Openings: Marinara Pizza debuts on 2nd Avenue

As we've been reporting (like here and here), Marinara Pizza is coming to the northeast corner of Second Avenue at 10th Street.

And yesterday was the pizzeria's opening day (thanks to Nick Solares for the pic!) at 160 Second Ave.

As noted before: An EVG reader told us that their most popular slice is the MVP, which features stripes of marinara sauce, vodka sauce and pesto on a square pie (the pic is from the Marinara social media) ...

For now, their hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find the menu here.

This is the fifth outpost for Marinara, which has locations on the UES, UWS, Midtown East and Park Avenue South. 

H/T Steven

Openings: 7th Street Burger on 7th Street

7th Street Burger opened this past Thursday here at 91 E. Seventh St. just east of First Avenue.

On Instagram, their motto is "going back to simple." As such, you can see that the menu consists of just a few items — cheeseburgers, an Impossible burger, fries, Mexican Coca-Cola and water...

Owner Kevin Rezvani was previously operating a similar venture in his native New Jersey ... where he opened his first burger joint, Diesel & Duke, a few years back while he was a student at Rutgers. (He recently sold the business, now with five locations, to start 7th Street Burger.)

The quick-serve space is open Thursday through Sunday starting at 4 p.m. for takeout or delivery. (There are also a few tables outside.)

 

The storefront was previously the longtime home to Caracas Arepa Bar, which closed last fall.

Mocha Red promises a 'Tulum Meets Wynwood Experience' on 4th Avenue

Temp signage arrived last week for Mocha Red at 127 Fourth Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street.

We're told that this is a new concept from the folks behind Mocha Burger. 

And the concept? A steakhouse and mixology bar that will provide "a Tulum Meets Wynwood Experience" ...

BarBacon was here for nearly two years before bowing out during the pandemic. 

H/T Upper West Sider!

Gia signage arrives on the Bowery

Signage is up now for Gia Trattoria here at 334 Bowery between Great Jones and Bond. 

Gia's Instagram account describes it as a "rustic and fun Italian restaurant." No word on an opening date. (As you can see on the storefront pic above, they are still hiring for all positions.) You can sign up for updates on the Gia website.

Not sure who's behind the new venture at the moment. Coincidentally, there was a restaurant called Gia Trattoria at this address for a brief time in 2015. 

Actually, there were a lot of places here for a brief time between November 2014 and June 2015 ...  this is when the storefront was divided into two spaces, and Forcella, Espoleta, Gia Trattoria, Slice of Naples, SRO and Bowery Pizza came and went over a six-month period. 

Most recently this space was Gino Sorbillo, the first U.S. pizzeria from "the Neapolitan celebrity super-chef" of the same name. The "temporarily closed for renovation" sign arrived here in early January ... after a November 2017 opening. 

7th Street Burger for 7th Street

Updated: 7th Street Burger opened on June 3.

We heard rumors of a burger place opening at 91 E. Seventh St. just east of First Avenue... and yesterday, the window lettering went up for — ding, ding — 7th Street Burger. 

Not sure at the moment who's behind this venture. Per their website: "7th Street Burger offers classic American smash-burgers for takeout and delivery." 

The menu on the website includes a cheeseburger ($6), an Impossible burger ($7.50) and a grilled cheese ($3.50). They'll also serve Mexican Coca-Cola. 

This space was previously the longtime home to Caracas Arepa Bar, which closed last fall.

Sidney's Five in soft-open mode on 1st Avenue

Sidney's Five recently opened at 103 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street... in soft-open mode since May 15.

The principals here include David Lowenstein, who also runs the cafe-deli Pickler & Co. in Midtown, Edie Ugot, whose kitchen experience includes EdieJo's in Brooklyn and the Spotted Pig and the Breslin Bar, and Kai Woo, who was behind the bar at Union Square Café.

For now, the restaurant is serving a variety of sandwiches and some salads, coffee, soda, etc. (They applied for a liquor license in March.) 

Here's their temp menu...

You can find more details on the Sidney's Five website. 

