A new mural for a new restaurant opening at 97 St. Mark's Place

Cecilia, a new bistro via Russell Steinberg, opens later this summer at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. More on Cecilia later. (You can visit the CB3 application from January here.) 

And ICYMI: Longtime East Village-based artist Stephen Tashjian — aka Tabboo! — recently created the mural outside the address...

This space was mostly recently Luz Cafe and Taberna 97... and for 31 years it was home to Yaffa Cafe (RIP 2014).

In 2016, workers painted over the mural that had been on the wall since 1993 — a portrait of Lika Ramati, the former co-owner of Yaffa Cafe... a heart mural via Hektad arrived next for the Taberna 97 era.

Taberna 97 is now open on St. Mark's Place

After several weeks in soft-open mode, Taberna 97 has officially opened its doors at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...



The owners (Eric Baker and sisters Patricia and Raquel Sanguedo, who also own the bar St. Dymphnas on the same block) are behind this venture, modeled after a traditional Portuguese taverna. (The Sanguedos are originally from Porto, Portugal. Baker and Patricia Sanguedo are married.)

Here's a look at the menu... they also have a beer-wine menu....


[Click to go big]

There was a long build-out here. The owners said that Taberna 97 was constructed to meet standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The previous tenant, Yaffa Cafe, closed (in September 2014), in part, because the city deemed the back patio illegal after being in use as a dining area for 31 years.

As previously reported, there aren't any plans for the Taberna team to offer backyard dining. "Let me assure everyone involved that this has not been nor is it the case," Baker told us back in September. "Our plans for the garden involve landscaping and beautifying so it can be enjoyed from inside our space."

Taberna 97 is open Tuesday–Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Previously

Some love for the former Yaffa Cafe mural space

[Photo by Allen Semanco]

NYC street artist Hektad is creating one of his heart murals outside 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...

The wall space was home to the Yaffa Cafe mural for nearly 23 years. A worker painted over that back in May. The cafe closed for good after 31 years in September 2014.

A new restaurant, Taberna 97, will be opening here soon.

Updated

And the finished mural...

Plywood comes down outside the incoming Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place

[EVG file photo]

Workers have removed the plywood from outside 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...



The owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are opening a Portuguese restaurant called Taberna 97 in this space.

The restaurant has an Instagram account, which notes they will be a "Leed Certified ... Sustainable Kitchen." No word on an opening date. (DNAinfo reported in March 2015 that the owners were hoping for a July 2015 opening.)

The space was previously home to Yaffa Cafe, which closed for good after 31 years in September 2014, as we first reported.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

So long to the Yaffa Cafe mural

Earlier today, a worker painted over the Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, as this photo by Allen Semanco shows.

Not really a surprise. The cafe closed for good after 31 years in September 2014, as we first reported.

The mural went up in 1993. It was a portrait of Lika Ramati, the former co-owner of Yaffa Cafe. The New York Times has more about the history of the mural in this article from 1999.

Here are two more photos via EVG reader Nick Monteleone ...





The owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are reportedly opening a Portuguese restaurant called Taberna in this space.

Updated 5-30

Decisions 2016

Spotted on St. Mark's Place on the former Yaffa Cafe sign between Avenue A and First Avenue...

Out with the former Yaffa backyard dining area, in with a new garden

Workers yesterday began demolishing the backyard dining area that previously belonged to Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place.

The owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are opening a Portuguese restaurant called Taberna here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As previously reported, the new owners will be turning the back space into a garden…





Co-owner Eric Baker told DNAinfo in March that "windows will be built into the back of the restaurant so customers can look at the landscaped area."

Last fall, the DOB issued a partial vacate order on the backyard space because it didn't have the proper fire exits and because it was zoned for residential use … Yaffa Cafe later decided to close for good after 32 years in the location.

