Brown paper on the windows at the former Odessa on Avenue A

Photo by Steven

Former Odessa Watchers™ noted the arrival yesterday of brown paper on the front windows at the old diner at 119 Avenue A. 

As you may know, Superiority Burger has signed a lease for the address here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, first reported by Grub Street last month.

Brooks Headley, the owner of the all-vegetarian quick-serve spot on Ninth Street, told Grub Street's Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld that he's not changing a thing:

"Odessa has always kinda been my dream space," he says. What's so dreamy about it is that besides being big, it comes completely furnished and ready to go. "It's not old and dusty and gross and needing upgrades," he says. "I find it completely beautiful — the soda counter, the satellite bar, the cash register station. I don't plan to change it at all."

So the paper on the windows is likely to provide a little privacy and keep the Former Odessa Watchers™from obsessing over every little detail. (Sample: That pen was not on the table yesterday. Also, we forgot to report that the Sanity Inspection Grade, an A, and assorted signage were removed from the front windows several weeks ago. Hopefully, all this is in the Diner Hall of Fame.)

Headley previously said that the move from Ninth Street will be several months down the road. (Given the current supply-chain issues, it may take longer for any new kitchen equipment to arrive.)

Once the new home of Superiority Burger is up and running, they'll first launch a dinner service before opening it up later for lunch and breakfast.

In July 2020, longtime manager Dennis Vassilatos said that Odessa was shutting down after a prolonged slump in business due to the pandemic. (Odessa Restaurant opened in this space in April 1995. The original Odessa, the longtime favorite that dated to the mid-1960s, closed next door in August 2013.)

However, closer to the last day, co-owner Steve Helios told Gothamist that Odessa was only closing temporarily, that the space would be renovated. The building's landlord is Odessa partner Mike Skulikidis. The closing turned out to be more than temporary.

Superiority Burger opened in the East Village in June 2015. 

Monday's parting archival shot

Facebook reminded me of this grainy photo posted on the evening of Aug. 30, 2013.

I took this on the second-to-last night of the old Odessa, 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. This space dated to the mid-1960s. 

The Odessa Restaurant next door (circa 1995) remained open until July 2020. Superiority Burger is taking over that space.

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a photo from Tompkins Square Park by Steven) ... 

• ICYMI: Proof of vaccination now required for restaurants, bars, theaters and more (Wednesday) 

• Report: Madison Realty Capital moving to foreclose on leasehold for 3 St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• The NYPD is collecting donations for earthquake victims in Haiti (Monday) 

• Good news-bad news about the water-main work on 7th Street and 1st Avenue (Monday) 

• Animal collective: Pillow-Cat Books coming to 9th Street (Monday) 

• Spellbound: Spooksvilla + Friends moving to 309 E. 9th St. (Thursday) 

• Kestrel maneuvers to rescue this fledging along Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• Report: Superiority Burger moving into the former Odessa space on Avenue A (Friday)

• Cure Thrift Shop opening later this month in new space on 3rd Avenue (Monday) 

• In the midnight hour, East Berlin will start a weekly film series (Tuesday) 

• Last weekend for Tea Drunk on 7th Street (Friday) 

• Express yourself: A look at the new FedEx space on Houston (Friday) 

• The expanding and shrinking pedestrian passage on St. Mark's Place at 3rd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Stuyvesant Deli Grocery debuts on 14th and A (Wednesday) 

• Rakka Cafe has not been open lately (Wednesday) 

• Where are they now? Catching up with Gem Spa's former Zoltar in Bushwick (Thursday) 

• Like a diversion: Former local resident celebrates a birthday (Monday)

And we've seen signage on storefronts around the neighborhood as businesses take a late-summer break...

At East Village Buyers at 150 E. Third St., the temp closure note includes an apology, to which someone responded: "It's okay. We understand." (Thanks to Stacie Joy for the pics!)

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Report: Superiority Burger moving into the former Odessa space on Avenue A

Photo yesterday by Stacie Joy

The former Odessa space at 119 Avenue A has a new tenant. 

Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld at Grub Street report that Superiority Burger has signed a lease for the former diner between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

For starters, Brooks Headley, owner of the all-vegetarian quick-serve spot, tells the outlet that he's not changing a thing:

"Odessa has always kinda been my dream space," he says. What's so dreamy about it is that besides being big, it comes completely furnished and ready to go. "It's not old and dusty and gross and needing upgrades," he says. "I find it completely beautiful — the soda counter, the satellite bar, the cash register station. I don't plan to change it at all."

Superiority will be making the short move around the corner from Ninth Street in the months ahead: 

Headley says that he'll need to order some new kitchen equipment and anticipates that it will take at least five months — probably more, what with supply-chain issues — until the new Superiority opens its doors. The plan is to launch dinner service first and then open for lunch and breakfast (yes, breakfast!). He will likely surrender the ancillary kitchen space he leases on 9th Street but keep the original store for purposes yet to be determined. 

In July 2020, longtime manager Dennis Vassilatos said that Odessa was shutting down after a prolonged slump in business due to the pandemic. (Odessa Restaurant opened in this space in April 1995. The original Odessa, the longtime favorite that dated to the mid-1960s, closed next door in August 2013.)

However, closer to the last day, co-owner Steve Helios told Gothamist that Odessa was only closing temporarily, that the space would be renovated. (The building's landlord is Odessa partner Mike Skulikidis.) 

The space has sat untouched since then. 

Earlier in the summer, Louis Skibar, whose Toloache Restaurant Group revived the classic UWS diner Old John's Luncheonette, which dates to the 1950s, was said to be eyeing Odessa.

Superiority opened in the East Village in June 2015. 

Reopenings: Indochine, Kindred and Van Da

This is an update to a post that we first published on March 7 ... and again on March 17. Several more bars-restaurants have reopened after a winter break ... several of the places closed in December when Gov. Cuomo ended indoor dining (at 25 percent) on Dec. 13. Indoor capacity moved to 50 percent on March 19.

Recent additions to the list include Indochine, Tarallucci e Vino, Van Da and Kindred, which reopens today with a new chef and expanded selection of housemade pasta dishes, per Eater.

The recent reopenings include: 

• Ace Bar, 531 E. Fifth St.

• The Ainsworth, 64 Third Ave. 

• Amor y Amargo, 445 E. Sixth St.

• Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. 

• Barcade, 6 St. Mark's Place

• Cherry Tavern,  441 E. Sixth St.

• Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A 

• Good Night Sonny, 134 First Ave.

• Huertas, 107 First Ave.

• Indochine, 430 Lafayette 

• Josie's, 520 E. Sixth St.

• KGB Bar,  85 E. Fourth St.

• Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St. 

• Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Lucy's, 135 Avenue A (photo of Lucy below by Lola Saénz)

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A

• Mister Paradise,  105 First Ave. 

• Mona's, 224 Avenue B 

• The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery at Fourth Street

• Proletariat, 102 St. Mark's Place

• Ruffian, 125 E. Seventh St.

• San Marzano, 117 Second Ave.

• Saramsam, 111 E. Seventh St. 

• Sophie's, 507 E. Fifth St.

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St.

• Tarallucci e Vino, 163 First Ave.

• Tile Bar, 115 First Ave.

• Van Da, 234 E. Fourth St. 

• The Wayland, 700 E. Ninth St.

Van Da photo by Stacie Joy

[Updated] Reopenings: Ladybird, Lucy's, Phebe's; Josie's, Mona's and Sophie's return on Friday

This is an update to a post that we first published on March 7.

Several more bars-restaurants have reopened after a winter break ... several of the places closed in December when Gov. Cuomo ended indoor dining (at 25 percent) on Dec. 13. Indoor capacity will move to 50 percent on Friday.

The recent reopenings include: 

• The Ainsworth, 64 Third Ave. 

• Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. 

• Barcade, 6 St. Mark's Place

• Cherry Tavern,  441 E. Sixth St.

• Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A 

• Huertas, 107 First Ave.

• KGB Bar,  85 E. Fourth St.

• Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Lucy's, 135 Avenue A (photo of Lucy below by Lola Saénz)

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A (open for a traditional St. Patrick's Day feast)

• The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery at Fourth Street

• Proletariat, 102 St. Mark's Place

• Ruffian, 125 E. Seventh St.

• San Marzano, 117 Second Ave.

• Saramsam, 111 E. Seventh St. 

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St.

• Tarallucci e Vino, 163 First Ave.

• Tile Bar, 115 First Ave.

... and upcoming: 

• Indochine, 430 Lafayette — March 30

• Josie's, 520 E. Sixth St. — March 19

• Kindred, 642 E. Sixth St. — April 7

• Mister Paradise,  105 First Ave. — March 18

• Mona's, 224 Avenue B — March 19

• Sophies, 507 E. Fifth St. — March 19

• Van Da, 234 E. Fourth St. — April 1

... and San Loco just debuted new socially distant outdoor seating over at 111 Avenue C at Seventh Street...

Reopenings: Ladybird, Lucy's, Phebe's — and more

Several more bars-restaurants have reopened after a winter break ... several of the places closed in December when Gov. Cuomo ended indoor dining (at 25 percent) on Dec. 13. Indoor capacity is now at 35 percent. 

The recent reopenings include: 

• The Ainsworth, 64 Third Ave. 

• Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. 

• Cherry Tavern,  441 E. Sixth St.

• Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A 

• Huertas, 107 First Ave.

• KGB Bar,  85 E. Fourth St.

• Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

• Lucy's, 135 Avenue A (photo of Lucy below by Lola Saénz)

• The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery at Fourth Street

• Tile Bar, 115 First Ave.

... and upcoming: 

• Proletariat, 102 St. Mark's Place — March 17 

• Saramsam, 111 E. Seventh St. — March 17 

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St. — March 12

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included ... (with a photo of the basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park earlier in the week by Vinny & O) ...

• Local elected officials, NYCHA reps get firsthand look at the problems at Mariana Bracetti Plaza (Tuesday) 

• City's first plant-based community fridge is up and running outside Overthrow on Bleecker Street (Monday) 

• Essex Market regulars Davidovich Bakery opening an outpost on Avenue A (Friday) 

• A labor of love: 3rd and B'zaar's latest seasonal pop up open through February on 3rd Street (Wednesday) 

• Our dwindling number of diners (Monday) 

• Gallery Watch heads to Half Gallery (Wednesday) 

• So much face-touching in this week's NY See panel (Thursday) 

• Police searching for suspect in 1st Avenue assault on Wednesday afternoon (Friday) 

• New photos of suspects wanted for brazen attack last month on 3rd Street and 1st Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Black Seed Bagels and chef Bobby Hellen launch Black Seed Pizza (Thursday) 

• A Valentine’s Day pop-up: Never Ending Taste coming to Yellow Rose (Friday) 

• Construction watch: 302 E. 2nd St. (Wednesday) 

• Construction watch: 298 E. Houston St. (Thursday) 

• Kyuramen debuts on 14th Street (Monday) 

• Mi Salsa Kitchen, serving Cuban cuisine, announces itself on Houston and Allen (Thursday) 

• Superiority Burger reopens on March 12 (Wednesday) 

• Reader report: A mini return of the former Stuyvesant Market on 14th Street and Avenue A? (Tuesday) 

• Casse-Cou Chocolate bringing vegan treats to 4th Street (Monday) 

• A new tenant for the former JAM Paper & Envelope space on 3rd Avenue (Wednesday)

• Succession to the throne on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Village Dream Tattoo & Piercing shop has apparently closed (Tuesday) 

• How about some more bubble tea for St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Our dwindling number of diners

Back on Friday, we reported that the Lower East Side Coffee Shop, which opened in 2008, is now in the legal possession of the landlord here on 14th Street just west of Avenue A. 

Gov. Cuomo's moratorium on commercial evictions expired on Jan. 31 The posted eviction notice is dated Feb. 4...

Cuomo is advancing legislation to extend the statewide moratorium to May 1. 

