The rent is due at Dojo Noodle House

Dojo Noodle House has been closed since mid-August here on Avenue B near Third Street. At the time, a sign on the door noted a September return. That never happened.

This past week, the landlord taped some legal documents to the front door for ownership ... with the notice that the restaurant owes some recent base rent and an assortment of legal fees that add up to $18,903.32 ...

The small restaurant opened as Dojo Izakaya in November 2014 and received positive notices. This Dojo was an offshoot of chef David Bouhadana's Sushi Dojo on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (Bouhadana reportedly parted ways with the Dojo camp the following year.)

Le Village is closed for now on 7th Street

Le Village, the small French bistro on Seventh Street, looks to have closed here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

An EVG reader brought it to my attention. The restaurant's website is down and its telephone is disconnected ... Yelp also states that Le Village is permanently closed.

Perhaps owner Didier Pawlicki has another change in concepts coming. In late 2013, he converted the vegetarian-friendly Table Verte into Le Village.

H/T Diana!

The closed and for-rent restaurants along this part of 2nd Avenue

Starting just north of Third Street...

N'eat remains closed...



The restaurant serving "new Nordic fare" has not been open for the past month at 58 Second Ave. The sign on the door between Third Street and Fourth Street says: "Due to unforeseen building issues, we have to close temporarily for maintenance work." There isn't any mention of a temporary closure on their website or social media properties. Their phone number is not in service.

N'eat opened last November.

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Express Thali at 82 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street hasn't been open for the past two-plus weeks...



The restaurant that serves/d vegetarian Indian cuisine opened in early March.

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After less than three months in business, 100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend) closed last November at Fifth Street...



The space has been on the market... the asking rent is $14,000 per month, per this listing.

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And at 79 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, the for rent sign recently arrived in the window at Heart of India...



The Marshal came calling here on July 24...



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Closures aside, there are many fine places to eat along here that look to be doing brisk business... whatever your favorite places may be...

[UPDATED] Haile Bistro looks to be closed

Last week, we noted that VeryThai is coming to 186 Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street. In the comments, a reader said that Haile Bistro, the new restaurant's neighborhood, had been dark of late.



Indeed, the family-run Ethiopian outpost remained shut all last week and through the weekend... the interior looks to be in the process of being cleaned up...



There aren't any closed notices on the storefront or Haile's website. The phone goes unanswered. Haile opened in 2013, and was an affordable dining option.

The space was previously home to Fu Sushi.

Updated:
The restaurant will reopen on March 14!

Blue 9 Burger has not been open lately

[Photo by Harry Weiner]

The quick-serve burger place at 92 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street has not been open the past week. (An especially bad sign that they were closed on Super Bowl Sunday.)

There hasn't been any activity here, including someone answering the phone. And the various food delivery services note that Blue 9 is not currently taking any orders.

I don't recall when this place opened. I found a review at Serious Eats from May 2005, which is about the last time that I ate here.

Ichi 88 hasn't been open lately

An EVG reader tells us that Ichi 88 on First Avenue between East 11th Street and East 12th Street has been closed since at least last Thursday.

There isn't any answer on the phone. To date, there isn't any mention of a closure on the Japanese restaurant's Facebook page... and no note on the gate that points to a temporary closure.

Per the EVG reader: "Too bad, as the food was exceptional, authentic according to a Japanese ex-patriot and reasonably priced by the standards of the East Village 2016."

Bago hasn't been open recently on 1st Avenue

Nick Solares at Eater yesterday pointed out that Bago, the quick-serve Filipino restaurant on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street, hasn't been open for the past few weeks.

Bago's Twitter account has been dormant since last summer... and on Facebook, the last update is from Jan. 4: "Our account has been hacked. We are noticing false posts. Please pardon the inconvenience for now. From all of us at Bago, have a lovely rest of evening and have a great New Year once again!" Seamless also notes that Bago is closed.

