Cooper Craft and Kitchen restores dignity to the corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street

At least from the outside. The plywood is down at Cooper Craft and Kitchen, here on the corner ... former home of the horrible-looking pink spaceship, Kurve.

The space will be a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant from the team behind Dempsey's and Sláinte. With a lot of barrels inside, probably.

So long spaceship windows! Rolling out the barrel at the Cooper Craft and Kitchen

Over on Second Avenue and Fifth Street, work continues on the former Kurve/Rhong Tiam space...

And workers have now replaced the space-aged windows...



...with rather normal-looking windows...

And on the inside? EV Grieve reader Sy on 5th Street got a glimpse. Very barrel-ly!

Meanwhile, Bobby Williams got a look at the front...

As previously reported, the space will be a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant called Cooper Craft and Kitchen from the team behind Dempsey's and Sláinte. They got a full liquor license approval back in June.

Bonus photo of the former curvy Kurve windows!

Discussion on 34 Avenue A to continue next Tuesday

We're catching up to Monday night's CB3/SLA meeting. We weren't able to attend. But. The big ticket item on the agenda was 34 Avenue A, a modified proposal for a restaurant-bar-performance space. The CB3/SLA committee rejected the plans from Phil Hartman and Todd Patrick back in March.

According to the Lo-Down, the discussion for 34 Avenue A lasted two hours and 15 minutes. After several attempts with various stipulations, the CB3/SLA committee was unable to reach a majority vote, so the item was booted over for the full Community Board to discuss on Tuesday night.

The Local East Village reports that 11 people spoke out in favor of the establishment (many of them musicians); while 16 people spoke in opposition.

CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer, speaking she said as a private citizen, was against the proposed new venue. "What we're talking about is kind of community planning. This is 150 more people on the street at 4 a.m.," she was quoted as saying in the Local East Village. "We cannot accommodate that."

Here are a few details about the space: It's called the Piney Woods, featuring a kitchen serving "affordable" Southern cuisine ... and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jeremy Spector, owner and chef of the Brindle Room on East 10th Street, will serve as the chef here.

The second-floor stage aims to showcase the kinds of bands you'd have seen at the original Knitting Factory on Houston as well as Tonic. During the day, the stage would be made available to local community groups to use for fundraisers, student productions, etc.

People we spoke with who attended the meeting — both for and against the proposed space — described the proceedings as "pissy" and "contentious." Oh, and "ludicrous." We're reluctant to recount what happened via the attendees, because the course of events varies a bit from person to person.

As the Local East Village reported: "Tensions ran high among the crowd gathered ... At one point, chatter from audience members prompted Alexandra Militano, committee chair, to scold the spectators for 'heckling' when opposing viewpoints were presented."

Here are a few other highlights, gleaned from the post that Devin Briski wrote for Eater:

• The committee said no to the sushi place hoping to open at the former Mondo Kim's/Cafe Hanover at 6 St. Mark's Place.
• No go either for the aspiring East Village Brewery & Beer Shop at 14 Avenue B. (They were the ones who borrowed the Prime Meats menu for display...)
• Frankies got the OK to expand its storefront at 17 Clinton St.
• Bistro Nomad at 78 Second Ave. was OK'd to expand its sidewalk presence and extend its hours.
• JujoMukti Tea Lounge at 211 E Fourth St. did get the OK for a beer and wine license in a resolution area ... per Eater, "a decision that was made in an attempt to save the healthy living center after enthusiastic patrons spoke out about the venue's uniquely diverse presence and focus on a nurturing lifestyle."
• Cooper Craft and Kitchen ( a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant) got OK'd for a full liquor license for the former Kurve/Rhong-Tiam space on Second Avenue at Fifth Street.

BoweryBoogie has a little more on other LES agenda items here.

