EV restaurant roundup: Four Four South Village, Don Chicken, De La Soul donuts and more

A few food-related items that we didn't get a chance to mention this past month... 

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Four Four South Village recently went dark at 11 E. Seventh St. near Cooper Square. Yelp lists the Taiwanese restaurant as closed (Google says it is temporarily closed). This address no longer appears on the brand's Instagram account. Four Four debuted here in March 2021.

Don Chicken has replaced Chick-In at 205 Allen St., just south of Houston. The Korean fried chicken specialists have over a dozen outposts in several states.

Murphy's New York closed earlier this summer on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... the Instagram account for the shop selling Jamaican patties and coco bread says that they are relocating. Murphy's opened in July 2022. (Murphy's pic by Stacie Joy)

This past Friday at Cafe Joah, 212 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street, the members of De La Soul held a pop-up selling De La-themed donuts and special merch. And there was a line. (Photo by Stacie Joy)

Gut renovations have picked up recently on the SE corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street.

Last summer, coming-soon signage for Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe arrived here... and it eventually disappeared. Updated: We hear that the bagel shop is still a go.

Bar Virage had a nice run here until 2018. (Photo by Steven)

Mocha Red Steakhouse + Mixology Bar has given way to sibling restaurant Nōmé at 127 Fourth Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

Per the restaurant's website: "Nōmé's chic downtown vibe features a creative menu that celebrates Nikkei cuisine. From the Mocha Hospitality Group team, Nōmé is open for lunch, dinner and brunch. Chef Santiago Chiuz and Sushi Chef Hiroji Sawatari have curated a bold menu rich in Peruvian and Japanese flavors."

According to the Resy description, there's a "must-order burger that features beef sourced from two different countries and took nearly a year to perfect." This might explain the $55 price tag for the Le Cabernet Prime Burger.

With Mocha out, we don't know the status of the Mocha Dream Lounge around the corner at 100 E. 13th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... where "your culinary dreams come true," per its Instagram account, last updated in February 2022...

Restaurant news: Mulan East and Banana Leaf now open; By Chloe coming soon on Lafayette

A few items to note from the past week or so...



Mulan East opened earlier this month at 58 Third Ave. between East 10th Street and East 11th Street. One EVG reader gave them high marks after a meal on Xmas Day. (You can find their menu here.) Until this past July, the address housed the Thai restaurant Bodhi Tree.

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Banana Leaf, a Sri Lankan restaurant, is now open at 326 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... taking over the space from Spice Cove (same owners) ... Banana Leaf moved their business here from West 28th Street... find their menu here.

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And slightly outside the usual coverage area... the popular Bleecker Street vegan restaurant By Chloe is expanding... and the signage arrived last Wednesday on Lafayette Street between Spring and Prince... BoweryBoogie noted this storefront previously housed 16 Handles.

Spicy House is now Young Chow III on 3rd Avenue

Spicy House never reopened in early April after a bout with the DOH … Now, though, the owners here at 96 Third Ave. between East 12th Street and East 13th Street have turned the space into Young Chow III, serving seemingly the same reasonably priced Chinese and Japanese cuisine… the phone number remains the same too…



Young Chow closed on Fourth Avenue near East 13th Street back in late August 2013… posted signs said that they were moving to 96 Third Ave.

Incoming: The Winslow and The Brazen Fox

The Winslow Public House at 243 E. 14th St. is ready for action... Thursday is the official opening date...

Hope you're ready for our official opening on September 5th, cause we certainly are!

— Winslow NYC (@WinslowNYC) August 29, 2013

Apparently the British-style pub has been in soft-open mode... which might explain the 4 five-star reviews on Yelp.

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And work continues on Third Avenue at East 13th Street... where an outpost of White Plains-based the Brazen Fox is opening this fall...



Per the Brazen Fox website, the bar-restaurant features promos such as "Ladies Night" on Wednesdays and "Suds for Scrubs," a promotion in which anyone showing a medical ID can get "$5 draughts" ... and "Detention Fridays" for teachers...

The space was previously home to Friend House.

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken opens; so does a new Lula's

After a warm-up this past weekend, Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken officially opens today on Second Avenue and East First Street... an event that hasn't gone unnoticed... Eater, Grub Street, Time Out and Fork in the Road all had previews.

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[Photo from Saturday by Robert Miner]

As we noted Saturday, Blythe Boyd reopened a vegan ice cream shop in the Lula's space on East Sixth Street... no word yet on its new name...

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Oh, and Hawa Smoothies has opened at 422 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A ...

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And at this point, we're not sure when Lucy's reopens after her usual summer break... the sign was slightly altered...

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: A theater sign for Archie & Sons; Everyman Espresso returns

And here's the sign for Archie & Sons... a 1950s-style luncheonette opening very soon at 23 Third Ave. The original Archie's operated on Long Island for nearly two decades...

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And a new sign for the incoming Han Dynasty on Third Avenue near East 12th Street...

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[Photo via Facebook by John C. Hume]

Everyman Espresson on East 13th Street closed for a "face lift" back in late June... it reopened yesterday ... in the lobby of the Classic Stage Company.

