The former L'asso EV is for lease on First Avenue

L'asso EV closed here back in July on First Avenue between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street... the "for lease" sign is up on the space now, though we haven't spotted the listing online at Tower just yet. It's an ample-sized space — 1,800 square feet (with basement) ... plus two wood-burning stoves... sounds perfect for... ? Another pizzeria?

L'asso EV has closed

[July 10 via @davidsokol]

L'asso EV has closed... there's no sign on the gate or announcement about the closure on its website on social media properties... the pizzeria on First Avenue between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street opened in late 2011...

We had talked with Greg Barris, a partner at L'asso EV, in the past. (He gave us the info on L'asso EV's hardcore/punk cassette art exhibit last summer.) When we reached out to him over the weekend, we learned that Barris left L'asso about six months ago and was not aware of the current situation. However: "It is disappointing. I spent almost every day for a year working on building that place and getting it going — it's a shame," he said via email.

The original L'asso outpost on Mott Street remains open.

In August 2011, when news of L'asso's expansion arrived, Rebecca Marx asked a reasonable question when she was writing for Fork in the Road: How much more pizza does the East Village really need?

At that time, there were 44 pizza places in the East Village.

Per Marx:

"[W]hile we appreciate the plenitude and variety, the whole thing is getting a bit rote: fancy pizzeria announces intentions to open/expand into the neighborhood, promises to forever alter the pizza landscape, opens, gets blogged about, and settles into comfortable mundanity. If you want to worry people, open a slaughterhouse."

Hardcore/punk cassette art at L'asso EV

EV Grieve reader Greg Barris, a partner at L'Asso EV, passed along news of this exhibit going on through July at the pizzeria/restaurant on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ...



Here's the official description of the exhibit via Facebook:

DEMO-LITION explores the artwork of demo tape/cassette releases from the Hardcore/Punk/Metal music scenes circa 1980s - early 90s. A variety of covers and full-sleeve art will be on display, along with anecdotes from a selection of bands and artists...

And about the organizers...

In the mid-1980s, Freddy Alva and Eric Wielander were growing up in the New York independent music scene, producing compilations, publishing fanzines, watching scores of Punk and Hardcore bands perform, and reviewing releases. At the time, bands were self-releasing their recordings (from approximately 4 songs up through album-length material) on cassettes a/k/a “demos.” With these releases, with a run of anywhere from 30 to several hundreds if not thousands, the sleeve art was put in the hands of whichever band member was graphically gifted, or turned over to a friend.

Find out more at the DEMO-LITION Facebook page.


[Click to enlarge]

The show opened last Thursday. Here's an account from that night by United by Rocket Science ... We're looking forward to checking this out...


[Via Facebook]

In other East Village signage news...

Signs have recently appeared on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street at the incoming L’asso EV ...

From the people behind Mott Street pizzeria L’asso.

And on Avenue C at Ninth Street, the sign is up for The Wayland, the bar taking over the Banjo Jim's space....

Plywood Proclamations: You Are Pizza! We Are Pizza! Eat the Pizza! Eat The Pizza!

Speaking of Restaurant (turnover) Row, a sign is now up for the incoming L'asso EV pizzeria on First Avenue near Seventh Street ...

As you may recall, L'asso partner Greg Barris told Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo that "we're definitely going to make people a little worried. There’s an endless amount of pizza in that neighborhood, but there really isn’t anyone doing what we’re up to."

L'asso EV thinks it will make the local pizza competition 'a little worried'

The folks behind Mott Street pizzeria L’asso aren't timid about entering a crowded pizza market.

"I think we're definitely going to make people a little worried," partner Greg Barris said of the competition yesterday in an interview with Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo. "There’s an endless amount of pizza in that neighborhood, but there really isn’t anyone doing what we’re up to."

L'asso EV is opening an outpost on First Avenue near Seventh Street in the fall, as Hedlund noted. (L'asso is taking over the former Bonjoo space.)

And what makes it so special?

"L’asso prides itself on serving D.O.C.-certified pies — a designation reserved for pizza made to the standards of the Italian government. The restaurant also uses non-bromated flour not typically found in pizza doughs, despite the fact that the additive, potassium bromate, is a known carcinogen."

Their pizzas include specialty toppings like homemade potato chips, truffle oil, mascarpone and walnuts.

(Anyone who has eaten their pizza want to chime in?)

Anyway! Our friend Rebecca Marx asks a very reasonable question over at Fork in the Road: How much more pizza does the East Village really need?

She notes there are 44 pizza places in the East Village. (And no — we're not counting Roberta's at the Urban Dunk Think Tank.)

Per Marx:

"[W]hile we appreciate the plenitude and variety, the whole thing is getting a bit rote: fancy pizzeria announces intentions to open/expand into the neighborhood, promises to forever alter the pizza landscape, opens, gets blogged about, and settles into comfortable mundanity. If you want to worry people, open a slaughterhouse."

+1 on the slaughterhouse please!

P.S.
Anyway, we still miss Five Rose's Pizza.