As for Tuesday, the fun meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
PS 20 - 166 Essex Street, (Between East Houston and Stanton Street)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Phil Hartman bringing a 'performance venue' back to former Mo Pitkin's space

[Updated] Bringing 'the tradition of the old Knitting Factory and Tonic' to 34 Avenue A

Because you want to know more about the plans for 34 Avenue A

On the CB3/SLA June docket: Takers for Barbao, Sin Sin, Kurve — and 34 Avenue A, again

The June CB3/SLA agenda is out... (it should be on the CB3 website shortly) ...

SLA & DCA Licensing Committee
Monday, June 20 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. 5th St. at Bowery.

Among the items of interest:

Applications within Resolution Areas

• To Be Determined, 14 Ave B (op)

The East Village Brewery & Beer Shop, who borrowed the Prime Meats menu, is back on the docket.

• To Be Determined, 34 Ave A (op)

More activity on the former Mo Pitkin's/Aces & Eight space. And still no idea who is behind the venture... just yet.

• JujoMukti Tea Lounge (JujoMukti Inc), 211 E 4th St (wb)

• The Saint Mark's Red House (TTD& G LLC), 115 St Marks Pl (wb)

This is Barbao, which, as you're painfully aware, has been closed of late. I guess we know why now.

• MAT NA Bar and Grill (6 St Marks Restaurant LLC), 6 St Marks Pl (wb)

Looks like something for the shuttered Cafe Hanover eatery that was once Mondo Kim's.

Sidewalk Café Applications

Bistro Nomad (78 Second Ave Sandwich Shop, Inc), 78 2nd Ave (alt/expansion of sidewalk café to 10 tables and 21 chairs)

New Liquor License Applications

• Company, 242 E 10th St (op)

Hmm...

• Café 81, 81 E 7th St (op)

Hmm...

• Karczma (Karczma NY Inc), 178 2nd Ave (op)

This is Pangea's address... We're find out what this is all about...

• Empellon, 105 1st Ave (op)

This is the address of Counter. wd~50 pastry chef Alex Stupak received the OK from the CB3/SLA last November for a "fine-dining Mexican restaurant."

• Luzzo's (Luzzo's East), 211-213 1st Ave (op)

• Bar Veloce (175 2nd Ave Corp), 175 2nd Ave (op)

• Slices Group, Inc., 248 E 5th St (op)

This was once home to Sin Sin. According to reports, the landlord's son wanted to open a bakery here. Slices Group? This sounds more like pizza. Or bacon!

• Cooper Craft & Kitchen (Trim Castle Corp), 87 2nd Ave (op)

It's the former Kurve/Rhong Tiam space that the Dempsey's owner wants to turn into a craft beer-focused restaurant. The East Fifth Street Block Association had been opposed to this license. Read that here.

Noted

On the Kurve/Rhong-Tiam plywood on Second Avenue at Fifth Street.... photo via @MichaelTSanchez

East Fifth Street Block Association will oppose new 'craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant'

Since Sin Sin shuttered last fall, life on that corner of Second Avenue has been much more pleasant for residents of East Fifth Street (and Second Avenue!) and members of the East Fifth Street Block Association.



However, as Grub Street reported on March 25, the folks behind Dempsey's and Sláinte are taking over the Kurve/Rhong Tiam space across the street from Sin Sin.

Owner Tom O'Byrne is planning on a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant called Coopers. "The food will be in the American comfort-food mode with some twisted-up Irish dishes mixed in for good measure," he told Grub Street.

O'Byrne has met with members of the East Fifth Street Block Association. While O'Byrne has stressed that he will run an organized and professional establishment, some residents still have concerns about the late hour and yet another bar along that Second Avenue corridor. Currently, the kitchen will stop serving food at midnight, and the bar will close at 3:30 (2 a.m. on weekdays). Which is why Block Association members will be speaking out against approval of a license here during Monday's CB3/SLA meeting.

