Caffe Buon Gusto continues to remain restaurant-free

Caffe Buon Gusto on Avenue B at Fifth Street looks to remain vacant for a little bit longer... CBG was scratched from last night's CB3/SLA liquor license docket... Meanwhile, perhaps the space can continued to be used by those in need of shelter for the night...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Caffe Buon Gusto's shelter

Caffe Buon Gusto's shelter

Last summer, after a seemingly lengthy renovation, Caffe Buon Gusto hoisted its signage at Fifth Street and Avenue B. Since then, things have not gone so well for the Italian eatery ... The space has turned into a graffiti hotspot... and its first pass at obtaining a liquor license last October didn't go so well... The Caffe Buon Gusto folks are back before the CB3/SLA board this Monday.

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, the space has provided shelter for a variety of people....

Caffe Buon Gusto looking a little sad, neglected

Work on Caffe Buon Gusto on Avenue B and Fifth Street has seemingly come to a halt. More graffiti appears by the day. The paper covering the windows has fallen down. Not much progress can be seen inside.




An EV Grieve reader files this report after a walk by this past weekend:

One of the plate-glass windows has a big crack running from side to bottom, most of the new paintwork is tagged and defaced, and the paper peeling back from one of the windows shows that construction inside has come to a halt. I have eaten at the Buon Gusto on the upper east side a few times, and found the food tasty and the staff welcoming; not that the East Village or the Lower East Side wants yet another homespun Italian restaurant, but the empty storefront has a very sad look to it.

City's third Caffe Buon Gusto coming to Avenue B

As we noted yesterday (and thanks to reader Empire), the former Zips space on Avenue B and Fifth Street will be Caffe Buon Gusto...



Apparently there are two other locations in Manhattan -- one on 236 E. 77th St. and one at 1004 Second Ave. I'm not familiar with these places. The Caffe's Italian fare on one site gets pretty positive remarks, except from the last person who left a review. "The 'bruschetta' was served on toasted wonder bread!"

Anyway, to repeat what I wrote earlier....is there really a need for another Italian restaurant in the neighborhood?

Zips is now Caffe Buon Gusto

Many thanks to reader Empire for passing along a photo of the long-awaited debut of the former Zips space on Avenue B and Fifth Street:




More details as they become available. Previous Zips coverage on EV Grieve.

Construction worker confirmation: Italian restaurant coming to the former Zips space

The neighborhood rumor was the former Zips space at Fifth Street and Avenue B would become an upscale diner-type place.... Well, according to a construction worker entering the storefront, the space will be..."an Italian restaurant."

Hmmm, well, is there room for another Italian restaurant in the neighborhood? The spot is right next door to Lavagna. Max is down the street. Il Bagatto is on Second Street just west of B. Supper is on Second Street... Perbacco is on Fourth Street near B....Cannonau is also on Fourth Street ... Uh, you get the idea.

Previous Zips coverage here.

Your daily Zips update

Yesterday, a fellow was tearing up the entryway at the former Zips space on Avenue B and and Fifth Street...

As it once looked...



I saw a pack of kids standing in the doorway last night...What were the kids doing?After the group moved on, I went to investigate... Ah!

Working sort of zipping along at the old Zips space

And as of Friday evening, a new paint job for what is expected to be an upscale diner-type place at Avenue B and Fifth Street...



And is black and blue the best color scheme for a new restaurant in this economy?

Previous Zips coverage here.

Old Zips space reveals....

Well, now. Finally some action at the former Zips location on Avenue B and Fifth Street... Work was going on inside for months... The neighborhood rumor was the space would become an upscale diner-type place....




Not so fast. As this photo from reader Empire shows...



As Empire notes, "Check out what has now been revealed from under the awning.. where it says 'Medical Office'?! Is that from BEFORE Zips? Hmmmmmm...."

Indeed! I double the Hmmmmmm...

A new door at Zips

And now a mysterious new door has been added to the side of the former Zips Deli space at Avenue B and Fifth Street. Possibly a door to enter and exit the kitchen for an upscale diner-type place...?



Previous Zips coverage on EV Grieve.

The makeover at Zips continues: Now the graffiti is gone

As I noted last Friday, the former Zips Deli on Avenue B at Fifth Street is getting a makeover



The hot rumor — which means it's wrong — is an upscale diner-type place. (As long as it's not another cafe-bakery-small-plates-type place. Or a bar. Or yogurt. Or...)

Anyway, while on the way home from work, I noticed the paint job...and removal of the graffiti...





This will not make the Graffiti Friend of EV Grieve very happy.

Meanwhile, the work permit made an appearance the past week.

Unzipping the mystery at Zips (trying to, anyway)

There's no shortage of chitchat among a few neighbors [that I happen to know] of the former Zips Deli on Avenue B at Fifth Street. Rumors abound that this space will become an upscale diner-type place, though I never report on unconfirmed facts, unsubstantiated rumors or other un-words. Oh, oops. Anyway! Something is happening here...



Yesterday, a worker was removing the graffiti from the front doors.



And there has been plenty of hammering and nailing kind of thing happening behind the brown-papered doors. An EV Grieve tipster who caught a look inside said the interior is shaping up to look like an upscale diner-type place, though you likely already knew that by now.




The EV Grieve tipster frets that what goes in this spot could have a negative impact on the neighborhood...if it's something obnoxious that attracts the let's-be-loud-and-pee/barf-in-the-streets-real-late-and-yell-for-a-cab crowd from outside the neighborhood. The people who are already going to a few places just south of here on Avenue B.

Related:
Check out this shot of Zips on Flickr...