Nai Tapas Bar closes on 1st Avenue ahead of move to 2nd Avenue

As we first reported back on June 18, Nai Tapas Bar was moving this summer from its spot of eight years at 174 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street to 85 Second Ave.

Nai closed after service on July 29 (H/T B+B). Signage for the previous occupant, Xunta, which decamped to Williamsburg in 2009, was revealed in the move out.

A letter to patrons on the Nai website points to a September reopening on Second Avenue...



The space on the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street was previously home to Bareburger, which left for lower rents on Orchard Street in the spring.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Nai Tapas Bar moving from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

Bareburger is leaving 2nd Avenue; new outpost slated for Orchard Street

Moving day for Bareburger

The Dessert Kitchen space is for rent on St. Mark's Place

A for rent banner recently arrived on the front window of The Dessert Kitchen at 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The shop, which relocated here last fall, is still in business, serving its variety of "homemade Asian-fusion-styled desserts from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan."

The listing notes that possession can be arranged with notice of 30 to 60 days. Other listing comments include: "All uses considered" ... "Can be vented for cooking" ... and, obviously — "Motivated landlord."

The rent is available upon request.

Monday's parting shot

Just Christopher Meloni holding a chainsaw while filming a scene for the SYFY series "Happy!" on St. Mark's Place near Third Avenue... photo by Derek Berg.

The series is based on Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson's graphic novel. Meloni is Nick Sax, a former detective turned hired killer.

The red-tailed fledgling is having the most fun in Tompkins Square Park

The remaining red-tailed hawk fledgling continued to entertain Tompkins Square Parkgoers this past week... Steven shared these photos of Amelia and Christo's offspring at play the other day ... practicing his take offs and (crash) landings...





... and playing with a favorite toy — a piece of wood ...







... and Derek Berg caught the young hawk in flight...



Goggla has been documenting the fledgling here and here. She believes he hatched on or around June 1.

As she notes, "This fun time with the young hawk won't last long. As soon as he's able to fly and feed himself, he will venture off on his own to explore the world, so let's enjoy and admire him while we can."

EVG Etc.: More L-train shutdown talk; high praise for Bali Kitchen on 4th Street

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Derek Berg]

Tonight: MTA hosting public meeting on environmental impact of the L-train shutdown (WNYC)

A visit to Bali Kitchen on Fourth Street. "It’s a boon not only to the neighborhood, but to a city that, despite its wide-ranging dining options, only has about a dozen or so restaurants devoted to Indonesian cuisine." (The Village Voice)

CNN will air the remaining "Parts Unknown" episodes this fall, including the one Anthony Bourdain filmed in the East Village and Lower East Side (Los Angeles Times... previously)

Mighty Quinn's BBQ, which opened on 2nd Avenue and 6th Street in 2013, launching franchise opportunities to take brand nationwide (QSR — H/T Eater)

City cooling centers are open (NYC.gov)

Former East Village chef busted again for exposing himself to a subway rider (The Post)

Ghost signage on the Bowery (Ephemeral New York)

Screenings of Dennis Hopper's fever-dream "The Last Movie" from 1971 — also in a new digital restoration (Metrogaph ... "one of the great lost films of the 1970s")

...and tomorrow, East Village-based singer-songwriter Riley Pinkerton releases her debut full-length album, "Nothing Ever Is." She and her band are playing a record-release party at the Mercury Lounge tomorrow night with Mother Feather...

A post shared by Riley Pinkerton (@riley.pinkerton) on Jul 11, 2018 at 1:48pm PDT

Chelsea Thai debuts on 1st Avenue

[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Chelsea Thai, a longtime favorite in that neighborhood, opened in its new home at 192 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street back on Friday.

Founder-chef Saruj Nimkarn (pictured above) relocated here after 21 years in the Chelsea Market. (He closed that space in January.)

You can find the menu (PDF!) here.

This Instagram post from January 2017 has more about Nimkarn...

Meet the owner of Chelsea Thai at Chelsea Market. Saruj Nimkarn is the founder,owner and head chef of Chelsea Thai. He grew up in Bangkok Thailand and came to the US when he was a teenager. He then decided that he wanted to bring a taste of his home to the states and opened up this restaurant so he could share his favorite comfort foods with all of us. One of the first restaurants in Chelsea Market, Chelsea Thai will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

A post shared by Chelsea Thai (@chelsea__thai) on Jan 16, 2017 at 5:39am PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chelsea Thai coming to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue; Filipino fare for Avenue A

Cleaning up the Relaxation Garden on Avenue B and 13th Street

Several Parks Department workers descended upon the dormant Relaxation Garden on 13th Street and Avenue B and removed trash and debris this past Thursday.