Previously on EV Grieve:
'The neighborhood will not rest until you are gone and Sin Sin’s license is revoked'

NYPD hosting meeting between Sin Sin and neighbors tonight

East Village noise wars new battlefront: Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge

Why the president of the East Fifth Street Block Association carries a baseball bat

Report: craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant coming to old Kurve space

Grub Street gets the word on what's coming to the former Kurve-Rhong Tiam space on Second Avenue and Fifth Street: a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant. And it's from the team behind Dempsey's and Sláinte. And don't call it an Irish pub! "The food will be in the American comfort-food mode with some twisted-up Irish dishes mixed in for good measure," owner Tom O'Byrne told Grub Street.

They're just one of the 40 items on next month's CB3/SLA docket.

Epic CB3/SLA docket ready for April: Hello again Superdive (aka 'Not a Bookstore Inc.') and Caffe Buon Gusto!

Been some time since we've such seen an action-packed SLA & DCA Licensing Committee docket... 40 items!



Monday, April 11 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth Street at the Bowery

Here are a few items of interest! (The whole shooting match is here.)

Applications within Resolution Areas

• U-2 (Saint King J Corp), 6 St Marks Pl (3rd-4th Fl) (wb)

This is the karaoke portion of the former Cafe Hanover space (RIP, Mondo Kim's).

• Not a Bookstore LLC, 200 Ave A (op) (Superdive)

Ah! An inside joke from the Superdivers... a nod to Superdive's Rapture Cafe & Books past! Not funny!

• Casimir, 105 Ave B (op)

Changes in store for the French bistro?

• Ave B Caffe Buon Gusto Inc, 545 E 5th St (aka 76 Ave B) (wb)

Hello again, old friend! Been a long time since we've heard anything about this. Remember last time they were on the docket? To the recap!

Sidewalk Café Applications

• Café Cotto (Pasta Bar Café Corp), 127 Ave C

• Plump Dumpling (Big Dumpling Corp), 174 2nd Ave

• Percy's Tavern (Steelbar 180 Inc), 210 Ave A

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades

• Radley Realty Corp, 325 Bowery (alt/ extend license to sidewalk)

Peels wants a sidewalk cafe. #ShitShow

• To Be Determined, 500 E 11th St (trans/op) (Angels & Kings)

Interesting...

• To Be Determined, 351 E 12th St (trans/op) (Resto Leon)

I actually have never been to Resto Leon.

• 4AB LLC, 235 E 4th St (trans/op) (Tonda)

The Tonda watch continues.

• To Be Determined, 700 E 9th St (trans/op) (Banjo Jim's)

Anyone know anything about this?

New Liquor License Applications

• Trim Castle Corp, 87 2nd Ave (op)

The former Kurve-Rhong Tiam space.

• South Brooklyn Pizza (122 First Pizza Inc), 122 1st Ave (wb)

• Agave Azul (228 Rest Corp), 228 1st Ave (op)

This is the Mexican cantina that I reported was coming to the former David's Bagels space.

• The Other WineBar, 412 E 9th St (wb)

• To Be Determined, 107 1st Ave (wb)

The former Bonjoo space..

You may find some additional comments about all this at The Low-Down, Eater and Grub Street.

Spying on progress at the former Kurve space just got more difficult

Monday evening!

Last evening!

Where's the fun in that?

Former Kurve space kleaned out

The city issued the permits last week for workers to renovate the former Kurve/Rhong-Tiam space on Second Avenue at Fifth Street. And workers quickly cleaned out the former thai eatery, which you can see for yourself now that they removed the paper on the windows...



Now!

The new operators of the space were on the agenda for this month's CB3/SLA meeting listed only (and mysteriously!) as "corp to be formed." However, they were a late scratch from the docket.

Proposals for Kurve and Tonda spaces off tonight's CB3 docket

There are several scratches for tonight's CB3/SLA meeting...

Including two high-profile spaces that we were curious about:

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades
4AB LLC (Tonda), 235 E 4th St (tran/op)

New Liquor License Applications
Corp to be formed, (Kurve) 87 2nd Ave (op)

The meeting is at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence - 200 East 5th Street at the Bowery.

March Madness! Takers for the former Kurve, Tonda and Aces and Eights spaces; music returning to old Mo Pitkin's?