News of the closure prompted conversations about the dwindling number of diners left in the neighborhood. While the Lower East Side Coffee Shop was on the new-ish side, it had an old-school vibe, thanks in part to the neon signage that was a welcome sight alongside the Domino's, Trader Joe's and Target.

Elsewhere: Little Poland, which opened in 1985 at 200 Second Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street, has been closed since last March. 

At the start of the year, the diner's Instagram account posted a New Year's wish... with a note saying: "We ... hope we get to see all your beautiful faces soon!"

The storefront remains frozen in March 2020 time...

Meanwhile, as you know, Odessa, which dates to the mid-1960s on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, closed in July. Longtime manager Dennis Vassilatos said that Odessa was shutting down after a prolonged slump in business due to COVID-19.

Closer to the last day, however, co-owner Steve Helios told Gothamist that Odessa was only closing temporarily, that the space would be renovated. (The building's landlord is Odessa partner Mike Skulikidis.)

To date, seven months later, no work has been done on the space... here's a look from this past weekend...

As for what remains open. Two institutions, Veselka, 144 Second Ave. at Ninth Street, and B&H Diary, 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, are doing their best under trying circumstances. (Noting: Some purists will say that Veselka is more of a restaurant than a diner, having evolved from its 1950s and 1960s roots, and that B&H is more of a lunch counter. You can debate that in the comments.)

Kitchen Sink, a (slightly) more upscale diner, remains open at 88 Second Ave. at Fifth Street...

The former Moonstruck Diner (as of October 2015) turned off a few die-hards with the arrival at the time of flat-screen TVs and drinks served in mason jars. (Pandemic aside, operating a diner in NYC is always a tough business with rising costs and changing tastes.)

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Updated: Adding Remedy (b. 2007) here over at 245 E. Houston St. at Norfolk.

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And not too far away, there's the Famous Cozy Soup 'n' Burger at 739 Broadway near Astor Place... (this photo is from last summer when they reopened after a five-month hiatus) ...

The diner is struggling to afloat with the downturn in activity (students, tourists, office workers) along this corridor. Manager John Stratidis, who has worked here since age 9, was featured on NY1 back in the fall. His father and uncle opened the diner in 1972. 

Cozy fan Adam Sandler gave them a nice shout-out on Instagram in late December, but the hits keep on coming. Last week, the blizzard wiped out their outdoor dining section. 

Their crowdfunding campaign continues. 

Pop's Eat-Rite debuts on St. Mark's Place

Pop's Eat-Rite, a plant-based burger joint from the Good Night Sonny-Wild Son team, opened yesterday at 123 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. (First reported here.) 

Pop's is serving a classic smashburger, made using Impossible Meat. 

Per their website: "Our meatless menu is our updated take on a classic burger stand, with fries, veggie sides, vegan donuts, soft-serve, smoothies and frozen lemonade and will be entirely free of animal products. "

You can find the menu online here. Or gaze at this...

Moving forward, the quick-serve stop with a to-go window will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

Earlier in 2019, the team at Endless Group Hospitality had plans for a steakhouse at No. 123 (most recently Mr. White). However, CB3's SLA committee nixed a full-liquor request for that spot in March 2019.

Wild Son-Good Night Sonny team bringing plant-based burgers to St. Mark's with Pop's Eat-Rite

Signage is up now at 123 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue for Pop's Eat-Rite, a plant-based burger joint...



Here's more about the operation via the team behind Good Night Sonny, the Wild Son and the Wayland:

Pop’s Eat-Rite is a plant-based fast service burger joint, opening on St. Mark's Place in September 2020. We will serve a classic smashburger, made using Impossible Meat. Our meatless menu is our updated take on a classic burger stand, with fries, veggie sides, vegan donuts, soft-serve, smoothies and frozen lemonade and will be entirely free of animal products.

Pop’s was born from the idea that the landscape of the restaurant industry has changed suddenly and like never before. In these times we want to offer our neighborhood a convenient, responsible product at a fair price...

