Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts

Thursday, April 22, 2010

One more from Monday night: Zerza denied



One more report from Monday's CB3/SLA meeting... Zerza, the Moroccan eatery on East Sixth Street, was looking to transfer to the former poisoned Carne Vale space at 46 Avenue B. Radouane, the owner (he sent me a note last week) stood up and gave a passionate talk on his restaurant and his love of the East Village... He introduced his mother, who is also the chef. It's a family-run business that he says has been a good neighbor throughout its seven-year history ... His current space, though, is too small and too expensive. He said he would close at 11:30 p.m. and there wouldn't be a bar... it seemed like one of the more honest and straightforward talks that I've heard ... not that everyone was paying attention on the Board. During his talk, he seemed to have the attention of three Board members. Two board members were at the far left-end of the table talking with Keith Masco, who was just before the Board. And Board member David McWater left before the Zerza presentation.

Anyway, the Board denied Zerza's request for a transfer citing oversaturation... Plus, there's still a stigma attached to 40 Avenue B ... expect the storefront to sit empty for some time...

Read the rest of my CB3 report here. Eater has more from the meeting. As does the Lo-Down.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Zerza owner discusses his intentions for new Avenue B space

Zerza moving to Avenue B

Monday, April 12, 2010

Zerza moving to Avenue B

The long-empty Carne Vale space on Avenue B near Fourth Street finally has a new tenant...(and the Carne Vale Web site is still alive...)



... it appears to be Zerza, the Mediterranean/Moroccan Restaurant & Bar that's now at 308 E. Sixth St.



They're on the docket for the next CB3/SLA meeting next Monday. According to the Zerza Web site, they feature hookas after 10 p.m. ... and there is belly dancing on the weekend ... I know nothing about Zerza, but the mere idea of hookahs and belly dancing in an Avenue B bar/restaurant brings up unpleasant memories of Le Souk and Layaly... and the Horus Cafe... By the way, as you may know, Carne Vale was owned by the Jacob brothers, who also run Le Souk...

Friday, January 22, 2010

More LES/EV eatery listicle debate


[Photo via here Look, no Ludlow building!]

After last week's top-10 East Village eateries list... Fork in Road today puts out its top-10 list for the Lower East Side....

10. Congee Village (Cantonese), 100 Allen Street, 212-941-1818

9. Clinton Street Baking Company (American), 4 Clinton Street, 646-602-6263

8. Alias (New American), 76 Clinton Street, 212-505-5011

7. Sorella (Italian/Piedmont), 95 Allen Street, 212-274-9595

6. 'inoteca (Small plates Italian), (Italian), 98 Rivington Street, 212-614-0473

5. Kuma Inn, (South East Asian tapas), 113 Ludlow Street,
212-353-8866

4. Apizz (Southern Italian), 217 Eldridge Street, 212-253-9199

3. Katz's Delicatessen (Delicatessen), 205 East Houston Street, 212-254-2246

2. Cafe Katja (Austria), 79 Orchard Street, 212-219-9545

1. Falai (Italian/Florentine), 68 Clinton Street, 212-253-1960

No Odessa! Why you *&^%*#%*&^3! (Ha! Kidding!)

Anyway, dunno if I have the energy to debate another list! In any event, I always like Rebecca Marx's work, so I have to trust her on some of these... Plus, I've only eater at three of these places... and I have a horrible bias against Clinton Street Baking Company purely based on the crowd waiting to get in on weekend mornings...

Meanwhile!



As you may recall, last Friday (and into the weekend), there was some debate hereabouts over Robert Sietsema's top-10 East Village eateries listicle... The choices are also prompting some healthy discussion at Chowhound too... (Via Eater)

Previously on EV Grieve:
A listicle to debate: The best East Village restaurants

Sunday, January 17, 2010

A listicle to debate: The best East Village restaurants

I originally posted this on Friday morning...The conversation in the comments continues. So I decided to move it up for the weekend...



As promised, Robert Sietsema listed "the best East Village restaurants" over at The Village Voice today.

And....

10. Dirt Candy (Vegetarian), 430 East 9th Street, 212-228-7732
9. Porchetta (Central Italian), 110 East 7th Street, 212-777-2151
8. The Smith (Gastropub), 55 Third Avenue, 212-420-9800
7. Back Forty (New American), 190 Avenue B, 212-388-1990
6. B & H Dairy Lunch (Jewish Dairy), 127 Second Avenue, 212-505-8065
5. Hasaki (Sushi), 210 East 9th Street, 212-473-3327
4. Prune (New American), 54 East 1st Street, 212-677-6221
3. Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar (New American), 101 Second Avenue, 212-979-1012
2. Momofuku Ssam Bar (New American), 207 Second Avenue, 212-254-3500
1. Ippudo (Japanese Noodles), 65 Fourth Avenue, 212-388-0088

No Odessa! Why you *&^%*#%*&^3!

OK, I've only been to four on the 10 here. And of those four, I'd never go back to Porchetta, which I tried once after caving in to peer pressure.

Also included in the feature....

Readers' Suggestions

Mamoun's Falafel (Middle Eastern), 22 St. Marks Place, 212-387-7747
Veselka (Ukrainian), 144 Second Avenue, 212-228-9682
Degustation (Science Chef), 239 East 5th Street, 212-979-1012
The Redhead (New American), 349 East 13th Street, 212-533-6212
Motorino (Pizza), 349 East 12th Street, 212-777-2644
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, 140 Second Avenue, 212) 614-3283
Kyo Ya (Japanese), 94 East 7th Street, 212-982-4140

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The canopies of NYC

Speaking of restaurants... I had this idea for a photo project: Take a picture of every bar/restaurant in NYC with a canopy. Something about a canopy makes even the most humdrum joint seem a little more classy...maybe even a touch of old New York. It was going well the first few minutes until I walked by the McDonald's on Third Avenue near St. Mark's -- the one with the canopy...

Anyway, here's a sampling of the project so far... only a few hundred more to go! (And if you have suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments...)