Here we go with the docket for the SLA & DCA Licensing Committee, Monday, March 14 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence - 200 East 5th Street at Bowery



And here are some items of interest from the agenda (the whole shebang is here):

• Review of 2010 goals and accomplishments/committee goals for 2011

• Resolution to SLA regarding undue burden on Community Boards of waivers for 30-renewal notices, and undue burden to businesses of penalty of closing businesses if renewal is late.

Applications within Resolution Areas

• Table 12 (188 Ave A Take Out Food Corp), 188 Ave A (wb)

Oh boy ... this didn't go so well last time... in September...

• Coyi Café, 42 Ave B (wb)

• 34 Avenue A, corp to be formed, (Aces & Eights) (op)

CB3 said No to Jevan Damadian, the owner of the former Aces and Eights space, during the November meeting. He was looking to open a tapas bar ... with no beer pong. The rumors have a former associate of Phil Hartman's at the Two Boots empire opening a music venue here. A return to its previous Mo Pitkin's roots?

Sidewalk Café Applications

• Café Cortadito (Café Cortadito LLC), 210 E 3rd St

The Cuban eatery near Avenue B is looking for some sidewalk tables...

• A&D Wine Corp, (Wine Bar), 65 2nd Ave (alt/increase number of tables and chairs from 6 tables and 12 chairs to 10 tables and 22 chairs)

• 157 Brick Oven LLC (Plum Pizzeria), 157 2nd Ave

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades

• 4AB LLC (Tonda), 235 E 4th St (tran/op)

A-ha! All this explains the crazy non-hours of operation of late.

• Le Cave LLC, 64 E 1st St (alt/op/correction of original application)

Hey now! During January's meeting, one of the owners of LaVie, the hookah-flavored club at 64 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, called Susan Stetzer a "racist." How can they top that?

• Woody's (Prince 28 LLC), 31 2nd Ave (alt/op/adding second bar upstairs and other work)

• Sa Aming Nayon LLC, (Wai Café) 201 1st Ave (wb)

Something amiss with the Wai? Cafe?

• 133 Essex Restaurant LLC, (Mason Dixon) 133 Essex St (op)

Maybe they're just moving their mechanical bull?

New Liquor License Applications

• Lucky's Famous Burgers (Lucky Burger Houston LLC), 147 E Houston St (b)

BoweryBoogie has been covering the return of Lucky Burger to the East Village.

• Corp to be formed, (Kurve) 87 2nd Ave (op)

Corpse to be formed? We're curious to see what happens with the old Kurve/Rhong-Tiam space.

• Aegis Atlantic LLC (Peet’s Coffee/Preserve 24), 175 E. Houston St.(op)

Interesting... A Peet's Coffee & Tea shop is slated to take over this space on Houston at Allen ... this space that includes the Foam & Futon Center has been on the market ... And maybe Peet's will change the name from coffee and tea to beer and whiskey... ?

Where will 'modern Australian' call home on Second Avenue?

Yesterday, Grub Street reported that Morgan McGlone, once a private chef and caterer on the Upper East Side who has been working in Australia, is opening a “45-seat restaurant that’ll serve modern Australian food” in September ... And, per the article, this restaurant will be at (or around!) Second Avenue and East Fifth Street.

So where could this "modern Australian" call home?

There are several empty restaurants right along this stretch of Second Avenue, including:

The old Sin Sin space!



The former Mission Cafe!

Kurve/Rhong Tiam!



The former Sea Salt! (Closer to Sixth Street, but...)



Or, if someone has their streets wrong, how about the Matsukado space just north of Sixth Street?



And what, exactly, is modern Australian? I'm sure it's good. But I can't help but think of the drink-and-drown crowds hitting the Sunburnt Cow weekends ... which leaves me with a different perception of Australian cuisine.

The exterior of the former Rhong Tiam continues to amuse

The former fancy Kurve/Rhomg Tiam space on Second Avenue and Fifth Street continues to look a little, well, neglected... as always, we enjoy seeing what we'll find here next... such as abandoned furniture ...