They are open from 5 p.m. to ? Tuesdays through Sundays. 

Ugly Kitchen closed here last year after nearly nine years in business.

Openings: Soda Club on Avenue B; Jolene on Great Jones Street

Soda Club, the latest vegan concept from Ravi DeRossi's Overthrow Hospitality, is now open at 155 Avenue B between Ninth Street and 10th Street. (First reported here.) 

The restaurant is serving plant-based Italian cuisine and a large selection of natural and organic wines. You can check out the menu here. 

Soda Club is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight. For now, they're only taking walk-ins. 

The previous tenant at No. 155, Donostia, the wine-and-tapas bar, closed in November 2018 after five years in business.

This is the third new East Village from DeRossi this year... joining Cadence on Seventh Street and Etérea on Fifth Street.

Photo by @ericmedsker via @sodaclubnyc

At 54 Great Jones St., restaurateur Gabriel Stulman has changed up concepts for The Jones, his all-day cafe that opened in August 2019 just west of the Bowery.

Starting today, the space is Jolene, which takes its name from Dolly Parton's song.

Here's more:

Inspired by the utterly charming Cafe de Flore in Paris...  Stulman has transformed The Jones into a new classic American bistro, cafe, and bar with partner and executive chef James McDuffee ... That means an extensive wine list, clutch cappuccinos, snackable bites like a "Della" tea sandwich, and satisfying mains like chopped steak frites.

Will update with the hours later. No website at the moment, but there's always Instagram.

Before The Jones, No. 54 was home to the Great Jones Cafe, which never reopened after Jim Moffett, the longtime owner, died in July 2018 at age 59. The Cafe, a popular yet low-key spot, first arrived in 1983.

Meanwhile, the bust of Elvis remains from the days of the Great Jones Cafe...    

Trading places: Are you ready for some Unregular Pizza?

Unregular Pizza opens today at 135 Fourth Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. There was a friends and family sneak preview last evening... (thanks to Steven for the pics!)

Owner Gabriele Lamonaca, who previously worked at EV restaurants Huertas and Cacio e Vino, made headlines earlier this year for his unique bartering system. 

Lamonaca, who has wanted to open his own restaurant, started experimenting with his pizza-making skills during the pandemic. From his Harlem apartment, he whipped up a handful of pies every week and made them available via barter. 

As the Rome native told the Post back in February, he didn't want to take people's money during such difficult financial times... so he traded his creations for everything from chocolate cake to chicken Milanese.

He said there's some historical precedent for bartering. During leaner times in post-World War II Italy, "My grandmother would bake bread and press olives into oil, and trade it to neighbors for eggs," he said.

Now though you can pay for the pies, which the Post declared the best in the city. You can follow the pizzeria on Instagram. It appears that Lamonaca will still hold some pizza barters. (Update: they will have once-daily trades.)

Hours: daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Electric Burrito debuts on St. Mark's Place

Electric Burrito had its grand opening yesterday here at 81 St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue.

As previously reported, the Southern California-style, to-go restaurant was created by Alex Thaboua and Will Wyatt of the cocktail bar Mister Paradise around the corner on First Avenue. 

The menu includes burritos inspired by Thaboua's upbringing in San Diego and house-made sodas. 

A rep shared more info on what to expect:

Visitors will be able to enjoy a selection of Cali-Mexican fare, including San Diego classics such as breakfast burritos, tacos and a totally authentic California Burrito that’s stuffed with french fries. 

Popularized by surfers and familiar to anyone in Southern California, this fry-stuffed Mexican-American mashup is a staple of casual California dining. Dubbed simply The California Burrito, there are slightly different takes up and down the Gold Coast with people in San Diego usually opting for carne asada. 

At Electric Burrito guests may select pollo asado, carnitas or carne asada as their base that gets rolled up with pico de gallo, cheese, and those iconic fries (guac, beans, crema and other add ons can be thrown in as well).