Thanks to the EVG reader for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

More about Taberna, the Portuguese restaurant opening in the former Yaffa Cafe space

More about Taberna, the Portuguese restaurant opening in the former Yaffa Cafe space

[Photo by Allen Semanco]

We've been keeping an eye on the former Yaffa Cafe space at 97 St. Mark's Place, where the owners of St. Dymphna's down the block are opening a restaurant called Taberna here between Avenue A and First Avenue. (In January, CB3 OK'd the beer-wine license for the new venture.)

DNAinfo's Lisha Arino talked with co-owner Eric Baker, whose business partners — wife Patricia Martins and sister-in-law Raquel Martins — are both Portuguese, about what you can expect.

The restaurant will serve small and shareable Portuguese dishes like caldo verde — a traditional potato-based soup with shredded kale and optional chorizo slices — and bacalhau — dried and salted cod.

Yaffa's illegal back patio, which was partially responsible for its closing, will be turned into a garden, Baker said, and windows will be built into the back of the restaurant so customers can look at the landscaped area.

Gothamist wasn't too keen about this small-plates news yesterday:

Because the world East Village needs more sockless men gesticulating over a gram of food at 4 in the afternoon.

After a major overhaul, Baker hopes to have the space open this July.

Yaffa Cafe closed after 32 years last fall, as we first reported.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

The insides of the former Yaffa Cafe are now mostly outside

An EVG tipster notes the ongoing work out back of the former Yaffa Cafe, which crews are turning into a new restaurant from the owners of St. Dymphna's down the way here on St. Mark's Place.

Yaffa Cafe closed after 32 years last fall at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

Interior demolition continues at the former Yaffa Cafe, soon to be home to a Portuguese restaurant

Interior demolition continues at the former Yaffa Cafe, soon to be home to a Portuguese restaurant

A crew has been working this past week (or so) at the former Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place, where there are approved permits for interior demolition of the space.

An EVG tipster passed along the above photo from yesterday, showing some of the Cafe's former contents piling up out back.

Last month, CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license for the owners of St. Dymphna's, the neighborhood pub at 118 St. Mark's Place, to open a restaurant here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

We don't know too much about the new concept just yet. However, according to the minutes (PDF!) from the January CB3 meeting:

• it will operate as a full-service Portuguese restaurant, with a kitchen open and serving food during all hours of operation
• its hours of operation will be 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays
• it will not commercially operate any outdoor areas

Yaffa Cafe closed after 32 years last fall, in part because the legality of the back garden came into question.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

St. Dymphna's owners look to take over the former Yaffa Cafe space on St. Mark's Place

[EVG file photo]

The owners of St. Dymphna's, the neighborhood pub at 118 St. Mark's Place, have plans to open a restaurant in the former Yaffa Cafe on the same block.

There's not much information just yet regarding the plans. This is one of the items scheduled for the January CB3/SLA committee meeting.

According to paperwork (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website, the new restaurant will feature 16 tables (three of the tables are on the sidewalk cafe) with a total of 35 seats.

The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Food will be served during all business hours. The paperwork doesn't include a proposed name for the new venture or what type of food will be served.

There is, however, a diagram showing the layout…



The plans for the restaurant do not include the back garden, which the city ordered Yaffa's owners to discontinue using back in September. After nearly 30-plus years in business, the DOB issued a partial vacate order on the backyard space because it didn't have the proper fire exits and because it was zoned for residential use. Yaffa's owners decided not to reopen the restaurant.

Meanwhile, the owners of The Wayland are opening a tavern-restaurant in the former Simone Martini Bar space at First Avenue and St. Mark's Place. Yaffa's owners also operated Simone, which closed at the end of last month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

Yaffa Cafe's former sidewalk cafe is now a garbage dump

Yaffa Cafe officially announced their closure back on Oct. 1 after 30-plus years in business.

