More pizza for a former pizzeria

Look for more pizza on the high-profile corner of Second Avenue at 10th Street.

Signs arrived yesterday for Marinara Pizza ... (thanks to Steven for the photos!)

This will be the fifth outpost for the pizzeria, which has locations on the UES, UWS, Midtown East and Park Avenue South. (I've never had their pizza. Anyone?)

Two buzzy pizza joints have been at this address (160 Second Ave.) in recent years. Lions & Tigers & Squares — the Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team — debuted in October 2019 before closing during the pandemic last summer. 

And before this... Nicoletta spent six-plus years in business here until the end of 2018.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe Centosette closes on Second Avenue

The former Lions & Tigers & Squares space is for rent on 2nd Avenue

As noted last week, the East Village outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares had apparently closed. Workers were spotted cleaning out the pizzeria, including scraping the restaurant's name off the front windows here on Second Avenue at 10th Street.

The signage, which some commenters thought looked fitting for a car wash, was removed... and a for-rent sign arrived late last week...



Also arriving on the front door: Legal documents from the landlord, stating that rent from April through July — at $16k per month — is past due...



The Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team debuted in this high-profile corner space back in October.

The first Lions & Tigers & Squares remains open on 23rd Street in Chelsea.

Lions & Tigers & Squares has apparently closed on 2nd Avenue

From the tipline: The East Village outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares has apparently closed. Workers were spotted cleaning out the space yesterday, including scraping the restaurant's name off the front windows. The phone to the restaurant here on Second Avenue at 10th Street is not in service.

The Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team debuted in this high-profile corner space back in October.

The first Lions & Tigers & Squares remains open on 23rd Street in Chelsea.

Leaving Las Vegas: the Lions & Tigers & Squares signage has arrived

[Photo by Steven]

The glitzy signage arrived yesterday for the Lions & Tigers & Squares pizzeria on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and 10th Street...


[Photo by Lola Saénz]

Those who saw the new sign noted its Las Vegas-Times Square vibe ... though it's a match with the shop's Chelsea location.


[Photo by Steven]

Lions & Tigers & Squares, a Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team, opened back on Oct. 11.

Openings: Lions & Tigers & Squares, Nostro and Auriga Café

Lions & Tigers & Squares

As we noted on Oct. 11, the outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares is now open here on Second Avenue and 10th Street.

The pizzeria, via the owners of Artichoke, is an homage to all things Detroit with a menu showcasing four-slice Detroit-style square pies featuring pepperoni, baby meatball, black olive and their Mustard Pie with spicy brown mustard and cheddar cheese. Other menu items include spicy chicken wings called the Detroit Red Wings.

The first Lions & Tigers & Squares opened in the spring of 2018 on 23rd Street in Chelsea. This space is larger, with a 50-seat dining room and a bar. The sidewalk cafe arrives in the spring.

Nicoletta closed last December at this address after six-plus years in business. They are still delivering pizzas from somewhere.



Nostro

The low-key Italian restaurant is now open at 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

Expect to find an array of pastas and staples such as eggplant parmigiana ($12) and grilled salmon ($17). Not sure what their portions are like — the prices look reasonable enough.

This is the second outpost for Nostro, which got its start out on Fifth Avenue in the Greenwood Heights/South Slope area of Brooklyn. (EVG contributor James Maher is a fan of the Brooklyn location!)

No. 75 has been vacant since ZaabVer Thai closed in the spring of 2018.


[Photo by @BobbyFingers]

Auriga Café

The cafe at 198 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street had been in soft-open mode since early September ... with the grand opening taking place last Thursday.

Auriga Café is the second venture for David Duran, who owns nine-year-old El Camion two storefronts to the south. With this space, he's offering "upscale comfort food" with aspirations of filling a dining niche left by former Avenue A mainstays 7A and Sidewalk Cafe.

The menu features a variety of burgers, salads, soups, etc. Find the menu here. There's also a weekend brunch with breakfast and lunch entrees. Breakfast and lunch service will begin the second week of November.

No. 198 was previously Empire Biscuit, which faded into potato peeling' infamy in early 2016.

[Updated] Signage for Lions & Tigers & Squares arrives on 2nd Avenue

It's signage day for the new outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares, the Detroit-style pizza shop from the owners of Artichoke opening later this year on Second Avenue at 10th Street.

Our previous post has all the details.

Nicoletta closed last December at this address after six-plus years in business. They are still delivering pizzas from an undisclosed location.

Thanks to William Klayer for the photo!

Updated 8 p.m.

It appears they are in soft-open mode... photos via Steven...





Previously on EV Grieve:
Detroit slice city: Artichoke bringing an outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares to 2nd Avenue

Detroit slice city: Artichoke bringing an outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares to 2nd Avenue

[Photo Saturday by Steven]

The owners of Artichoke are using the former location of Nicoletta on Second Avenue and 10th Street for the next NYC outpost of their Detroit-style pizza shop Lions & Tigers & Squares.

Here's more about the concept via the EVG inbox:

Lions & Tigers & Squares was conceived in 2018 by Artichoke Basille’s Pizza co-founders and pizza aficionados, Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, who were inspired to open a Detroit-style pizza shop after visiting Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit ... They were impressed by the quality of pizza and wanted to bring a taste of Detroit to New York City, thus deciding to open a shop dedicated to the Motor City’s signature square pan pizza with a crunchy, caramelized cheese crust. While LTS is a Manhattan-located pizzeria, it’s also an ode to all things Detroit: Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, and Detroit-style square pizza.

The new restaurant, expected to open before year’s end, will have indoor and outdoor seating ... with a menu showcasing four-slice Detroit-style square pies featuring pepperoni, baby meatball, black olive and their Mustard Pie with spicy brown mustard and cheddar cheese. (This is the neighborhood's second Detroit-style pizzeria following Emmy Squared's arrival in July 2018.)



The first Lions & Tigers & Squares opened in the spring of 2018 on 23rd Street in Chelsea. Over at Eater, Robert Sietsema noted their "greasy but solid pies." (As for Artichoke, he writes in the same post that they're "a local pizza chain that turns out some awful pies as far as I’m concerned — especially its vaunted artichoke slice, which tastes like someone poured cream of artichoke soup in its canned and concentrated form on the pie.")

The ever-expanding Artichoke started its empire in the East Village in 2008 on 14th Street. They moved to a larger space across the street in June 2017.

Nicoletta closed last December at this address after six-plus years in business. They are still delivering pizzas from an undisclosed location.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza vying for former Nicoletta space on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street