The restaurant opened last June in the former Hibachi Dumpling Express space (and a 2 Bros. before that).

Bago, which received a nice write-up in the Times back in November, is/was run by a daughter of Elvira Cinco, the proprietor of Elvie's Turo-Turo for nearly 12 years.

Pinche Taqueria has apparently closed on Lafayette

An EVG reader noted that there aren't any signs of life over at Pinche Taqueria, the West Coast-style Mexican restaurant on Lafayette and Bleecker...



Eater noted the possible closure last evening, hearing from a neighbor that a rent increase may be the reason behind the (sudden) departure. The locations on Mott Street and West 14th Street preceded this one in closing.

In 2008, the Times called Pinche's fish tacos "textbook-perfect."

Paprika hasn't been open lately on St. Mark's Place

Meanwhile, nearly directly across from the former Hummus Place on St. Mark's Place, Paprika has remained shuttered in recent weeks (at least three).

Calls to the restaurant are forwarded to a full voice mailbox. There isn't any mention of a closure on the restaurant's website or social media properties. In fact, Paprika, which specializes in Northern Italian cuisine, had been actively posting various menu items on Instagram as late as March 7.

Anyone know what's happening with the space?

Updated: There is a listing for the space on Loop Net, per a reader... the listing was last updated a year ago. It's currently listed as "off market." The asking monthly rent is/was $8,524.

Tepito hasn't been open lately on First Avenue

Tepito opened here on First Avenue near East 14th Street back in December 2011... however, we haven't seen it open recently. (A Yelp reviewer said that he/she tried to order online from the Mexican restaurant last week, and found it closed.)

The chef here is Adrian Ramirez, who previously worked at Le Cirque and Dos Caminos. No note on the door. No outgoing phone message. No mention of a closure of the restaurant's website.

We first reported back in April 2010 that the former David's Bagels would become a Mexican restaurant...

[April 2010]

By the way, anyone ever try Tepito? Seems like a tough location for a nice sit-down restaurant... And how long has that sidewalk shed been up here...?

Kebab Garden looking rather closed

On First Avenue near St. Mark's Place. Cardboard over the windows. No "closed for renovations" note. No DOH stickers. Seems as if it was just open the other day. Anyone? Class? Anyone?

Ko-Z not looking very open anymore on Sixth Street

Also while walking on East Sixth Street Friday evening... We noticed that Ko-Z was closed. We checked again on Saturday and Sunday evenings too. Closed. We wrote about the small Thai eatery just a few weeks ago. We had tried the food and liked it. The owner prepared our sandwich with great pride... enough pride that it took him maybe 15 minutes to do so. Which is fine. We weren't in a hurry. But we were the only people there. We wondered what happened if there was a crowd or an order for delivery...? We only ever saw the owner working.

Perhaps this is all just temporary.

The restaurant had just opened in last September.

Did Tre Scalini close on St. Mark's Place after less than two weeks?

Back on June 17, we pointed out that an Italian restaurant called Tre Scalini was taking over the former Bello's space at 130 St. Mark's Place near Avenue A.

I meant to note when they opened... If I had to guess, then I'd say they opened around July 1... During the weekend of July 8, I spotted this sign...

I walked by a few times and never saw anyone inside, save the owner and a worker or two. I last saw it open on July 10. I've walked by every day since then. It has not been open in the past 10 days.

If this is all true, then it was probably a good idea that they never changed the awning from the previous tenant.

They weren't even open long enough to merit a Yelp review.

Did anyone ever eat here?

Tonda has been closed of late

Tonda, the pizzeria at 235 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B, has been closed the last few evenings... You can see them maybe closing on a winter Monday or Tuesday... but a Wednesday and Thursday night too?

I sent Tonda an e-mail, though no one responded. The phone number still works. An outgoing message provides their hours, dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 11 pm, till midnight on Friday, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays... The pizzeria, housed in the former EU space, opened in the spring of 2009... As Eater noted last month, Tonda has been on the block ...Per Eater: They're asking for $250,000 key money and a $10,750 a month lease.