We've been curious what will happen to the space at 97 St. Mark's Place just east of First Avenue. We've haven't heard any news about this in recent weeks… the only activity to note is that someone moved the garbage and recycling to the space where Yaffa's sidewalk cafe was…





Yaffa's management decided to call it quits after the city ordered them to discontinue use of their backyard garden … and from the fines stemming from a recent DOH inspection.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

Reader report: Former Yaffa Cafe backyard garden will be turned over to residential use

[Photo via William Klayer]

According to workers at the scene, Yaffa Cafe's now-defunct backyard garden will be redone for use by the building tenants at 97 St. Mark's Place.

Perhaps they will be more quiet than some Yaffa patrons…

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

The Yaffa mural returns to view

EVG reader bayou happened by 97 St. Mark's Place this morning to see that workers have removed the Google ad that had been covering the Yaffa mural the past three-plus weeks...



Just in time for the restaurant to be permanently closed.

EVG reader Allen Semanco also shared photos...



... and he notes that workers are touching up the mural...



Previously on EV Grieve:
A Google ad now covers the iconic Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place

Yaffa Cafe will be back, though likely without its backyard garden

Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

Report: Aside from complaining neighbor, Yaffa Cafe endured a 9-hour DOH inspection

[EVG photo from February]

More details have emerged about the closing of Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place.

In a Facebook post last week, the folks at Yaffa said, "The city closed our garden, one of our not friendly neighbours complained to the building department, and they came and put 35 families out of work."

In an interview yesterday with DNAinfo's Lisha Arino, Yaffa manager Ron Ramati elaborated.

As previously reported, Yaffa was hit with the double whammy of a DOH temporary closure as well as a notice to discontinue use of their backyard garden.

To DNA:

Ramati ... said he was puzzled by the timing of a recent health inspection, as well as a partial vacate order the city slapped on his backyard dining area, since the patio had been in use for decades and advertised publicly by the restaurant.

“Suddenly, after 31 years, it’s illegal?” Ramati said.

Ramati said the combination of the fines and the ban on using the 100-seat backyard space, leaving only 75 seats inside, meant the longtime restaurant could no longer stay in business.

As for the inspection...

Ramati also complained that the inspector also spent nine hours at a restaurant, a move he found unusual, he said.

“I’ve never seen ever the health department being there for nine hours and being so vicious and rude,” he said, explaining that the inspector spoke "very brutally" to the kitchen and wouldn't let staff serve meals to customers.

If you're not Yaffa-ed out, then you can check out this essay at Brooklyn Magazine. "[I]n the midst of the bank construction and the influx of NYU frat bros, there was a shining light: The Yaffa Cafe."

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Google ad now covers the iconic Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place

Yaffa Cafe will be back, though likely without its backyard garden

Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

More about Yaffa Cafe closing

[Photo from 1997 by @JenniferKellow]

As we first reported yesterday, Yaffa Cafe is now officially closed at 97 St. Mark's Place.

The DOH temporarily closed the restaurant on Sept. 5. In addition, the city ordered Yaffa's owners to shut down the backyard garden.

Last night, ownership posted this statement to their Facebook page:

Yes, Yaffa is closed. We really want to thank everybody who came to Yaffa and kept it open for 31 years.

I know we helped a few families to start a relationship at our establishment.

We had a great years and some not great, but now its time to go.

The city closed our garden, one of our not friendly neighbours complained to the building department, and they came and put 35 families out of work.

I am sure she is very happy.

Thank you all for supporting us.

Throughout the day yesterday, Yaffa fans took to Twitter to express their feelings.

I wouldn't care if the backyard was on fire or a rat was tap dancing on my tuna melt. I wish I could sit down at @YaffaCafe one more time.

