Sorbet Cray Cray debuts today on A

The owners of the the Chikalicious dessert shop on 10th Street have revamped their Churro Cone space at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

After a few weeks in soft opening mode, Sorbet Cray Cray (!!!!) opens this afternoon. Florence Fabricant at the Times wrote about it earlier this month:

They use their homemade yogurt as the base, and add a made-to-order sorbet whizzed on the spot in a high-speed Pacojet blender. July’s flavors are rosemary, basil and watermelon. Next month, you’ll find lemongrass and honey-thyme. It will be open until late fall when they will open a more permanent outlet for the dessert nearby.

You can hit up the Cray Cray Instagram account here for more views of their "best-in-show, first-rate, silky smooth sorbets in proprietary sauce."

H/T EVG reader Annabelle!

Churro Cone by ChikaLicious bringing another dessert option to Avenue A

Signage is up at 131 Avenue A for Churro Cone...



... which includes a look at their ice-cream offerings stuffed into churro cones (these were big a few years back at ChikaLicious Dessert Club on 10th Street. Updated: See below: Turns out this is via the folks at ChikaLicious) ...



Churro Cone also marks the third new business for the storefronts at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Thai Direct opened next door last week... and ramen restaurant TabeTomo is on the way.

Updated 3 p.m.

Per the comments... this is a relocation for the folks who ran Dessert Club ChikaLicious on 10th Street (Chikalicious Dessert Bar will remain where it is)... And Churro Cone debuts on Wednesday...

Opens Wednesday 8/29! Hours: Wed - Sun, 4pm - 11pm. 131 Ave A. bt 8th st (st. marks) & 9th st. Introducing: the Crazy Rich Asian. ( tiramisu pecan-mascarpone espresso ICE CREAM! with “out-of-the-oven” cocoa powder-dusted lady finger atop warm churro cone! ). Holla!

A post shared by ChurroConeNYC chikalicious (@churroconenyc_chikalicious) on Aug 26, 2018 at 8:54am PDT

The Dessert Kitchen space is for rent on St. Mark's Place

A for rent banner recently arrived on the front window of The Dessert Kitchen at 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The shop, which relocated here last fall, is still in business, serving its variety of "homemade Asian-fusion-styled desserts from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan."

The listing notes that possession can be arranged with notice of 30 to 60 days. Other listing comments include: "All uses considered" ... "Can be vented for cooking" ... and, obviously — "Motivated landlord."

The rent is available upon request.

Mochii is a new rice flour dessert shop on 7th Street

A recent opening to note... Mochii opened last month (grand opening was April 21) at 116 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Here's their description via Facebook (and Instagram): "Rice flour dessert shop offering a healthier alternative while being affordable in a cozy, relaxing environment."

And they serve a variety of Chinese and Japanese desserts, such as mochii ice cream, daifuku (mochi stuffed with red bean paste), Japanese sweet dumplings and Chinese sweet rice balls. You can find their menu and shop hours here.

Have you gotten your daily dose of mochii yet? 😁 PC: @tsering.gurung.925

A post shared by Mimi Lau (@mochiinyc) on Apr 27, 2018 at 12:10pm PDT

Meet Fresh debuts on Cooper Square

NYC's first Meet Fresh is now open on Cooper Square at Sixth Street.

While we don't have photographic evidence of this, an EVG reader reported a long line outside the popular Taiwanese dessert and tea chain on Saturday.

As previously noted, the company, now with 100 locations worldwide, was started by the Fu siblings. Here's their story via the Meet Fresh website:

Sister and Brother Fu grew up in a generational farming family in the Feng Yuan District of Taichung, Taiwan. Using traditional food materials and processes, they made chewy taro ball desserts, soft herbal jelly, and delicate traditional tofu pudding, as a continuation of traditional delicacies while integrating innovation!

Meet Fresh resides in the corner retail space of the 13-story dorm for Marymount Manhattan College students that opened in August 2015.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Meet Fresh bringing teas and taro balls to Cooper Square

Meet Fresh bringing teas and taro balls to Cooper Square

The second retail space in the base of the Marymount Manhattan College dorm has a new tenant.

Signage went up yesterday here on Cooper Square and Sixth Street for Meet Fresh, a Taiwan-based chain that serves teas and desserts. (Thanks to EVG reader Harry Weiner for the photos!)



The company, now 100 locations strong, was started by the Fu siblings. Here's their story via the Meet Fresh website:

Sister and Brother Fu grew up in a generational farming family in the Feng Yuan District of Taichung, Taiwan. Using traditional food materials and processes, they made chewy taro ball desserts, soft herbal jelly, and delicate traditional tofu pudding, as a continuation of traditional delicacies while integrating innovation!

