A memorial today for Lucien Bahaj at his namesake restaurant

[Photo by Steven]

As reported last week, Lucien is hosting a memorial today for its founder, Lucien Bahaj, at the bistro at 14 First Ave.

Patrons are asked to stop by between noon and 7 p.m. here between First Street and Second Street.

Bahaj, who opened Lucien in 1998, died in Florida on July 29. He was 74.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Lucien Bahaj

Hitchcocktober movie of the week — 'The Birds'

The Hitchcocktober movie of the week is... "The Birds" tonight (Thursday!) at 8:15 and 10:25 (The 7:30 screening is already sold out!) at City Cinemas Village East on Second Avenue at 12th Street.

A refresher on that plot...



And upcoming:

• "The Lady Vanishes" — Oct. 24

• "Psycho" — Oct. 31

Find advance ticket info at this link.

Wednesday's parting shot

Today on Second Avenue and Ninth Street via Derek Berg...

[UPDATED] Rusty Bell is missing

Updated: See below... Rusty Bell was found safe.

This past Saturday evening, Dumbo resident David Buccola was with his dog Rusty Bell on Second Avenue just north of Houston when a car struck him. In the aftermath of the collision, Buccola became separated from Rusty Bell.

Since then, a heartbroken Buccola hasn't seen the dog, a 12-pound female Chihuahua wearing an orange harness, collar and tags. A witness reported spotting her later that night running north on Avenue C near Third Street.

Buccola is offering a $1,000 reward — no questions asked — for her safe return. Details are on the flyer below.



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Three friends on 12th Street and Avenue A had found Rusty Bell ... and there was a happy reunion tonight...

Noted (dead rat edition)

A reader shared the above photo from yesterday on the SW corner of Avenue B and Sixth Street.

The dead rat on the ground with the garbage is still there today.

Per another reader, who spotted it while walking her son to school:

The outer garbage can and inside bin are both missing from this corner ... which is strictly residential and across the street from an elementary school.

I made a complaint with 311 and filed a service request with the Department of Sanitation. I was told that DSNY will respond within 7 days.

Bagel bummer: DOH temporarily shutters David's on 1st Avenue

A variety of concerned reader emails arrived in the EVG inbox in the last 24-48 hours about David's Bagels.

Here's one:

On Saturday, I stopped by the always excellent David's Bagels on First Avenue and 16th Street and found it was closed with the gate pulled halfway down. Even in the 30 seconds I stood there I met four or five people who loved David's and were shocked that it was closed.

This week, the gate was lifted high enough for people to see the familiar yellow notice from the Department of Health... several readers shared photos of this...


[Photo via EVG reader Doug]

According to public records, the Department of Health closed the establishment following an inspection last Friday that turned up 60 violations points.

The top-three sanitary violations noted by the DOH were:

1. Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2. Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
3. Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

Public records show that David's has never run afoul of the DOH before... last inspection, from June 13, turned up just 9 violation points.

As the readers said, hopefully David's will be back open soon. Calls to the shop went unanswered yesterday.

Updated 11 a.m.

A reader says they are back open...

Caswell-Massey popping up on the Bowery

The American fragrance house Caswell-Massey, around since 1752 (it purportedly made George Washington’s cologne), is setting up a pop-up shop at 312 Bowery at First Street...



The space will be a retail/exhibit combo celebrating 268 years of the brand, whose first NYC store opened in the 1860s. (Their flagship location on Lexington at 48th in the Barclay Hotel was around from 1926 until 2010.)

A Caswell-Massey rep told me that this outpost will be open this fall ... and through the holidays and into early Spring 2020.

Until July, this space was home to MoMaCha then MAMACHA Café, which closed amid ongoing lawsuits with MoMa, who was unhappy with the perceived infringement on its nickname and logo.

102 E. 7th St. is now for rent

A for rent sign is now on the storefront at 102 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Avenue A.

The listing for this Steve Croman-owned space isn't online just yet at Meridian Retail Leasing.

This arrival marks the end of Comparti New York — "a full-service catering and events resource" — in this space.

Before Comparti we had the tapas bar XyZ Pintxos y Botanas. Previously there was Tink's Cafe. And because someone will bring it up... some years back the storefront was the boutique Body Worship with the stainless-steel penis as a door handle.

Brasserie Saint Marc debuts today on 2nd Avenue

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

At long last the longtime-coming Brasserie Saint Marc is opening at 136 Second Ave. here between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

Florence Fabricant offered up preview on the restaurant, which is expected to open today, at the Times ...

An ambitious project, four years in the making, from Karin Agstam, a model and actor who owned the restaurant Station in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is ready to open. Ms. Agstam was so smitten by the arched, brick-walled East Village space that she was determined to make it a restaurant. Now, it has a spacious bar area up front and a passage along an open kitchen that leads to a pair of dining rooms, one of which features Champagnes, and a garden.

And...

Glittering chandeliers and white marble-top tables brighten the space. As for the menu, the executive chef Frederick Piccarello, an experienced hand who was once at the Sign of the Dove uptown, has gone classic French. Escargots? Rillettes? Coquilles Saint-Jacques? Frisée aux lardons? Onion soup? Duck confit? Moules frites? Steak au poivre? Ms. Agstam’s favorite bouillabaisse? They’re all there. The menu also tips its hat to the neighborhood’s Eastern European roots with borscht and pierogies, and to vegans with an Impossible Burger.

There isn't any mention in the preview of the space being put to use to host meetings and events by organizations from the local Ukrainian community. This was a selling point when the applicants appeared before Community Board 3 for a liquor license in July 2018

According to the meeting's official CB3 minutes:

The applicants furnished five letters from organizations and businesses, including credit unions and a school within the local Ukrainian community, with a combined constituency of thousands of people, and seven people appeared to speak on behalf of the applicant who either operated a Ukrainian business within the building or the immediate neighborhood or through the Ukrainian community, each of whom cited the benefit of adding a full-service restaurant that could host events, meetings and dinners for local Ukrainian organizations...

As we've noted, a lot of work has gone into getting the former Bar 82 (RIP March 2013) into restaurant shape. The construction plywood went up here on May 6, 2016.

Tuesday's parting shots

New "Impeach!" art on the north-facing wall here on Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street...



Photos today by Steven...

Christmas comes early on Avenue A with filming for the new Netflix series 'Dash & Lily'

[Top 2 photos by @Jason_Chatfield]

Crews were out today along Avenue A and Third Street shooting scenes for "Dash & Lily," an eight-episode holiday romantic comedy series set for Netflix in 2020. (The show is based on the young-adult book series "Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares" from authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.)

Two Boots served as the location for the shoot this morning...



And given the holiday theme... Third Street was dressed with a Christmas tree stand... As Cáit O'Riordan, who shared this photo, joked on Twitter: "Ah! I thought I’d blacked out and missed Halloween."



Expect to see more of "Dash & Lily" around the neighborhood... they'll be filming along here again tomorrow... and there are posted notices on other streets, including 12th Street near the Strand.

You can read this article for more background on the series, which stars Austin Abrams and Midori Francis.

Police looking for suspect who spraypainted swastikas on Astor Place

Here are details via the 9th Precinct's Twitter feed...

🚨#WANTED🚨 Do you recognize him? He’s wanted for #CRIMINALMISCHIEF. On 9/30/19, he graffitied swastikas on signs in @AstorPlaceNYC. If you recognize him or have any info, ☎️ the 🕵🏻‍♂️ at 646-610-5267 or DM @NYPDTips. pic.twitter.com/Xr4m8WXNnx

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) October 15, 2019

Here's the full photo that the NYPD released...



Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.