Earlier in 2019, the team — Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall — had plans for a steakhouse at No. 123 (most recently Mr. White). However, CB3's SLA committee nixed a full-liquor request for that spot in March 2019.

The former Gem Spa space is for lease

[Photo from Saturday]

The former Gem Spa storefront on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place is now officially on the rental market, billed as "First time available."

The listing at RIPCO doesn't have much info, other than square footage, location, etc. Pricing is available by request.

And while Gem Spa's address was 131 Second Ave., the marketing materials list this as 36 St. Mark's Place.

Potentially concerning (and confusing) is that the listing includes Paul's Da Burger Joint next door. The listing notes that the two spaces are available separately or combined...



The fact that the space was on the market was news to the owners of Paul's, who have a few more years left on the lease.

"I’ll assume at the moment it’s a mistake, as I spoke to the landlord today about something unrelated and nothing was mentioned," Matt Wardrop, who has been running Paul's since 2007, told EVG contributor Stacie Joy on Friday.

He added this on Sunday: "It seems as if that listing was created like that to draw more potential tenants for the corner. Someone can express interest for the whole lot and then the broker can say that only the corner is available. We are still here, doing the best we can given the current state of events. We enjoy serving the community and our loyal customers. We look forward to staying open and continuing to do what we love the most — feeding our loyal friends!"

Stacie stopped by Paul's on Friday...



Here's Angel, who has been here nearly the entire time since the restaurant opened in 1989, with his daughter and co-worker Daniella...



Gem Spa officially closed on May 7 amid ongoing financial challenges worsened by the COVID-19 crisis. The corner has a long history as a candy store and newsstand.

A list of East Village crowdfunding campaigns

In recent weeks, many East Village merchants — or their patrons — have established GoFundMe pages to help them stay in business or compensate employees during the COVID-19 crisis.

What follows is an alphabetical list of the crowdfunding campaigns that we've received. Let us know in either the comments or via email of other East Village businesses who are crowdsourcing right now...

• Ace Bar

• Amor Y Amargo; Honeybee's and Mother of Pearl

• Anyway Cafe

• Avant Garden

• B&H Dairy Cafe

• Barcade St. Mark's

• Beauty Bar

• Bibi Wine Bar

• Big Bar

• Bite

• Black & White

• Boilermaker

• Bowery Ballroom/Mercury Lounge

• Brindle Room

• Butter Lane Cupcakes

• C&B Cafe

• Cafe Mogador

• Cooper Still

• dba

• Dlala Salon

• Death & Co.

• Double Down Saloon

• Dream Baby Dream

• Factory Tamal

• Gem Spa

• Gnocco

• Gray Mare

• Holiday Cocktail Lounge

• The Izakaya NYC

• Jane's Exchange

• Jeepney

• Josie’s, Mona's and Sophie’s

• KGB Bar

• Kafana

• Khiladi (The Indian restaurant on 11th and B is collecting money to deliver meals to hospital workers.)

• La Sirena Mexican folk art

• Lavagna

• The Library

• Limited to One Records (via Patreon)

• Lucien

• Lucky

• Maiden Lane

• Mary O's

• Mimi Cheng's (specifically for their Dumpling for Doctors plan)

• Mochii

• Niagara, Lovers Of Today, Tompkins Square bar, Cabin Down Below

• Nomad

• Nowhere Bar

• Nublu

• Otto's Shrunken Head

• Pangea

• Paradise Hospitality (the parent company of East Village bars Boulton & Watt, Drexler's, Mister Paradise, Paper Daisy)

• Parkside Lounge

• The Phoenix

• Pink Olive

• Pinks

• Planet Rose

• Porsena

• Raclette

• The Roost

• 787 Coffee

• The Roost

• Sake Bar Satsko

• Scratcher

• Shampoo

• Sing Sing Avenue A

• SOMA Cakes (for hospital workers)

• Spiegel

• Standings

• Superiority Burger

• Swift Hibernian Lounge

• 2A/Treehouse ... as well as Berlin Under A

• Takahachi

• Think Coffee

• Third Rail Coffee

• Three Jewels

• TIC Restaurant Group (includes Sobaya, Rai Rai Ken, Hi-Collar, Sakagura, Decibel, Curry-Ya, Otafuku, Shabu Tatsu, Hasaki, and Cha An)

• Tile Bar (along with Magician)

• Tompkins Square Bagels (All donations to this fund will be used to support the hospitals, first responders and homeless shelters in New York.)

