Pizza-master Gino Sorbillo marks his arrival on the Bowery

As noted back in January, a pizzeria is coming to 334 Bowery between Bond and Great Jones... and the signage for Sorbillo arrived on Monday...



Acclaimed pizza-master and globe-trotting food personality Gino Sorbillo is the Sorbillo behind this venture. His shop, La Pizzeria Sorbillo, is considered by some to be best and most famous pizza hub in Naples, according to this feature on Vice.

You can see his Neapolitan pizzas via Instagram...

A post shared by Gino Sorbillo (@sorbillo) on Mar 2, 2017 at 9:12am PST

This has been a tough spot for restaurants. Perhaps Sorbillo can reverse the streak of quick openings and closings.

PYT — "Home of America's Craaaziest Burgers" — imploded here after just three months in business in early 2016.

The space 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

E.Vil is coming to the East Village

We are not like the others... #rockandroll #deathtodisco #newyorkcity

A post shared by EVIL NYC (@e_vilnyc) on Mar 18, 2017 at 3:20pm PDT

Earlier this month, I noticed a new account following me on Instagram ... for EVIL NYC, a "Rock & Roll Club Opening 4/17" in the East Village. (I sent them a DM asking for their address — no response. Just the "seen.")

Anyway, Page Six had more details yesterday about this E.Vil, which is reportedly inspired by CBGB and Max's Kansas City. Turns out it's a new venture from, among other partners, club owner Richie Akiva, whose credits include 1OAK, Butter and Up&Down

Per Page Six:

• Leo DiCaprio will have a new watering hole to meet models.

• Akiva’s partnered with Jue Lan Club’s Stratis Morfogen on E.Vil, “short for East Village and pronounced evil,” an insider said.

• The spot will open near 1970s-themed VNYL nightclub on Third Avenue in April.

• “It’s where you go to hear Aerosmith, the Clash, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, ’80s/’90s rock, the Cult,” the insider said.

Feel free to guess where E.Vil might live near VNYL, which is in the former Nevada Smiths space on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street.

'Twin Peaks' prequel 'Fire Walk With Me' playing tomorrow night at the Village East

David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" prequel (and epilogue) is getting another look in theaters (in 35mm) for its 25th anniversary. "Fire Walk With Me" plays tomorrow night at 7 at the Village East, Second Avenue and 12th Street. (Ticket info here.)

Lynch made the film to fill in the gaps and to answer questions that his ABC series didn't address. Aside from some of the original cast members, David Bowie, Chris Isaak, Harry Dean Stanton and Kiefer Sutherland, among many others, drop by.

Lynch has filmed new episodes of "Twin Peaks" that will debut on Showtime this May 21.

LinkNYC continues eastern march

[Reader photo from this morning]

A few EVG readers noted that the pay phones on Sixth Street at First Avenue have been removed... with the telltale LinkNYC placeholder now at the site.

The kiosks continue to make their way to the east, having colonized Third Avenue and Second Avenue...

I think this this the furthest east that I've seen a kiosk... and certainly not the last. The city is reportedly expected to have 7,500 kiosks in place, each replacing a pre-existing phone booth, over the next seven years.

4 St. Mark's Place prepped for renovations, expansion

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

Workers have put up scaffolding and construction netting outside the landmarked 4 St. Mark's Place.

As reported this past December, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) signed off on renovations and an expansion for the Hamilton-Holly House (aka 4 St. Mark's Place), built in 1831 and sold to Alexander Hamilton’s son two years later.

The LPC nixed the additional floor, and a few other items. As it looks now, the expansion in the rear of the building will double the number of residential units from three to six.

Here's more about what will be taking place via New York Yimby, reporting on the LPC meeting last December:

On the front of the structure, a largely new entryway would be installed, the gate at the stoop would be removed, new windows would be installed, and the grand curved balcony would be reconstructed at the first floor. The secondary stair from the ground to the first floor would be removed and a new small gate put in its place at ground level, an additional window would be added to the basement level, an existing basement door would be replaced with a window, an agree under the front steps would be reopened, and signage would be installed. The existing fire escapes would remain. The façade would also receive an overall restoration.

