Checking in on Foxface Al Fresco on St. Mark's Place

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

During the COVID-19 crisis, Ori Kushnir and Sivan Lahat, the owners of Foxface, have continued to be creative with their the shop inside the William Barnacle Tavern at Theater 80 on St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue.



Back in the spring, the East Village residents introduced several new offerings, including Provisions, a pantry of sorts, and the Foxface Farm Stand, where you can order farm-fresh items such as eggs, dairy, meats and honey. In addition, there's the Bread Stand, where fresh baked bread is available.

Now they've unveiled Foxface Al Fresco, a curbside dining option with a summer seafood menu, including local oysters and lobster from Maine. Lorcan Otway, Theater 80's owner and the proprietor of the William Barnacle Tavern, is offering a selection of wines and cocktails.



Ori told me that he had carefully set up the restaurant’s outdoor cafe to the city’s code, only to be told by the Department of Transportation that it was no longer following specifications and that they had 24 hours to correct the situation and to be in compliance, then reapply for approval. He was also told the restaurant faced hefty fines if they didn’t comply.

Foxface was featured in the Times last week. As Pete Wells reported:

Mr. Kushnir lost two days of business, he said, in addition to the more than $3,000 he had to spend on new, 18-inch-deep planters. "Anybody who tried to do the right thing the first time, and is trying to do the right thing now, is spending thousands of dollars on this," he said.

The couple show me the new planters they had built, and the repurposed plywood from the places that had boarded up during the pandemic. They speak about the research they conducted at the greenmarket before buying a tent, and about the confusing and fluctuating governmental requirements for restaurants to operate under PAUSE.

Our conversation is cut short by the arrival of the reservation-holders eager for their 5:30 dinner reservations...





For now, Foxface is open Thursday through Saturday... they are serving sandwiches from noon to 4 p.m., and dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Keep tabs on the hours, menus and specials via Instagram. (And they are promising something special for this Sunday.)

Catch a screening of 'Squatter's Opera' this Sunday

The Sunday afternoon at 3, Theater 80 is showing the first public screening of Michael Shenker's "Squatter's Opera."

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

In 2019, a group of about 25 Lower East Side veteran squatters, artists, musicians and activists came together to resurrect the song "Live Free Or Die" from the late Michael Shenker's collection of songs that came to be known as "The Squatter's Opera." The performance was at Theater For The New City on May 26, 2019.

Simeon Rose created this short film of the event. This piece begins by explaining the hows and whys of Squatting via an informative introduction by graphic artist Seth Tobocman, followed by the musical characterization of scenes pulled from real life squatting and the quest for affordable housing.

Sunday's screening includes a Q&A with the cast and crew. There's a suggested donation between $5 and $20. All proceeds go directly toward the production. Find more info at Facebook. Theater 80 is at 80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

NYC premiere of 'The Bitch Movie' takes place at Theatre 80 on Friday night

"The Bitch Movie," a 60-minute documentary that takes a retrospective look at the "Bitch: A Ladies Tribute To Metal" monthly party at the late Don Hill's, makes its NYC debut Friday night (Oct. 4) at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place.

Here's more about the film:

"The Bitch Movie" explores the origins, philosophy, sociology and technical execution of the event, painting a portrait of the vibrant scene around Don Hill's in downtown New York in the early 2000s.

Through firsthand interviews and exclusive footage of the live performances, the film explores the motivations of the women who were passionate about singing heavy metal ... "The Bitch Movie" is both a tribute to pioneering women who smash traditional stereotypes and heavy metal fans the world over.

The screening starts at 10 p.m. There's a Q&A with filmmaker Damian Kolodiy and several of the performers afterwards.

Find advance tickets at this link.

See the Stiv Bators documentary tonight at Theater 80

Sorry to say that I was unaware of this screening until now (thanks to the commenter for mentioning it). So we missed the first night. But there are still tickets available for tonight.

Here's more about "Stiv, No Compromise No Regrets" and tonight ...

The New York premiere of a film by Danny Garcia. A Q&A with the director will follow the screening. Music by Frank Secich and friends will close the evening.

Stiv Bators was a punk pioneer, canonized by his exploits in life and untimely death. Now his story is being told by in "Stiv, No Compromise No Regrets," a long-awaited doc, that is both poignant and exhilarating.

The film covers Stiv’s formative years in Youngstown, Ohio, before the Dead Boys and his time with projects such as The Stiv Bators Disconnected Band, The Wanderers, Whores of Babylon feat. Johnny Thunders & Dee Dee Ramone, then onto The Lords of The New Church, through his last days in Paris.

Complete with never released 8MM footage from private collections, a killer soundtrack, and accounts from the people who were with Stiv through various phases and projects of his life and career.

Seating is at 9:30 p.m. and the show starts at 10. You can buy tickets here. Theater 80 is at 80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Gangster Squad Night at Theater 80 on St. Mark's Place tomorrow

Tomorrow night, The Museum of the American Gangster at 80 St. Mark's Place (aka Theater 80) is hosting a party for the launch of the new movie "Gangster Squad," starring Sean Penn, Ryan "Don't fight in Astor Place" Gosling, Nick Nolte and Josh Brolin.

Via Facebook...

Gangster Squad Night!

Tuesday January 8th, 2013

Doors open at 6pm
7 pm Screening of the 1931 Warner Bros Gangster flick THE PUBLIC ENEMY
8:30pm Join us at the William Barnacle Tavern for Gangster Squad prizes, screening passes and $2 off Absinthe!

No ticket or RSVP required! Screening and bar capacity is on a first come first served basis.

Gangster Squad in Theater's January 11