• Tuome

• Turntable Lab

• Village Square Pizza

• The Wayland (plus Goodnight Sonny, The Wild Son and Lost Lady)

Updating: What's open in the East Village for takeout and delivery

[Photo by Steven]

First draft as of 9 a.m. on March 17. Here are East Village cafes-restaurants open for takeout and delivery — many with contact-free options. Yes, this is an incomplete list. But it is a start. We'll continue to update throughout the day. Additions are welcome via the comments and email. Find the in-progress list of closures here.

Please call ahead or check the restaurant's website or social media for updates. All this is subject to change. Several of the vendors we talked with we're unsure how long they'd be able to stay open. Thanks to Lola Saénz and Steven for the reporting!

Updated 3/21: Continuing to update. Some of the information below may be outdated. Several restaurant owners told us that they have decided not to continue at this time. One restaurant owner said he had two orders the entire day.

Updated 4/5. Updated the list. Removed the closures and put the restaurants in alphabetical order.

• Abraço, 81 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Alphabet City Beer Co., 96 Avenue C. They've expanded their grocery items, and added fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Open from noon to 7 p.m.

• Artichoke Pizza, 321 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Barnyard Cheese Shop/Brix Wine, 168 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street

• B Cup Cafe, 212 Avenue B at 12th Street is open for picks up deliveries

• The Bean (Third Avenue/Ninth Street and Broadway/Ninth Street) are open for takeout and delivery. They also have touch-free pick up.

• Bin 141, 43 Avenue A at Third Street, is open from 3-7 p.m. They are offering a variety of grab-and-go dinners for $10. See the list here.

• Bite, 211 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Brodo, First Avenue at 12th Street. The to-go Brodo window is open 100 First Ave.

• Brick Lane Curry House, 79 Second Ave. near Fifth Street.

• C&B Cafe, 178 E. Seventh St. near Avenue B. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Caffè Bene, 208 Avenue A at 13th Street

• Calexico, 99 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

• Casa Adela, 66 Avenue C between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is open for takeout.

• Craft + Carry St Marks, 118 Saint Mark’s Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. Only beer to go. 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Dallas BBQ, 132 Second Ave. at St. Mark's Place. Pick up, takeout and delivery.

• Dan and John’s Wings, 135 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Takeout, pick up or delivery via their website or DoorDash.

• Desi Galli, 172 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street, is open for contact-free takeout and delivery. Customers can save 15 percent off all their orders on www.desigalli.com with coupon code DESI15.

• Dim Sum Palace, 59 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street.

• The Dip, 58 Saint Mark’s Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street

• East Village Pizza, First Avenue at Ninth Street

• ElevenB, 174 Avenue B at 11th Street. Takeout and delivery. They are also offering a special to the neighborhood: large pizza for $12, which is $3 off the usual price. Pick up only.

• Eliza's Local, 2 St. Mark's Place, has beer and growlers to go.

• Esperanto, 145 Avenue C at Ninth Street, is offering takeout and curbside pickup (including a to-go happy hour!).

• Fonda, 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Frank and Lil' Frankie's are open for takeout and delivery.

• Fresco, 138 Second Ave., between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, takeout and delivery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Gena's Grill, 210 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street

• Gnocco, 337 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Takeout and delivery.

• Gomi Korean Wine Bar, 186 Avenue A. near 12th Street. Take out only.

• Grape and Grain, 620 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, is now serving sustainable sushi from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday for take out and delivery. For a limited time only. Details here.

• Gruppo, 98 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 9:30 p.m. (No fee delivery when ordered via their website.)

• Hanoi Soup Shop, 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, is offering takeout and delivery from noon to 9 p.m. They are also offering the full beer, cocktail and wine menu available to-go, as well as 20 percent off bottles of wine.

