EV Grieve

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Superdive is closed today and tomorrow for renovations

Noted.

"The Motorino sign is up!"

I was standing out front of Motorino, the new pizza place opening tomorrow on 12th Street just west of First Avenue...pretending not to be taking photos...

...and a woman walked by and exclaimed to her friend, "The Motorino sign is up!"

I'm not much of a pizza gourmet -- the two slices for $2 variety works fine for me. But some people seem really excited that Mathieu Palombino, who owns the Williamsburg Motorino, is opening a Manhattan outpost. Another reason to go stand in line! According to the Times:

His seven styles of pizzas will include some with seasonal toppings — brussels-sprout leaves in October, shaved porcini later in the fall and black truffle and taleggio cheese in the winter. There will be antipasti, like slabs of mortadella browned in the oven and vegetables roasted with pecorino. And there will be soft-serve ice cream.

It’s a playful variety of toppings and dishes that will be familiar to Motorino regulars. The simplicity of pizzeria fare has been a departure, though, for Mr. Palombino.

Trained in the most haute of French traditions, Mr. Palombino worked in Europe before moving to New York. He was chef de cuisine at BLT Fish when it was given three stars in The New York Times by Frank Bruni in 2005. (Motorino’s small wine list will be chosen by Fred Dexheimer, who worked with Mr. Palombino at BLT Fish.)

The best time to enjoy the Feast of San Gennaro

Before it opens for the day...and no one is there...

And among the handful of people there in the early hours...Liev Schreiber-Naomi Watts and family.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Street fair!

On Third Avenue above 14th Street.

Models Inc.

Crucial article today in the Post on booking models for clubs. Here's Danny Kane, a former promoter who now co-owns The Gates.

Kane lays out the math behind the models.

“If they’re 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11, that’s one story. If they’re borderline OK, it’s harder.”

He calculates that a promoter who brings 10 or so girls measuring “5-foot-5 or 5-foot-6” to a Manhattan club or restaurant might command $500 for a night. A promoter who brings in the tall girls can get up to $2,500. In both cases, the models drink for free — the idea being that dudes wishing to party near them will book a table, which typically requires a $1,500 drink minimum per foursome.

Today in Tompkins Square Park

Thanks to The Shadow.

The (Penn Station) eagle has landed

Nice preservation piece in the City Room on one of the old Penn Station eagles. Its new perch: The eighth floor at the new Cooper Union building.

[Photo by Claire Michie]

Friday, September 11, 2009

After all this talk about the "L.A. vibe" Bowery today ....

Sham 69 at CBGB circa 1988.

Plenty more Howl!

The Howl! Festival continues this month... East Village Howler has the complete program, of course. I'm particularly interested in the film series.

Making it official at St. Brigid's: "The construction and restoration has begun!"

Edwin Torres, chairman of the Committee to Save St. Brigid's, posted a brief note today ... the lead:

The construction and restoration has begun!

He notes that not much happened at the church in recent months. "Most of the summer was spent correcting minor conditions the City of New York insisted be corrected before work could begin." He said the city approved the plans for the restoration on June 28; work officially began at the site on Avenue B at Eighth Street this past Tuesday.

Previously.

Page Six Magazine says the Bowery calls to mind "an L.A. vibe"

Page Six Magazine never disappoints! And the now-a-quarterly (still free!) insert in the Post is back to highlight all the loathesome things in the neighborhood. Like in its look at "three hot hoods" yesterday. Hey, it's the Bowery!

"Once littered with punks and drunks, the Bowery (thanks to hotels Bowery and Cooper Square) now brims with lounge lizards and sun-kissed girls in bright rompers and frocks, calling to mind an L.A. vibe."

(This piece isn't online just yet...)

Previously.

Gee, I don't understand why the Post said that the Bowery has "an L.A. vibe" (And now: A scene featuring backflips and Tyson Beckford!)

The nice celebrity-style transporters were lined up along the Bowery last evening...outside the Bowery Hotel, of course...Like usual.

But let's back up for a moment. Earlier in the day, at Bowery and Bond. A pop-up shop! (Uh, a pop-up RV?)

What was this all about? According to the press release!

On September 10th at 6 p.m., Tyson Beckford will ride in loud and fast on his motorcycle to open Fashion's Night Out Bond Street's Mini-Block Party. Bowery designers and retailers will be out in full force to celebrate a crazy night of shopping and rocking-out to live music.

Crazy! Anyway, there were cheerleaders — volunteers from the nonprofit Cheer New York — on the Bowery at Bond. (BoweryBoogie caught them in action on Bowery and Houston.)

About two hours after Beckford was scheduled to arrive, he arrived. (Note: I didn't stand around for two hours: I happened to be by at the time he showed up...) And the big moment! It was just like the press release promised! Loud and fast! Like a real-life Kid Rock video! (Cheerleaders! Outlaw motorcyclists leaving skid marks on historical cobblestone streets!)