The building changed hands for $10 million last spring.

Eastern Consolidated is currently listing two retail spaces here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Until February 2016, 4 St. Mark's Place housed Trash & Vaudeville for 41 years. The store just celebrated its one-year anniversary at 96 E. Seventh St.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: After 40 years, punk rock mainstay Trash and Vaudeville is leaving St. Mark's Place

4 St. Mark's Place is for sale

More residential units and a 5th-floor addition in the works for landmarked 4 St. Mark's Place

Jason Wang's Biang! closes after 15 months on 2nd Avenue

[EVG photo from December 2015]

Biang! — the sit-down Chinese restaurant via Xi'an Famous Foods owner Jason Wang — has closed at 157 Second Ave.

EVG reader Brian P. shared this notice from yesterday at the restaurant between Ninth Street and 10th Street...



The well-regarded restaurant opened here in December 2015. (And it always seemed crowded.) The sign notes that most of the dishes are available at the original Biang! location in Flushing... as well as the Xi'an Famous Foods at 81 St. Mark's Place near First Avenue.

Wang and his father David Shi started the business in a small food stall in Flushing. There are now nearly a dozen locations of Xi’an Famous Foods in NYC. They also opened Dumpling Spot in Chinatown last month.

The previous tenant at 157 Second Ave., Wylie Dufresne's bistro Alder, closed after two-and-a-half years at the end of August 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Jason Wang bringing Xi'an Famous Foods offshoot Biang! to the former Alder space on 2nd Avenue

Lions BeerStore has closed; Wall 88 Restaurant up next

Lions BeerStore has closed on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street.

According to the Lions BeerStore Facebook page, the shop is "closing and moving locations."

Here's more via a Facebook message from yesterday:

"This exciting journey (and lease) have come to an end. We, wholeheartedly THANK YOU for your support, patronage and loyalty as we grew into one of the classiest beer bars in the city. It has been a pleasure to serve new and exotic beers to aficionados and neophytes alike. We hope you had a unique experience each time you came, and that your beer palate is even more distinguished than ever. Stay tuned for information about our new spot."

Operated by a father-son team who hail from Greece, Lions BeerStore was part retail shop, part restaurant. They opened in November 2015. (Not sure how their lease was up after 16 months in business.)

Meanwhile, not only did Lions BeerStore announce their closure yesterday ... a new restaurant also marked their arrival in the space ... here's Wall 88 Restaurant...



Vinny & O, who shared there photos, hears that the new restaurant (we don't know yet what they will be serving) will be open as soon as today...



As we understand it, the original owners, who want to spend more time in Greece, are partners in the new venture.

The randomly placed piano in Tompkins Square Park is no longer randomly there

After 10 days and one snowstorm, the abandoned piano that someone dragged into (or pushed into) Tompkins Square Park was wheeled away earlier today from where it was stationed by the Park entrance on Avenue B and Ninth Street...a reader shared the above photo ...

EVG Missing Piano Correspondent Steven followed up later... spotting some possible piano fragments in the Park...





Later, Steven spotted this piano rack by the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... where the trail went cold...

Please mind the pothole on 7th Street near 1st Avenue

Photos today by Derek Berg

There are pigeons trapped inside the former P.S. 64 on 9th Street

[Click image for larger size]

Someone put the above sign on the Ninth Street side of the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center this past weekend.

The sign notes that there are pigeons now trapped inside the building after the windows were recently boarded up on the top floor.

They are smashing up against the windows to get free. Heard 3 broken windows in one hour. Injured birds may be found on the ground hurt by the broken glass.

There's a number for the Wild Bird Fund on the Upper West Side.

As previously reported, developer Gregg Singer, who bought the property between Avenue B and Avenue C from the city in 1998, continues to push having the building converted into student housing.

Thanks to David Reyer for the photo!