This marks the first NYC location for the brand. It joins neighbor Pourt, the cafe-networking space, in the dorm storefronts.

The 13-story dorm opened for Marymount Manhattan College students in August 2015. The dorm sits on a lot previously occupied in part by 35 Cooper Square, the Federal-style building that dated to 1825.

Latest dessert choices: cream cheese creations; ice-cream doughnut sandwiches

Becky's Bites opens today at 122 E Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

According to the shop's Facebook page: "Becky offers a range of novel cream cheese based bites from bagels & parfaits to tiny tarts & cookie sandwiches."

Here's a copy of the Becky's menu...



----

Meanwhile, over on First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street...



Stuffed Ice Cream opens tomorrow...


[Photos by Steven]

... and they specialize in doughnut-ice-cream sandwiches called cruffs... ("NYC's First Cruff," per Stuffed's Instagram account)...

Three days left until we start taking applications to #ClubCruff First member: @yeahfoodbeer 📸: @soulill

A post shared by Stuffed Ice Cream NYC (@stuffedicecreamnyc) on Jul 26, 2017 at 7:09pm PDT

Previously on EV Grieve:
Becky's Bites bringing cream cheese creations to 7th Street

Stuffed Ice Cream coming to 1st Avenue

Mango Mango bringing more dessert to St. Mark's Place

Signage has arrived upstairs at 19-21 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for Mango Mango, a dessert shop with multiple locations that launched in Chinatown in 2013.

Here's more about them via their website:

The aspect of our business is to serve traditional Hong Kong style sweet soup dessert to modern fusion sweets. We use the finest ingredients and a sophisticated method of cooking to create innovative handmade desserts to serve our customers. Most of our desserts are made with mango from the soup base to the pastries and drinks that we cater to our customers. Mangos are liked by all ages because of the sweetness that it brings and provides 100% of vitamin C.

The space adjacent to the Chipotle and above St. Mark's Market was previously home to Beyond Vape, which went up in smoke closed in January.

More dessert choices for Avenue A as Eggloo opens this weekend

Eggloo, which specializes in Hong Kong egg waffles and ice cream sandwiches, is opening this weekend at 147 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street. (H/T B+B)

Mark your calendars for our Ave A Eggloo grand opening. Stop by 7/1-2 for our BOGO deal on all cones and NEW ice cream sandwiches! 🍨🍧🍧 TAG A FRIEND 👭

A post shared by Eggloo (@myeggloo) on Jun 23, 2017 at 3:48pm PDT

This will be Eggloo's second NYC location. They opened on Mulberry Street in February 2016. And as amNew York reported at the time: "Teenagers out of school for the holiday crowded the narrow entryway, blaring Taylor Swift, and eagerly ordered matcha waffles griddled to order, stuffed with a plush scoop of homemade strawberry ice cream, topped with mochi, colorful cereal and more."

Eggloo will be just one storefront away from another new dessert place — Gelarto.

Other nearby dessert places opening soon are Becky's Bites, the cream cheese shop on Seventh Street, and Stuffed Ice Cream on First Avenue. That Stuffed signage arrived on Monday...


[Photo by Steven]

As for 147 Avenue A, the storefront in prison-bound landlord Steve Croman's building has been vacant for the past two years. La Lucha closed here after six years in business, citing "the outrageous cost of operating in the village."

'Snowflake dessert' coming soon to 2nd Avenue

A Bingbox Snow Cream shop is coming soon to 125 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, per the signage in the front window...



The Bingbox Facebook page describes their product this way: "The finest and purest snowflake dessert to be enjoyed all year round."

The storefront was previously home to E-Nail, which closed last September.

H/T Steven

Jum Mum becoming another Spot for dessert on St. Mark's Place

[Photo by Jordy Trachtenberg from Nov. 10]

Earlier in the month, Jum Mum at 5 St. Mark's Place closed for renovations. According to the quick-serve Thai-Chinese restaurant's Facebook page: "Hold on to your VIP cards WE ARE COMING BACK. Getting ready for a new look this fall!"

Apparently there is more than a new look… there's also a whole new concept… the banner now hanging outside advertises an annex (Spot 2) for the Spot Dessert Bar …



… which is just a few storefronts away…



Jum Mum, which opened in May 2012, was run by the owners of Spot.

Insomnia Cookies opening an East Village outpost

Well, we just noticed this the other day: Small signs for Insomnia Cookies above Plump Dumpling (or whatever it is now) on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and East 11th Street...