As the Post reported, the GreenThumb garden, part of the city’s urban gardening program, had been locked up the past two years during renovation work next door. During this time, the space had become infested with rats — thanks in part to the NYCHA-controlled trash compactor adjacent to the lot.


[Photo from yesterday]

Per the Post:

For about four hours, the workers hauled away trash and construction debris from the lot at Avenue B and East 13th Street, cut down a tree, pruned shrubs and hacked at weeds.

“It’s going to come back as a community garden. We can’t say when,” a Parks Department worker told The Post.

The workers also removed the GreenThumb-branded Relaxation Garden sign from the fence.

Meanwhile, the construction at the building next door, 207 Avenue B, remains at a standstill. The city issued a Stop Work Order in March 2017 because the contractor of record withdrew from the project. That Order is still in place as of Friday.



The Parks Department was reportedly working with 207's landlord to expedite the work so that the garden can reopen.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Rats running rampant in the Relaxation Garden on Avenue B and 13th Street

The Ottendorfer Library is now closed for renovations

As noted last week, the Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, closes starting today for upgrades that will keep the branch out of commission until early 2019.

According to a message to patrons from branch manager Kristin Kuehl, workers will be installing a new fire alarm and life-safety system. "Due to the building's age and landmark status, the project is expected to take six months," Kuehl wrote.

A little history of the building:

The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1884 as New York City's first free public library. Designed by German-born architect William Schickel, this landmark building combines Queen Anne and neo-Italian Renaissance styles with an exterior ornamented by innovative terracotta putti. The branch was a gift of Oswald Ottendorfer, owner of the New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung newspaper.

Ottendorfer patrons can head on over to the Tompkins Square branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B for all your library needs. Check out their free activities (link here) for August.

The Tompkins branch is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Ottendorfer Library closing for 6 months to install new fire-suppression system

Paper Gutter brings books, mix tapes and art to Essex Flowers

A post shared by Jen Fisher (@vortexity_jen_fisher) on Jul 30, 2018 at 2:00pm PDT

This is happening today from 1-9 p.m. at Essex Flowers, 19 Monroe St. down in Two Bridges...

Paper Gutter

Vortexity Books and Book Row Present a day of Book Selling, Mix-Tape DJs, Live Performances, Art and Poetry Readings

• 3 p.m. Performances by: Carolyn Lockhart Schoerner, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
• 7 p.m. Readings by: Nicole Wallace, John Coletti, Peter BD, Alissa Bennett

Artwork by: Ryan Foerster, Mattie Goedecke, Adam Opet, Yusuke Okada, Caroline Schub, Yoni Zonszein, Sara Glick

Tape Mixes From: BOB, Jezenia, Adam Opet, Bene and Matt

Small Presses: Heinzfeller Nileisist, Ratstar Press, Bunny JR. Tapes, IMP, Dripper World, Papertown Company, Noa Danish, Discipline Press, Vortexity, Solution, Black Tower Editions, Adventures Ltd. Press, F Magazine, Matt Kenny and more.

Additional performances, readers and presses TBA!

Nobody Is Perfect has closed

Nobody Is Perfect closed its doors for good in late July here on Fourth Street near Avenue B.

"The gas in the entire building, including the apartments and the restaurant next to us, has been shut down for six months," proprietor Mario Carta explained in an email. "We were unable to provide a decent menu to our customers during that period of time and that affected our business knowing that we were open for less than a year trying to build a clientele in the neighborhood."

Carta, who also runs Pardon My French at 103 Avenue B and Chouchou at 215 E. Fourth St., opened the Italian restaurant in the spring of 2017.

He also noted that the Community Board 3 denied their sidewalk cafe application that "could have helped us stay open."

In issuing the denial in May for the 16-table sidewalk cafe, CB3 officials said that the restaurant received 45 311 calls since it opened, 18 of which required a visit from the NYPD, according to the official minutes of the meeting. (PDF here.) Five residents (as well as a rep from the East 4th Street/Lower Avenue B Block Association) also spoke at the CB3 meeting, stating that Nobody is Perfect "plays excessively loud music and allows cheering and chanting associated with its weekend boozy brunches," which was in violation of its license. (There were other complaints too, such as leaving the restaurant's front windows open past 10 p.m.)

Nobody Is Perfect was the fifth restaurant to try this address in the past 10 years. B4 closed in June 2016 after nearly three years in business ... and previously Piccola Positano, Tonda and E.U. gave the space a go.

H/T Alexis!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Team behind Avenue B's Pardon My French eyeing 2 spaces on 4th Street