— Francine (@FrancineD) October 2, 2014

Heartbroken over the closure of @YaffaCafe. It held a very special part of my soul. #stripperinmanhattan #nyc pic.twitter.com/qb0r2kpGcr

— Bella Luna (@bawdybelle) October 2, 2014

I have lots of fond memories from @YaffaCafe in #NYC; so much good conversation and carrot-ginger salad dressing. Now it has closed :-(

— Elizabeth Landau (@lizlandau) October 2, 2014

Grub Street has a collection of the tweets here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Google ad now covers the iconic Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place

Yaffa Cafe will be back, though likely without its backyard garden

Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

[EVG file photo]

Turns out Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place will not be reopening after all.

They tweeted the news out last evening.

Bad news bears: Yaffa is officially gone. But good news: all recipes have moved to @SimoneMartiniNY on the corner!

— Yaffa Cafe (@YaffaCafe) October 1, 2014

Apparently sister restaurant Simone on the corner at First Avenue will carry on for Yaffa.

As we first reported, the DOH temporarily closed the 32-year-old restaurant on Sept. 5. Making matters worse, the city ordered Yaffa's owners to shut down the backyard garden. (There isn't a secondary form of egress. So in case of a fire…)

However, despite the setbacks, Yaffa tweeted that they would be back in three months or so after renovations.

Meanwhile, workers yesterday dismantled the backyard garden, as these photos by EVG reader Sam Teichman show …









And the Google ad remains covering the Yaffa Cafe mural outside…


[Photo via John A. Cecil]

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Google ad now covers the iconic Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place

Yaffa Cafe will be back, though likely without its backyard garden

Yaffa Cafe will be back, though likely without its backyard garden

[Image via Yaffa Cafe on Facebook]

There seems to be a lot going on now with Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Mark's Place.

For starters, the DOH temporarily closed the 32-year-old restaurant last Friday for a variety of violations, including "Hot food item not held at or above 140F" and "Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations." (There were 100 violation points in total.)

Meanwhile, the familiar Yaffa Cafe mural was covered yesterday by a Google ad.

A tweet for Yaffa offered this...

Hi everyone. Yes, we are officially closed but don't worry, we will be back! And so will our mural. We are starting renovations. #3Months

— Yaffa Cafe (@YaffaCafe) September 11, 2014

So the restaurant (and mural) will return — likely after a 3-month renovation.

However, when Yaffa does reopen, it will likely be without its charming garden dining space.

The city handed down a vacate order on the backyard dining space...


[Photo by Allen Semanco]

Why now for the garden to go? We don't know... what we do know is that there isn't any negotiation on this.

More TK.

A Google ad now covers the iconic Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place

Several readers have pointed out that this Google App ad is now up outside Yaffa Cafe, the 31-year-old restaurant at 97 St. Mark's Place...


[Photo via John A. Cecil]

A film crew was here last Friday ... and they put up and removed the banner in about 20 minutes...


[Photo from Friday by Allen Semanco]

We reached out to the folks at Yaffa to find out more about this. Unfortunately, the restaurant is currently (and temporarily) closed. The DOH closed them last Friday after failing an inspection. And Yaffa's phone is currently not in service.

Anyway, at this point, we're unsure if the ad is temporary or permanent.

Updated 5:13 p.m.

It looks pretty permanent. The ad is framed and screwed into the building, so to speak…

Updated 9/12

A little history of the mural, which went up in 1993. It is a self-portrait of Lika Ramati, (former?) co-owner with her husband, Amir, of Simone and Yaffa Cafe.

Updated 10:28 a.m.

Yaffa says the mural will be return...

Hi everyone. Yes, we are officially closed but don't worry, we will be back! And so will our mural. We are starting renovations. #3Months

— Yaffa Cafe (@YaffaCafe) September 11, 2014

DOH temporarily closes Yaffa Cafe on St. Mark's Place

We learned the hard way that the DOH temporarily closed one of our perennial favorites, Yaffa Cafe on St. Mark's Place... when we showed up for a meal...

Per the DOH website, the city issued 60 violation points ... No. 1 on the list: "Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation."

Anyway, we look forward to going back when they reopen.

UPDATE: They reopened Friday.