• Holiday Cocktail Lounge, 75 St. Mark's Place, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Hub Thai, 103 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street

• Iggy's Pizza, 173 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street

• IHOP, 235 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Jiang Diner, 309 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Open for to-go or delivery from 5 to 10 p.m.

• John's of 12th Street, 302 E. 12th St. near Second Avenue, is open for delivery and takeout.

• Juicy Lucy, 85 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Katz's, 205 E. Houston St., is open for takeout and delivery.

• Kitchen Sink, 88 Second Ave. at Fifth Street. Open for pick up and delivery.

• Kona Coffee and Company, 57 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street. Open to-go from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Kotobuki, 56 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street, has pickup, delivery and curbside service.

• La Palapa, 77 Saint Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• Le Petit Parisien, 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

• Le Sia, 11 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• Love Mama, 174 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout.

• Lower East Side Coffee Shop, 442 E. 14th St. near Avenue A, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Madame Vo, 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Open for takeout as well as delivery on Caviar

• Makiinny, 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Takeout and delivery

• Mamoun’s, 30 St. Marks Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Mimi Cheng’s, 179 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout. Currently only serving hospitals.

• Misoya, 129 2nd Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Mother of Pearl, 95 Avenue A at Sixth Street, has pickup and delivery options.

• Native Bean, 36 Avenue A. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Nolita Pizza, 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Numero 28 Pizzeria, 176 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout.

• Odessa, 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Takeout and delivery only. 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Weekdays and Sunday. 11 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

• Original Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwich Shop, 209 Avenue A at 13th Street. Open for takeout.

• Paquito’s, 143 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Take out and delivery.

• Paul’s Da Burger Joint, 131 Second Ave. near Saint Mark's Place. Takeout only.

• Pink's, 242 E. 10th St., near First Avenue, is available for takeout and delivery.

• Porto Rico Importing Co., 40 Saint Mark’s Place near Second Avenue

• Post, 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. Takeout and delivery.

• Proto’s Pizza, 50 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street.

• Pylos, 128 Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue (pick up and delivery)

• Rakka Cafe, 81 St Mark's Place near First Avenue

• Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A. To-go window is open. They are also delivering via services like Seamless, Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash.

• Ray’s Pizza, 2 St Mark's Place at Third Avenue.

• Remedy Diner, 245 E. Houston St. at Norfolk Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Royale, 157 Avenue C near 10th Street, which is open for takeout and delivery from 5-10 p.m.

• S'MAC, 197 First Ave. at 12th St. They will continue to offer takeout and delivery during regular operating hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Sammy’s Halal, 109 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Takeout and delivery.

• San Loco's Stanton Street location is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 10 p.m.

• Sauce, 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue [Only open on weekends]

• Shake Shack, 20 Third Ave. at Astor Place. Takeout and delivery.

• Souen, 326 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Starbucks, 125 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A. Open for takeout via the mobile app.

• Stromboli Pizza, 83 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Hours to be determined depending on how business is.

• Sweet Generation, 130 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Seventh Street. Takeout and delivery only.



• TabeTomo, 131 Avenue A. between St Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Pick-up orders.

• Tacos Cuautla Morelos, 438 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. Takeout and delivery

• Taqueria Diana, 129 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Thai Direct, 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (They have contactless takeout and pickup.)

• Thai Terminal, 349 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. [Reopened on 4/20]

• Thailand Cafe, 95 Second Ave. near Sixth Street.

• Tompkins Square Bagels (both locations)

• Village Square Pizza, 147 Avenue A. Take out and delivery.

• Vinny Vincenz Pizza, 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street

• Westville Bakery, 443 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

• Westville East, 173 Avenue A at 11th Street, is open for delivery between 11:15 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

• Whitman's, 406 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, has pick up and delivery from 5 to 10 p.m. daily.

• Zaragoza, 215 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street, is open for food to go. They also have some groceries for sale.

Updating: Temporary East Village bar-restaurant closings

Will continue to update a list — started on March 13 — of any bars-restaurants that are temporary closed due to the novel coronavirus. Updated 9 p.m. 3/15: The closures are coming in faster that we can update this post.