You can find the Electic Burrito website here. And Instagram here. Electric Burrito is open for now from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and from noon to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Openings: Sanshi Noodle House on 2nd Avenue

Sanshi Noodle House debuted this past week on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street.

As previously reported, this is the second location for the restaurant ... joining the original outpost in Flushing. You can check out some food pics via the Sanshi Instagram account. Here's a menu for the Flushing location. (A beer-wine license is in the works. They are on this month's CB3-SLA docket.)

Sanshi Noodle House is open for lunch from noon to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with dinner service from 5-8 p.m. (per Google).

This corner space has been vacant since Bar Virage closed in December 2018 after 20-plus years in business. 

Go Fish: Osakana sets up for sushi on St. Mark's Place

Signage/branding is up now for Osakana at 42 1/2 St. Mark's Place just east of Second Avenue...

This will be a second location for the Brooklyn-based (Graham Avenue!) Japanese-style fish market and education center, which offers a variety of cooking classes and demonstrations. 

Aside from a seafood market, they'll be offereing a variety of fresh-fish and ramen options for pick-up or delivery. (Details here.) 

Osakana, a spin-off operation from Japanese restaurant Okonomi//Yuji Ramen, first opened in Brooklyn in the summer of 2016.

This space was previously Zoku Sushi, a delivery-only service.

Photos by Steven

Openings: Rosemary's East, an Italian restaurant at 350 1st Ave.

And just a little outside the usual coverage zone for this one... Rosemary's East debuts today at 350 First Ave. at 20th Street. (News of this arrival dates to the fall of 2019.) 

The @Stuytown Instagram account had this quickie overview: "The Italian restaurant, whose menu is heavy on pasta and pizza, has an extensive wine bar, sidewalk cafe, and an airy, indoor dining room with skylights." 

Rosemary's East is a sibling to Rosemary's on Greenwich Avenue and part of the Casa Nela hospitality company. 

According to the Post, Stuy Town-Peter Cooper landlord the Blackstone Group has revenue "participation" in the new restaurant. "Blackstone paid for what the partners called a 'significant' portion of the buildout for the 6,800 square-foot space," the Post reported. 

Will update with menus and hours once that info is available.

Petite Abeille and Vamos! previously occupied this space. 

Image via @Stuytown

Openings: Etérea debuts on 5th Street

Etérea, the latest plant-based concept from Ravi DeRossi's Overthrow Hospitality, is now open (as of last night) at 511 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Per the Overthrow Instagram account:

Etérea is Spanish for "ethereal," meaning "light and delicate, as if not of this world." It communicates our CEO Ravi DeRossi's vision of a tequila and mezcal bar unlike any other in the city, past or present. With deep red velvet banquettes, vividly colorful pillows, and thousands of hanging flowers, we hope the place will offer our guests an escape from the rat race of the city. ⠀

Mixologist Sother Teague from Amor y Amargo is behind the bar menu here ... while Executive Chef Xila Caudillo oversees the plant-based small plates "that honor her Mexican Heritage and SoCal Upbringing."

Etérea is open Wednesday-Friday from 5 p.m. to midnight, with a 2 p.m. open on Saturday and Sunday. You can find the menu here. 

DeRossi's other EV establishments include Avant Garden, Ladybird and the recently opened Cadence.

And previously here... Violet, the restaurant by the Pizza Loves Emily Group and chef/owner Matt Hyland, did not reopen after the COVID-19 PAUSE.

The address has been home to several restaurants since Le Tableau closed in December 2007. Before Violet, there was Goat Town, Seymour Burton, Butcher Bay and GG's.   

El Carnaval coming soon to the former Fonda space on Avenue B

Updated: El Carnaval opened on May 9!

Coming soon signage arrived Monday at 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street for El Carnaval, a Panamanian restaurant and bar. 

We're told the new venture is from the folks who run KC Gourmet Empanadas right next door...

... that space looks to become a to-go outpost for El Carnaval...

Fonda, the previous tenant at 40 Avenue B, closed last summer. The Mexican restaurant's other locations in Chelsea and Park Slope remain open. This outpost opened in February 2012, stopping the revolving door of restaurants to come and go here.