Insomnia confirmed that they are opening a location in the East Village ... though didn't specify where exactly. (There is an empty storefront behind Plump Dumpling.) They are also hiring here now.

Oh, and what are Insomnia Cookies? Here is their description via Facebook:

Insomnia Cookies was born out of the dislike of heavy meals late at night, love of food delivery, and the realization that by the time you get hungry at night, nothing is open.

Insomnia Cookies serves fresh, oven baked cookies in an assortment of flavors and offers delivery until 3AM! Popular flavors include Chocolate Chunk, Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and the S'mores Deluxe. Insomnia Cookies also offers brownies, cookie cakes and ice cream with toppings such as Mint Chocolate, Cookie Dough and Snickers. The requisite pint of cold milk is available with any order. Insomnia Cookies…baked right, late night!

While primarily serving college students and the late-night crowd, we also offer nationwide gifting options and a catering menu for businesses, parties and other events.

Insomnia Cookies has more than 40 locations in the United States... with six storefronts in NYC.

Coming soon to Second Avenue: Gelato

EV Grieve reader abrod passes along word of this incoming gelato shop on Second Avenue near East Fourth Street... previously home to Crembebe, a boutique specializing in kid's fashions...

Oh, and Gelato Ti Amo is part of an international Tuscany-based chain who only use products branded FSC, Forest Stewardship Council, according to the Gelato Ti Amo website.

What dessert to pair with Rodell Napoleon

Spotted earlier on Seventh Street... But only for the sophisticated traveler...

The next dessert concept for St. Mark's Place: bacon-filled macarons

So, we have places selling sweet buns and pudding on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue... and now?

As Julie Shapiro reports at DNAinfo this morning, Macaron Parlour is taking over the vacant storefronts at 111 St. Mark's Place, part of the former Chocolate Library.

The desserts debuted at the Hester Street Fair in 2010... this will be the first shop for Christina Ha and Simon Tung. Per DNA:

"[T]he bakery takes the traditional macaron and adds unusual fillings, from fresh strawberries to candied bacon and maple cream cheese.

For every lemon macaron sold, Macaron Parlor donates $1 to Alex's Lemonade Stand, an organization that seeks to cure pediatric cancer.

These were two of the storefronts that we suggested Bleecker Bob's look at for their relocation.

Timi's Gelateria Classica™ facing eviction on St. Mark's Place

We can't recall seeing Timi's Gelateria Classica™ — "a gelato franchise for the 21st century, with true Italian artisanal gelato made fresh daily" — open of late on St. Mark's Place near Second Avenue.

The place took over the Andy's Chee-Pee's space about this time last year.

Now, there are some legal-ly, eviction-y looking papers on the front door...

Per the website, "Timi's Gelateria Classica™ Italiana NYC is the flagship location for the Italian mini- chain, which has successfully launched stores around the world." Unfortunately, the website is on the fritz.

Try some pudding then instead?

Previously.

Puddin' due next week on St. Mark's Place

We've been keepin' an eye on Puddin' ... (See our posts here ... and here.) According to the Puddin' website, the place is the creation of Clio Goodman, who worked at Café Boulud, Bar Boulud and Union Square Café before going into business as a private chef.

And according to a typically annoying writeup yesterday at Urban Daddy, Puddin' opens next week, but the pudding pops don't arrive until the spring.

Puddin' is coming

We pointed out the coming-soon arrival on Puddin' on St. Mark's Place (next to Jane's Sweet Buns) last month...

The place is shaping up with some gold-foil lettering...

Puddin' has a website, where you can read the menu...

And on Twitter...

The Chocolate Library is checking out of St. Mark's Place

We heard a rumor that the Chocolate Library on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue would either be closing and/or relocating.

A tweet dated Oct. 3 provides a lot of info ...

Been a tough go here. Do you remember all that nonsense late last year about the name? The owner had to change the shop's name to Chocolate 101 after the education department told him the law forbade the use of the word "library" in business names. In February, the education department reconsidered and allowed the owner to keep the "library."

Anyway, is the East Village the best place for speciality chocolate shops? We've now seen the Chocolate Bar, Bespoke and the Chocolate Library come and go fairly quickly.

Maybe Puddin' will stick?

Are you Puddin' me on?: The latest dessert shop for the East Village

Wow. Last month, we pointed out signage for a new dessert place opening at 102 St. Mark's Place ... next door to Jane's Sweet Buns.

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Allen Semanco for the following photo that provides more detail on the type of dessert...

What's the over/under on a liquor license request? Think of the possibilities! Puddin' Bombs with a shot of Bailey's and Jameson ... Kidding! But...