.

The DOH has temporarily shuttered Bubbleology Tea, the London-based chain that opened at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place in early February.

The report from the inspection, which took place yesterday, has yet to be posted online.

Thanks to EVG reader Sawyer Mitchell for the tip/photo!

Updated 7 p.m.

The inspection report is still not online... and a "closed for repairing" sign is now on the door...


[Photo by Steven]

ViVi back in bubble tea action on Allen after 2-month DOH-related closure

The ViVi Bubble Tea outpost on Allen Street just south of Houston reopened late last week after a two-month stint on the temporarily closed list.

The DOH ordered the chainlet closed after an inspection on Oct. 1 turned up 79 violation points, including for "Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan."

The operators of this ViVi location renovated the interior during the time off, and received the OK to reopen after a Dec. 3 follow-up inspection only turned up 2 violation points.

There are nearly 30 ViVis in NYC, including one on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue and Third Avenue at Ninth Street.

[Updated] The DOH temporarily closes the Málà Project; 'bursting pipe party in basement'

Updated 11/30
The restaurant is back open.

The Málà Project, the well-reviewed restaurant serving Chinese Dry Pot at 122 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, is currently closed following a DOH inspection on Monday...



According to public records, the inspection turned up 91 violation points. (Per the DOH, a score of 28 or higher earns a restaurant-cafe a C score.) Among other critical violations, the inspector found "Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas."

A rather jaunty sign arrived above the DOH's Yellow Sticker offering the following explanation for the closure...



"We are having a bursting pipe party in the basement and will remain closed till further notice."

The Málà Project opened in December 2015 and recently added an outpost in Bryant Park.

Concern for Dojo, which has now been closed for 2 weeks

Dojo Restaurant on West Fourth Street at Mercer has been closed since a visit by the Department of Health on Sept. 13...



The DOH closure notice has remained in full view on the front door without any accompanying note. There's no mention of a closure on Dojo's website or social media.

And now few regulars are starting to worry that Dojo won't be coming back at all. (An email to Dojo was not returned; the phone goes to a message about a Time Warner Cable phone customer that hasn't set up a voice mailbox.)

According to the DOH website, Dojo's received 62 violation points during the visit on Sept. 13, including for:

1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
4) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

So the Dojo faithful remain hopeful that ownership just hasn't thrown in the towel. (In May 2013 there were reports that Dojo was shutting down due to a rent hike.)

Dojo, of course, got its start in the East Village... beginning with the Ice Cream Connection on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in March 1970. Dojo's Japanese-inspired vegetarian cuisine came along in 1974. And via the Dojo website:

In 1982, Dojo took over the space next door and expanded even more. Then in 1991, Dojo in the West Village was created – both Dojo East and Dojo West were favorite local gems. Unfortunately in 2007, Dojo East was closed down due to high rent. BUT Dojo West is still going strong!

The DOH temporarily closes the Ainsworth on 3rd Avenue (again)

Updated 8/29: The Ainsworth is back open.

Several EVG readers, via email and on Twitter (h/t @JCooper911), pointed out that the Ainsworth East Village on Third Avenue and 11th Street was closed over the weekend ... which coincided with a DOH inspection on Friday.

The note on the front door, which covers the DOH's yellow closure sticker, states that they are closed for maintenance to get "the place ready for football season!"



The DOH temporarily sidelined the EV Ainsworth back in February. According to public records at the time, inspectors issued 86 violation points. The top violations included: Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations. (They need one for serving those wings dusted with 24-carat gold.)

On Friday, inspectors issued 102 violation points. The top there violations listed, per the public report:

1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
3) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.

In February, the Ainsworth also covered up the DOH notice...


[Reader-submitted photo from February]

The Ainsworth, part of a growing chainlet of upscale sports bars, opened on Third Avenue at the end of December. Unrelated, the building — at 64 Third Ave. — was recently purchased by a Canadian investor.

Cafe Zaiya has closed on Cooper Square

The DOH closed Cafe Zaiya at 69 Cooper Square following an inspection on April 30.

The Japanese bakery-cafe that opened here in 2008 between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street has remained closed since the DOH visit. And it appears that the cafe won't be returning. Workers cleaned out the space yesterday, and the location is no longer listed on the Cafe Zaiya website. (The other two locations are in Midtown.)

As for the DOH, the inspection turned up 73 violation points, including for "Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures" and "Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service."

This location had passed all previous inspections, with only four violation points in 2017.

The DOH temporarily closes the Ainsworth on 3rd Avenue

[Reader-submitted photo]

Several readers have noted that the Ainsworth East Village has been closed since last Wednesday... which coincided with a DOH inspection.

The Ainsworth, part of a growing chainlet of upscale sports bars, opened at the end of December on Third Avenue and 11th Street.

According to public records at the DOH, inspectors issued 86 violation points. The top violations included:

1) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
2) Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used.
3) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

Per one reader: "They're trying to hide a yellow closure sticker by conveniently hanging a white sign over the sticker that the DOH placed on their door." (As seen in top photo.)

The Village Pourhouse closed at this location last April after 11 years in business.

Updated 2/15
The Ainsworth is back open.

