RIP Chester

We just heard that Chester, the longtime grill man at the Stage on Second Avenue, died yesterday.

Roman Diakun, who owned the Stage for 35 years up until its closure in March 2015, shared the news.

We don't know too much about Chester's family or background. A few health-related issues caused him to retire several years ago.

We'll update when we hear any further information.

This from the Stage Facebook page:

It is with a heavy heart that we deliver the sad news that Chester Kawalec (our grillman) has passed away yesterday. The viewing will be at Arthur's Funeral Home on Friday Jan.27th, 2017 between 6 and 9pm, located at 207 Nassau Avenue in Brooklyn. R.I.P.

H/T Sheila Rothenberg

Last look at the old Lanza's

As we noted yesterday afternoon, workers were clearing out the remains of the former Lanza's space on First Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street.

A few things were placed out on the sidewalk for free, such as some work pants...



EVG reader Lola Sáenz got a look inside the now (almost completely) empty Lanza's, which had been serving Italian cuisine here since 1904...





To date, there haven't been any permits filed with the DOB to renovate this space for incoming tenant Joe & Pat's, the pizzeria that has been serving up slices on Victory Boulevard in Staten Island since 1960.

Casey Pappalardo, one of the pizzeria's owners, told the Staten Island Advance that the family had been looking to open a location in Manhattan for a long time. "We were looking in the city for a while and then our neighbor actually approached us because he owns the building," he said.

And an opening date?

"We should open within six months," Casey prognosticates, adding with a chuckle, "That's if all goes well — there's always some setbacks."

Lanza's closed for good back in July after the state seized the restaurant.

CB3's SLA docket for February includes applicant for the former Belgian Room on St. Mark's

Community Board 3 released its slate of meetings for February. (Find the calendar here.)

The SLA committee docket has a manageable number of applicants ... and not too many north of Houston. One item of interest: There is an applicant for the long-vacant bar space at 121 St. Mark's Place ... last home to the Belgian Room, which the state seized for nonpayment of taxes in April 2015.

The calendar simply shows an LLC going by Mr. White applying for a beer-wine license for the location. CB3 hasn't uploaded the questionnaires just yet. We'll pass along more info about this venture when it becomes available.

It's not clear whether Mr. White will also take the former Ton-Up Cafe space next door. Workers removed the wall between the businesses in 2015. (Probably yes.)

The February SLA committee meeting is Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Location: The Thelma Burdick Community Room, 10 Stanton St. at the Bowery.

Desolate Belgian Room photo from 2015

Sushi and pizza coming soon to the Bowery

There has been some activity in recent weeks/months in the south storefront at 342 Bowery between Great Jones and Bond.

Eater did a little sleuthing and learned that the space will apparently be called Poke Run, a restaurant operated by former Olympic athlete-turned-chef Michael Stember, who has been hosting secret sushi dinners — known as Sushi Belly Tower — in recent years. (BoweryBoogie notes that Stember is serving sushi in a new venture with Happy Ending on Broome Street.)

No. 342 was last home, in 2015, to a Subway (sandwich shop). The Subway opened here in late 2009, taking over the space after Downtown Music Gallery moved to Monroe Street.

Meanwhile! Activity continues a few doors to the south at No. 334...



DOB permits show that a pizzeria is taking the space. No other info is available at the moment. Updated: Apparently pizza-master Gino Sorbillo — the best in Naples? — will be opening shop in this space. Read more about him here.

PYT — "Home of America's Craaaziest Burgers" — imploded here after just three months in business about this time last year.

Perhaps the new operator can reverse the curse here. It was home to Forcella Bowery for nearly three years until November 2014 … only to be replaced in December 2014 by the tapas-friendly Espoleta, which closed six months later to make way for Gia Trattoria. They quickly closed. Then PYT arrived in October 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A step back in time on the Bowery

Wednesday's parting shot

One of the Cooper's Hawks that have been hanging around Tompkins Square Park of late... don't think that Christo and Dora, the red-tailed hawks, are big fans... photo by Steven.