Thanks to Stacie Joy for the photos and Vinny & O for the tip!

Brought to life: Electric Burrito signage arrives on St. Mark's Place

The neon signage for Electric Burrito arrived back on Friday at 81 St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue.

This is the Southern California-style burrito shop that started as a pop-up concept at Mister Paradise around the corner on First Avenue. Mister Paradise co-founder Will Wyatt and bar GM Alex Thaboua are behind this to-go venture that expects to open on the week of May 17.

The menu includes burritos inspired by Thaboua's upbringing in San Diego and house-made sodas.

You can check out the Electric Burrito Instagram account for some burrito pics.

Until March 2020, this space was an outpost of Xi'an Famous Foods.

Photo by Steven

Openings: Looker bringing vegan bar food to Avenue B

Looker, serving vegan bar food, debuts today (1 p.m. until ... ?) at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

This is the sister restaurant to Post, the former tenant here...  as previously reported, the four-year-old cafe moved around the corner to a larger space on Third Street. 

Not sure what else to say about Looker at the moment... they do have an Instagram account chock-full of 1980s throwbacks...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LOOKER (@lookerny)

On second thought, Chef Hans looks to be the new tenant for 120 1st Ave.

Last month, the @TradedNY account reported that Jian Bing Man, which specializes in Chinese crêpes, signed a lease at 120 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

However, on Monday, signage arrived for a completely different establishment — Chef Hans Asian Kitchen. Not sure at the moment what happened to Jian Bing Man ... or perhaps this is some kind of spin-off restaurant.

The previous tenant here, Doma Food and Drinks, a Korean bistro, didn't have much of a chance, opening in February 2020 — about six weeks before the PAUSE ... this was a new concept from the owners of the Tang, which opened in this space in July 2016. 

Photo by Steven

Two Hands debuts on Avenue A

The first NYC outpost of Two Hands, a quick-serve establishment serving "Seoul fresh corn dogs," opened back on Friday here at 147 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Here's a look at what to expect with their varieties of corn dogs...

They also serve dirty fries — deep-fried potato tater puffs with Two Hands Dirty Sauce and Cheetos powder. Find the menu here.

Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with an 11 p.m. close on Fridays and Saturdays.

The expanding company also has franchises in California, Arizona and Nevada... and now NYC.

Photo by Steven

Openings: Cadence debuts on 7th Street

Cadence, the latest vegan entry in Ravi DeRossi's Overthrow Hospitality group, debuted last night at 122 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. (First mention here.)

As Florence Fabricant reports at the Times, the chef, Shenarri Freeman, "is interpreting the Virginia Southern and soul food of her youth through a contemporary plant-based lens."

And...

Here, a compact dining room with a chef's counter and seating outdoors are the backdrop for Ms. Freeman's smoked grits with torched oyster mushrooms, a black-eyed pea and garlic pancake, maple buttermilk cornbread, stuffed collards with Aleppo rice, roasted purple yams with blackberry coulis and toasted marshmallows, and a seasonal fruit cobbler. Plant-based stand-ins are used in place of real dairy, as in the ice cream for the cobbler and the rosemary butter on the grits.

Cadence is currently open for limited indoor and curbside dining. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 5-11 p.m., and Sunday from noon-10 p.m. You can find the menu (and make reservations) at this link.

Image via @cadence.newyork

Coming soon: bagels at 105 E. 9th St.

Updated: A good point in the comments... this all might be just to show up the potential for a tenant... and isn't necessarily going to be a new bagel place...

Noting the recent arrival of bagel signage over at 105 E. Ninth St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. (First post on this in November.) 

Not sure at the moment what the business will be called... there are three signs in total: Bagel Deli, Everything Bagel and (gulp) Toasted Bagel. 

The sign with Toasted Bagel is also odd as it includes what looks like two slices of bread in the form of a sandwich, which isn't a toasted bagel. Anyway!

Yuba, the 9-year-old Japanese restaurant, closed here last summer as business dwindled during the pandemic.