Mary Ann's still closed; 3 of 4 eateries currently shuttered on Second Avenue and Fifth Street

Signs out front still say they'll reopen on Nov. 4. We have spotted several people inside working around the eatery's bar area here at Second Avenue and Fifth Street.

Although this closure is certainly temporary, seems weird to have three of the four restaurants on this corner shuttered. (And the fourth, the Moonstruck, has been temporarily shuttered in the past too.)

On second thought...Rhong Tiam the Sequel not likely happening

JUST the other night, the former Rhong Tiam space on Second Avenue and Fifth Street was all lit up...

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A worker on the scene said that they'd be reopening next month...

THEN! Last evening, while walking by, "for rent" signs had gone up...

Medina Restaurant "temporarily closed" for renovations

The Medina Restaurant on First Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street...



...is "temporarily closed" for the time being...

Mini Thai Cafe mysteriously reopens as Mini Thai Cafe

After being closed a good 8-9 days, Mini Thai Cafe has reopened on Avenue A near Seventh Street ... We were told the eatery would be combined with Avenue A Sushi next door for one big restaurant... However, an EV Grieve operative stopped in the restuarant over the weekend and was told by a manager that the deal next door fell through... And last night, the slightly remodeled restaurant was open as usual...



The fate of Avenue A Sushi is unknown... The formerly colorful gate ...



...was painted over by workers yesterday...




Previously on EV Grieve:
Mini Thai Cafe and Avenue A Sushi to be combined into one new restaurant?

Mini Thai Cafe and Avenue A Sushi to be combined into one new restaurant?

As we noted this past weekend, Mini Thai Cafe and Avenue A Sushi were closed on Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street...



An EV Grieve reader noted in an e-mail that he/she heard that the restaurants were closed, with one new eatery coming in the space.

Also, the ATM outside Mini Thai Cafe has been removed...



This sign is on the door of Avenue A Sushi...




...which has been here since 1983...

The Dunkin' Donuts watch has begun....Day 4 (or 5, or maybe 3); and welcome Tim Hortons to the neighborhood?

Swung by last night for any signs of life...



Meanwhile, while flipping through back copies of Nation's Restaurant News, I found this article from July...

The Riese Organization, a longtime multi-concept franchisee in New York City, is converting all 13 of its Dunkin’ Donuts stores to the Tim Hortons brand, president and chief executive Dennis Riese said Wednesday.

Riese said he plans to close the Dunkin’ locations on Friday and reopen the stores July 13 under the Tim Hortons banner. Riese and Dunkin’ had come to an agreement about five years ago that required the termination of a franchise partnership by July 31.

Riese operates about 80 restaurants in New York City under the T.G.I. Friday’s, Houlihan’s, Pizza Hut and KFC brands. Its proprietary concepts include Charley O’s, Tads Steaks, Nedicks and Lindy’s.

Tim Hortons, based in Canada, has been making a push to open more stores in the New York metro area. Most recently, the chain opened three co-branded restaurants in midtown Manhattan in partnership with premium ice-cream chain Coldstone Creamery.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Dunkin’ Donuts, a chain of about 8,800 locations worldwide, has 454 units located in the New York City area. It is owned by franchisor Dunkin’ Brands Inc., which is based in Canton, Mass.

“Notwithstanding the disenfranchisement of the Riese organization, Dunkin Donuts presence in Manhattan and throughout New York City continues to expand,” franchisor Dunkin’ said in its statement. “In the past five years, 244 new Dunkin’ Donuts shops have opened in New York City, and we intend to continue this pattern of growth as opportunities arise.”

Expand? How many more do we need?

Anyway, so I guess the Second Avenue DD will become a Tim Hortons soon...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dunkin' Donuts closes on Second Avenue; only 428 left in NYC