DOH temporarily closes Papa John's

Several EVG readers pointed out that the DOH closed the Papa John's outpost on First Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street after a failed inspection on Tuesday.

During a follow-up on Thursday, public records show that inspectors found at least one critical area to keep the shop closed. (That being "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.")

[Updated] DOH temporarily closes Starbucks on 1st Avenue at 13th Street

This inspection took place yesterday...



The inspection report with the reported violations has not been posted online just yet. Pubic records show that this location has an A rating from an August inspection with 9 violation points for "Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service."

Updated:

The DOH report is now online.

An inspector levied 33 violation points, the most critical being No. 1:

1) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
2) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

Updated:

The city gave this location the OK to reopen after an inspection on oct. 18. According to the inspection report, there were 0 violation points.

H/T @jcastro_nyc

[Updated] DOH temporarily closes McSorley's

The DOH temporarily closed McSorley's yesterday on Seventh Street near Cooper Square, as these photos by EVG reader Russell Kohn show...



The city has not yet posted yesterday's inspection online.

In 2011, the city made McSorley's dust off the bar's famous wishbones, placed there some 100 years ago by doughboys headed off to war...(McSorley's also had to remove bar cat Minnie McSorely.)

Given the bar's ample presidential paraphernalia, an inspection the day after Election Night seems curious.

Updated 4 p.m.

The inspection report still isn't online. (They had an A, with only two minuscule violation points following the last inspection in May.)

According to Gothamist, The Health Department's inspection yesterday "revealed several critical health hazards, including evidence of rat activity, food held at the wrong temperature, and conditions conducive to vermin and pest activity."

Bar owner Matthew Maher blamed the ongoing Cooper Square reconstruction for the rat mess.

Per DNAinfo:

"There was a whole load of building equipment here, when the city opened up the pipes and all that, and they just took that away a couple of weeks ago, and that was a haven for rats," he said, noting he had seen the rodents scurrying around near the site during the restoration project from the city's Department of Design and Construction, which included tearing up the pavement in the plaza to install a new gas main.

When a health inspector came by unannounced on Wednesday afternoon, rat droppings were found throughout the basement, said Maher, who suspected the vermin got in when workers installing a new heating system weeks prior failed to shut the basement door on the sidewalk.

Updated 11/11

The report is now online.

There were 42 violation points. The main three violations:

1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

In the past two years, they've only had two violations points total.

[Updated] DOH temporarily closes Little Poland on 2nd Avenue

The DOH has temporarily closed Second Avenue stalwart Little Poland, one of our favorite places to eat.

An inspection on Tuesday yielded 66 violation points, including for "Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations." They've always had excellent scores in the past.

Anyway, when they reopen here at 200 Second Ave. between East 12th Street and East 13th Street, we might finally try the pancake special that the diner has been offering since earlier in the fall...



Updated 12:46

They will reopen at 3 this afternoon...

DOH temporarily closes Sushi Dojo on 1st Avenue

Sushi Dojo, chef David Bouhadana's well-regarded restaurant at 110 First Ave., had to sit out this past weekend after a DOH-mandated closure.

Several EVG readers noted the arrival of the telltale yellow sticker last Wednesday here between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street. A look at the DOH report notes just 21 violation points from a visit on Oct. 21. The two "critical" sanitary violations:

• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.

Given the horror show of violations (flesh flies!) that we've seen at some places, this seems like pretty ticky-tacky stuff in comparison, especially to shut down a restaurant for five-plus days over…

Updated noon

Eater has more on the story here.

Per Bouhadana:

We were closed for one thing and one thing only, not wearing gloves. Sushi chefs are not supposed to wear gloves. 17 employees lost their job because the DOH has been harassing me for four months and threatening me for this issue. I have 20+ of the best sushi chefs behind me and many more ready to bat for me. We will solve this BS rule, a rule I don't stand by. Sushi is being ruined my gloves, freezing fish and more issues...

Cornerstone Cafe expected to reopen today

Per the sign on the gate, Cornerstone Cafe will reopen today after a closure in recent days for renovations here on Avenue B and East Second Street.

The renovations coincide with a visit by the DOH last Thursday. Inspectors issued 45 violations points, including for the presence of various flies — enough for a temporary closure. (You can access DOH records here.)

DOH temporarily closes La Esquina Bar & Grill on 1st Avenue

A DOH inspector paid a visit to La Esquina Bar & Grill on First Avenue and East Sixth Street on Tuesday, and apparently didn't like what he or she saw… the restaurant is temporarily closed…



The inspector found 69 violation points … for things such as "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas." (You can find the report at the DOH website here.)

Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill changed concepts/names to La Esquina Bar & Grill in March.

H/T Vinny & O

DOH temporarily closes the Subway on 4th Avenue

A reader told us that the Subway on Fourth Avenue at East 12th Street has been closed the past few days… perhaps another neighborhood Subway closing?

Upon closer inspection behind the Subway banner blocking part of the entrance…



… is the familiar DOH closure flyer…



The DOH handed out 50 violation points after finding various critters in an inspection last Thursday.

Updated: The location is back open