188 2nd Ave. is for rent

Closing the loop on the Lumos Kitchen saga. The restaurant space at 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street is now for rent.

There isn't much info on the listing (rent is available upon request; term is 10 years).

The restaurant enjoyed a three-month-plus run here serving French- and Chinese-influenced cuisine before a late-July closure for something related to a gas meter. Lumos never reopened. (See the previous post here for more.)

As previously noted, Lumos marks the fourth restaurant — joining Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — to close here since March 2015.

Shima had a good go of it here until January 2014...


[EVG file photo]

Post-Shima, the asking rent was in the $25k ballpark.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen remains closed

[Updated] Lumos Kitchen now appears to be closed for good

As mentioned last Tuesday, Lumos Kitchen, 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street, hasn't been open in recent months. A sign on the door since early August notes a temporary closure and the words "gas meter."

On Saturday afternoon, EVG reader Harry Weiner spotted workers removing the contents of the restaurant, which is now mostly empty...



There is a Stop Work Order order for the address dating to late July for "gas work done without a permit" in the kitchen of the restaurant.

To date there isn't any mention of a closure on the Lumos website or social media properties.

The restaurant, serving a menu of French- and Chinese-influenced cuisine, opened in early April. An EVG reader who lives nearby estimates that Lumos has not been open since the end of July.

If this is permanent, then this marks the fourth restaurant — joining Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — to close here since March 2015.

Updated 10/19

The Marshal came calling yesterday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen remains closed

Lumos Kitchen remains closed

Lumos Kitchen, a high-profile restaurant that opened in the spring at 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street, remains dark.

A sign on the front door, which one neighbor estimates has been here since early August, notes a temporary closure and the words "gas meter."



According to the Department of Buildings, there is a Stop Work Order on the restaurant dated July 25. Per the DOB: "GAS WORK DONE WITHOUT A PERMIT IN KITCHEN OF THE RESTAURANT FOR KITCHEN EQUIPMENT. WORK CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS. NO PERMITS POSTED."

The complaint also notes: "ACCESS TO PREMISES TO INSPECT APPROVED WORK ACTIVE JOB #123258063 HAS BEEN DENIED BY MALE OCCUPANT AT APPROXIMATELY 10:50 AM. STOP ALL UNDER ABOVE CITED APPLICATION... MAKE SITE SAFE ONLY."

There doesn't appear to be much activity inside the dining room...





... and there is mail on the floor....



The phone to the restaurant is not in service. (Ditto for the the Lumos West outpost on Carmine Street.) No one from Lumos responded to an email or Facebook message about the closure. There isn't any mention of any closure on the Lumos website or social media properties. (Their Instagram account has been quiet since July 11.)

As we've seen in the past, these gas-related issues can be a lengthy process with the various parties involved — the DOB, Con Ed and the landlord.

Upon opening in April, The New York Times was generous with its praise in a preview of Lumos Kitchen, noting that the chef "fuses French and Chinese cuisine, in dishes like pan-seared quail with foie gras in a Chinese wine sauce, black bass glazed with baijiu-miso sauce, wok-fried tiger prawns, and foie gras fried rice."

This corner space has been a challenge for restaurants in recent years — Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — all came and went since March 2015. Before this, Shima had a lengthy stay here until January 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen bringing the baijiu to 2nd Avenue

Soft openings on 12th and 2nd: Lumos Kitchen and Dunhuang East Village

Lumos Kitchen is now in soft-open mode on Second Avenue at 12th Street...

Per the restaurant's website: "Lumos Kitchen is proud to bring the best modern Chinese to you, our customers. Our signature baiju cocktails will also be making a splash into our menu."

Lumos was previously (until April 2017) a cocktail bar on West Houston Street between Thompson Street and LaGuardia Place. As New York magazine noted, "Lumos ... is likely the only [bar] in America that specializes in baijiu, the ancient Chinese liquor that's probably the most surprising, divisive thing you can drink in the whole city."

Perhaps Lumos Kitchen will add some stability to the corner. Three restaurants — Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — all came and went since March 2015.

... and next door on 12th Street, Dunhuang East Village is now serving its take on northwestern Chinese cuisine in a family-style dining room ...





This is the fifth location for the owners. You can check out their menu here.

The address, 300 E. 12th St., was previously Angelica Kitchen, which closed almost one year ago to the day.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen bringing the baijiu to 2nd Avenue

Cows, pigs and chickens now adorn the walls at the former vegan favorite Angelica Kitchen

Lumos Kitchen bringing the baijiu to 2nd Avenue

Lumos Kitchen is the new tenant for the southeast corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street... (thanks to Laura K. for the photos!)



This is apparently an expansion of Lumos, the now-closed (as of April 2017) cocktail bar that debuted in the fall of 2015 on West Houston Street between Thompson Street and LaGuardia Place.

As New York magazine noted, "Lumos ... is likely the only [bar] in America that specializes in baijiu, the ancient Chinese liquor that's probably the most surprising, divisive thing you can drink in the whole city."

And more on baijiu via this Gothamist post from 2015:

Baijiu ("bye Joe") is actually an over-arching term for liquor, roughly translating to "white liquor" in Chinese. Baijiu doesn't refer to one spirit—they're categorized into different "scents," ranging from "rice" scent on the light side of the spectrum to "strong" and "complex" scent on the other end. Baijiu is also the world's most consumed form of liquor; that's what happens when you have the most populous country in the world. According to data from International Wine & Spirit Research, Chinese people drank over 11 billion liters of baijiu in 2012, accounting for more than one-third of all spirits consumed in the world.

So Lumos Kitchen looks to be pairing some food with the baijiu. (There's a help-wanted ad for a sous chef with "experience in French & Chinese restaurant.") For now, there's just a teaser site for the restaurant. The folks behind Lumos look to have further expansion plans, as their website shows...



Anyway, as for this Second Avenue space, three restaurants — Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — came and went since March 2015. Before this, Shima had a good run here until January 2014.