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Diana arrives; Blue Owl departs

Last week, the incoming Taqueria Diana on Second Avenue received a new mural on its gate (Diana we assume?) ... Fork in the Road recently had more details on the place, which will be run by a California native who was most recently a manager at The Meatball Shop... No opening date just yet...

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dba on First Avenue has a new awning... the previous one was smushed a bit during that cab mishap...

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Workers put up plywood Monday at the former Zee's Pet Shop on Avenue B just south of East 10th Street ... a tapas/wine bar with a small market space called Donostia is in in the works...

CB3 OK's a beer-wine license for them in May. Per the CB3 minutes from the full Board meeting:

Community Board #3 is approving this beer wine license although this is a location in an area with numerous licensed premises and at a previously unlicensed location because 1) this applicant is agreeing to early closing hours and food service during all hours of operation, 2) there will be a substantial retail component to this business with the sale of Spanish specialty goods, and 3) there is substantial support for this application in that the applicant furnished three hundred six (306) signatures and letters from area residents in its support.

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An awning arrived at Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, coming soon to Second Avenue and East First Street...

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And Blue Owl, the 7-year-old cocktail lounge on Second Avenue near East 12th Street, has closed ... we're not sure of the exact date last month ... there isn't any mention of a closure on the lounge's website or social media platforms... the bar space hit the market last fall... no word on any takers...

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Twister reminds us of its froyo arrival; the Stage is on vacation

As noted back in January, more FroYo is on the way... on Second Avenue near East Seventh Street at the former Spa Belles location ... a new Twister banner recently arrived as a reminder... and now they're hiring...



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A few storefronts to the north... you may have noticed that EVG favorite the Stage is on a vacation... will reopen on Tuesday...



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Last Friday, we spotted a temporary sign for the incoming Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken... the real thing arrived several days ago on Second Avenue and East First Street... fittingly mall-like for the space...



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Taqueria Diana is taking over the space that Cheep's Pita Creations had on Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place... Fork in the Road recently had more details on the place, which is run by a California native who was most recently a manager at The Meatball Shop...



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And several people have asked us about the Boca Chica space on First Avenue and East First Street... workers removed the BC signage a few weeks ago... Boca Chica closed in late February... Francis Derby, who was part of the opening team of wd~50 under Chef Wylie Dufresne and a one-time sous chef at Momofuku Ssam Bar, is the executive chef at the restaurant opening here called Golden Cadillac.

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Neon signage for Wafels & Dinges; Entrez becomes Farfasha

Several readers have pointed out the recent arrive of neon signage at the incoming Wafels & Dinges on Avenue B and East Second Street... W&D founder Thomas DeGeest, an East Village resident, told us that he doesn't have an exact opening date yet ... "It's definitely gonna be June," he told us.

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Entrez Bar & Grill opened on Second Avenue last fall... and it has randomly, quickly been converted into a hookah bar called Farfasha ...



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Pinalito City closed for renovations in April, as BoweryBoogie reported. Anyway, still under renovation... just noting the Chico plywood now here on East Houston and Clinton...

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Pho 32 and Shabu recently closed at 13 St. Mark's Place... and something called Pan is taking its place very soon... no details on this just yet.

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Saints Tavern is purple; Organic Avenue is open

Haven't done one of these in eons. Behind!

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On St. Mark's Place, the newish Saints Tavern got a very purple makeover on Tuesday... (it used to be red)...


[Bobby Williams]

Of course, there is some precedent on the block for purple...



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After a long period of inactivity, workers have recently started renovating the former Spa Belles location on Second Avenue near East Seventh Street... prepping it to be a fucking Twister self-serve frozen yogurt shop ...



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Work continues at 115 Avenue C near East Eighth Street, where Apartment 13 will soon call home ... it's the new restaurant from Paul Seres, the former president of the New York Nightlife Association and a partner in The DL on Delancey and Ludlow... read more about it here. Meanwhile, workers finally removed the iconic sign from the last tenant — The Porch.



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In case you missed this one earlier... Fu Sushi closed on Avenue B between East 11th Street and East 12th Street last August. The Post reported back in January that a new Ethiopian restaurant is opening in its place ... called Haile Ethiopian Bistro, and owned by Menasie Haile and Gemada Hiwot. The signs have been up now for what, six weeks? Anyway...


[Dave on 7th]

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And the new outpost of Organic Avenue opened last Friday on Third Avenue and East Ninth Street... in the space of the former travel agency...



According to their website:

[T]he leading provider of organic cold pressed juices, raw food cleansing programs, snacks, superfoods, truly natural beauty products, healthy lifestyle education and community building events. The company helps people learn how to transition and maintain a healthy lifestyle that is pleasurable and sustainable, while also friendly to people, animals and the environment.

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Renaming Riceton; cleaning out Tepito

A new name and awning for what was Riceton on East 14th Street near Third Avenue... not sure if the same owners are involved. Will ask the psychic next door.

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On Saturday, workers cleaned out the former Tepito space on First Avenue near East 14th Street...





Tepito closed in February... one reader thought that the owners were going to try a new concept here... though we haven't been able to verify that...

Yogurt Station serves again on St. Mark's Place

Apparently the Yogurt Station on St. Mark's Place, which has had trash bags adorning its windows since November, was just Closed for the FroYo season. They are back open.