Free stuff at the former Lanza's on 1st Avenue

Workers are cleaning out the former Lanza's space now... and placing unwanted objects out of the sidewalk for the taking. It appears the contents of the restaurant's lost and found are among the freebies. (There was an auction here on Jan. 5.)

As previously reported, Joe & Pat's, the family-owned Staten Island pizzeria, is opening a second outpost here between 10th Street and 11th Street.

The state seized Lanza's last July for nonpayment of taxes. The restaurant first opened in 1904.

Photo by Lola Sáenz

There goes 'Othello'

[Photo by Derek Berg]

The 8-week run of "Othello" starring David Oyelowo and local favorite Daniel Craig ended last week at the New York Theatre Workshop on Fourth Street.

The signage came down today... as the company prepares for its next production — "The Object Lesson."

Tickets were hard to come by for this well-regarded version of "Othello." I was curious to see it. (But not this curious.)

Rejected headlines:
There (Ia)goes Othello

MTA announces public workshops to discuss the upcoming (2019!) L train shutdown

[EVG file photo]

As you may have heard, the MTA announced last July that L-train service between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue will shut down for 18 months starting in January 2019.

So with two years and 1,276 blog posts on the topic left before the full closure of the Canarsie tunnel's tubes (band name alert), the MTA and DOT have announced a series of jointly held interactive public workshops.

Per the MTA news advisory:

During the workshops, MTA and NYCDOT will provide information on the Canarsie Tunnel repairs and to solicit community feedback on possible alternate travel options during the planned 18-month closure.

Representatives from MTA and NYCDOT are also using the sessions to gain input for traffic modeling and analysis currently being conducted as service plans to minimize impacts are developed. Representatives will also be available to discuss construction impacts, ADA issues, and bus and subway service as it relates to the closure.

The public is strongly encouraged to participate in these workshops, which are expected to solicit meaningful input on alternate travel options for customers who will be affected by the repairs.

And!

Community workshops have been designed to help the MTA and NYCDOT develop service alternatives and mitigation proposals tailored to the affected neighborhoods. Each workshop will be structured to allow public participation on a rolling basis as people arrive in order to solicit ideas from the greatest number of people.

The workshops are intended to help MTA and NYCDOT better understand preferred alternate travel options for impacted customers. They will also solicit community input on alternate solutions such as increased bicycle use, shuttle buses and ferries, and to generate other suggestions. The MTA and NYCDOT is also working with community boards, elected officials and the public to develop alternate service plans, which will be in place at least one year ahead of the 2019 closure.

The first workshop is on Feb. 9 from 7-9 p.m. at the Town and Village Synagogue, 334 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Meanwhile, the shutdown is already off to a rocky start. DNAinfo reports that that the project cost "has ballooned to $16 million more than earlier estimates as the transit agency [ran] three months behind its planned timeline to pick a contractor for the job."

Previously on EV Grieve:
About '14th Street Peopleway'

Will a car-free 14th Street make life more bearable during (and after) the L train renovations? (35 comments)

Malcriada, a Latin gastropub, opens on Super Bowl Sunday

Signs are up at 185 Avenue C near 12th Street for a new restaurant called Malcriada.



Per its Facebook page, Malcriada is a "Latino Gastropub that will make your taste buds go wild." Their menu posted online shows a variety of quesadillas, tacos, burritos, etc. (Find the menu here.)

The website notes that Malcriada will have its soft opening on Super Bowl Sunday — Feb. 5.

The previous venture here, Kaz, closed after nearly seven months back in December. Before that, Cafecito operated for 14 years. The Cuban-specialty restaurant closed at the end of January 2016.

114 E. 7th St. sells for $13.8 million

There's a new landlord at 114 E. Seventh St., which has changed hands for $13.8 million. The transaction hit public records on Jan. 10.

The Real Deal reported that the Luthien Group bought the 28-unit rental building between Avenue A and First Avenue from Domek Associates. Per TRD, "half of the units at the five-story building are rent-regulated."

The Luthien Group recently sold 629 East Fifth St. for $16.2 million, as we noted last week. That building between Avenue B and Avenue C features 24 market-rate units.

Image via Google Street View