Updated 5 a.m. 3/16: Mayor de Blasio has announced that restaurants, bars and cafes will only be allowed to serve only take-out and delivery starting 9 a.m. on 3/17.

• Kikoo Sushi, 141 First Ave.


[Photo by Steven]

• The Bao, 13 St. Mark's Place


[Photo by Steven]

• Kyo Ya, 79 E. Seventh St., is closed until April 1.

• Kung Fu Tea, 28 St. Mark's Place



• Joyface, 104 Avenue C (read post here)

• Empellon Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place, is closed until further notice


[Photo by Vinny & O]

• All Momofuku establishments — the Noodle Bar, Ko and Ssäm Bar — are closed until further notice.

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St., has closed for now.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Sanpoutei, 92 Second Ave.


[Photo by Sheila]

• Bar Primi, 325 Bowery

• Virginia's, 647 E. 11th St.

• Red Gate Bakery, 68 E. First St.

• Death & Company, 433 E. Sixth St.

• Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St.

• Drexler's, Boulton & Watt, Paper Daisy and Mister Paradise are now closed

• Pouring Ribbons, 225 Avenue B, is closed and taking it "day by day."

• Snow Days, 241 E. 10th St.

• Professor Thom's, 219 Second Ave.

• Lavagna, 545 E. Fifth St.

• The Cabinet and Mace

• Caracas Arepa Bar, 91 E. Seventh St.

• Nowon, 507 E. Sixth St.

• Factory Tamal, 63 E. Fourth St.

• SMØR, 441 E. 12th St.

• Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, 28 E. First St.

• Juice Vitality, 192 First Ave.

• Ama Raw Bar, 190 Avenue B

• Sophie's, Mona's and Josie's

• The International, 102 First Ave.

• Sharaku, 14 Stuyvesant St.


[Photo by Steven]

• Doc Holliday's, 109 Avenue A

• Niagara, 112 Avenue A

• Tompkins Square Bar, 110 Avenue A

An afternoon with Cáit O’Riordan

Photos and text by Stacie Joy

For the past few years, musician Cáit O’Riordan has called the East Village home. She's headed back now to her native Ireland as the New Year begins.

I've spotted her everywhere from the free concerts in Tompkins Square Park to the Drag March on Ninth Street. During her time here, she graciously met Caitlin, a part-time employee at Confectionery on Ninth Street, whose mother named her after O'Riordan, who played bass for Celtic-punk legends the Pogues.

I've appreciated her adventurous spirit while in NYC. Back on a warm early fall day, she agreed to explore a little of the East Village with me. We each found a few new places to visit.

After lunch at Superiority Burger on Ninth Street, we headed over to Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place, where owner Parul Patel and O’Riordan talked ...



We stopped by Uliana Hair Studio on Ninth Street for O'Riordan to book an appointment and, where I am told, Jimi Hendrix had an apartment in the mid-1960s while he was a session player and backup musician ...



O’Riordan browsed through the well-curated records at Limited to One on 10th Street. While rooting through the rare punk bin, this Anti-Flag compilation caught her attention ...



Continuing down 10th Street, we looked around at Crystal’s Garden ...



And there was this photogenic hearse by the Tenth Street Church of Christ as we walked to Tompkins Square Park...



In the Park, we ran into local resident Ceasar Noel Soto, who was featured in an Out and About in the East Village piece on EVG here...



We eventually made our way to the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space on Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street and examined the exhibitions...



We visited several community gardens, including the Los Amigos Community Garden on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C where we received the OK to sample of the garden's summer peaches...



At Dancin’ Tastebuds, located inside Ben’s Deli on Avenue B near Third Street, we sampled the tastebudgasm sauce from Chef Lioness ...



We stumbled upon pawn shop East Village Buyers on Third Street near A, and met the artist, Gus Weiss, who painted their nifty windows ...



O’Riordan will be back for 10 weeks each spring and winter for her seasonal gig at the Irish Arts Center. We look forward to seeing her again!