However, our friend Miss Heather at New York Shitty came across some dandy urban artifacts here this past weekend... She found what she likes to call the 2011 East Village Survival Kit!* (*also good for use in the Lower East Side, Williamsburg, East Williamsburg or Greenpoint, among other locales, she notes...)

Per New York Shitty:

World's long private party almost over: Rhong Tiam is returning!

The space formerly known as Rhong Tiam on Fifth Street and Second Avenue was all lit up last night... as if it was — open!



The space is being cleaned up.... and some of the garish fixtures have been moved around...





I asked a worker if they were reopening. He said no. Then he said a new place would be open next month.

As Grub Street reported last month:

"Andy Yang tells us he has closed the East Village outpost of Rhong Tiam. “It was a miscalculation,” he says of its predecessor Kurve, with its infamous Karim Rashid design." He's also considering whether to remodel it (bringing the kitchen upstairs) and reopen it with a less off-putting décor, or to simply let go of the space.

Looks as if he is going the remodeling route.

I know what we did last summer

Since Memorial Day, I've posted nearly 750 items... and, for as quickly as the summer seemingly passed by, looking back at some of these things from the summer seems like years ago...

Let's go back to Memorial Day weekend... and work our way to Labor Day... here are a few items from the last three months...

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2 Cooper Square is charing upwards of $20,000 a month for rents... the most ever for the East Village...

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Shrek was put on sale then thrown away on Avenue A...

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People discarded couches and fake fries...

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Someone overturned all the trash cans in Tompkins Square Park...

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We went to Bike Noise 3 in Tompkins Square Park...

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We went to the Loisaida Festival on Avenue C....

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We went to the BP protest on Houston....

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The new fence at the Cooper Square Hotel got tagged... and cleaned...

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You had a chance to become Tom Cruise's neighbor....

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We looked at the changing corners of the Bowery...

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The Post investigated the shocking truth that people under 21 will often try to buy beer and drink it.

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We were told not to shoot heroin during brunch at 7A.

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There was a wild scene in front of Northern Spy.

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L.E.S. Jewels went to jail.

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We debated over the future of Avenue A and Second Street, where Frank Prisinzano wanted to open a fast-food Italian eatery.

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We learned about the Dogs Tied Up site.

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The Mosaic Man returned to his trail with an apprentice.

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Construction started on the new home for the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

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The Shepard Fairey mural got ugly fast.

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Germany 4, England 1.

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More press for the East Village noise wars.

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We saw how fabulous and diverse 2 Cooper Square will be.

JULY

A man was charged for stomping a puppy to death in Tompkins Square Park.

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Germany invades Avenue C.

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It was pretty fucking hot for a long time.

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The fire on Avenue A and Houston.

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Tompkins Square Park lost trees to Dutch Elm disease.

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Tuli Kupferberg passed away.

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Ray got a three-year lease.

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The summer of bedbugs.

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Cooper Union shuts down its skateboarding ramp.

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We discussed the First Avenue bike lanes. Which we're still doing today.

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Summer of Sammy.

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RIP Markey Hayden Bena.

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We continued to protect our community gardens.

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The 13th Step owner talked with us about his new bar.

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Chloe Sevigny is still not on the Community Board.

AUGUST



Another weekend in the neighborhood.

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120 St. Mark's Place still doesn't have a Certificate of Occupancy.

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We looked at stupid pretzel ads.

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Kurve/Rhong Tiam finally closed.

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Tompkins Square Park supervisor Harry Greenberg retires.

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We invented the community board/State Liquor Authority Drinking Game.

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Cheap Shots ditches the truck bombs.

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Luster retired the Mariah Carey armpit-sniffing photo.

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East Village No. 1 for hipsters!

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[Bob Arihood]

Drama at the Key Food recycling center.

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The Shepard Fairey mural was removed.

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NYU returned to classes.

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There was a deadly shooting outside Sin Sin.

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Village Fabrics says goodbye.

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Oops! A reader wondered why we didn't include something about the Smurfs!




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Tell me more, tell me more...