Ralph's Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream makes it official on Avenue A

[Photos by Steven]

The coming soon signage for Ralph's Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream has arrived at 145 Avenue A and Ninth Street...



As we noted on March 3, the expanding company has several new outposts planned this year, including in the East Village.

This business dates to 1928 when Ralph Silvestro started selling Italian ice (or water ice) from his truck around Staten Island. The first retail store opened in 1949 on Port Richmond Avenue in Staten Island. In recent years the company has franchised out, expanding to other parts of NYC as well as Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester County.

Ralph's takes over for Gelarto, which closed early last summer after a rocky two years selling gelato on the corner.

Tuesday's parting shot

Terms of service at Elsewhere Espresso:

No shirt
No shoes
No mask
No service

The coffee shop here on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue reopened on Saturday. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thanks to EVG reader Danielle for the photo!

Hello

A moment with Christo, the male red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, late this afternoon. Thanks to Steven for the photo...

Flying by

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds conducted a flyover today in recognition of front-line personnel during the COVID-19 crisis.

EVG reader Jeanne Krier took these top two photos...



And Vinny & O shared these shots...





... and Linda Fitzgerald shared this video clip... showing the jets flying south ...



Updated 7:30 p.m.

The Post reported on how people in the metropolitan area ignored social distancing to catch a glimpse of the airshow.

RIP Miguel Grande, the Pasta King at Supper

Miguel Grande, known as the Pasta King at Supper on Second Street, died from COVID-19-related complications this past Friday at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens.

According to the @supper156 account: "He was like a FATHER @suppernyc. He taught everyone how to make pasta. He was always smiling. He was a great person. He was a hard working man and absolutely GREAT FATHER ..."

Grande, who was born in 1968, is survived by his wife, Maribel Luna, and four daughters — Guadalupe, Erika, Yulisa and Emely.

The Supper family, which includes Lil' Frankie's and Frank, has established a fund for Grande's wife and children. You can find that link here.

Per the GoFundMe campaign:

For those of us who have had the pleasure of working with him, no words can encompass how much we will miss him and his smile. Rarely will you meet a man with such dedication and skill and strong work ethics and kindness.

For those of you who have eaten our handmade fresh pastas for the last 19 years, most likely Miguel made them and you had a dish made with love and honesty.

Veniero's reopens Friday

Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffe is reopening on Friday here on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The owners of the 126-year-old Italian bakery made the announcement via Instagram yesterday:

We are all in need of support right now. Moms for Mother’s Day, our workers out on the frontline, family’s and friends celebrating birthdays and more. This is why we have decided to reopen our doors May 1.

They will be selling items for takeout, delivery and curbside pickup. (You can order ahead via their website.)

Veniero's closed after service on March 28 amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

If you're feeling the need for speed: Thunderbirds, Blue Angels will be flying over NYC today

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be doing a flyover today in NYC in recognition of front-line personnel during the COVID-19 crisis.

The 12-plane formation features six USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons of the Thunderbirds and six U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets, per the news release.

This first in a series of flyovers for the northeast, which includes Philadelphia and Trenton, will start at noon here, and last some 40 minutes. (The above map shows you the route, which looks like East Village residents will have a few opportunities to see — or hear — this.)

Also from the release: "Residents along the flight path can expect a few seconds of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead, along with the sight of 12 high-performance aircraft flying close in precise formation."

You can prep for today by watching this 1986 Van Hagar chestnut...



Headline helper.

Reader appreciation: Feast

Via the EVG inbox...

Feast has been open throughout the crisis to provide the neighborhood with amazing cocktails and take-out items. The husband and wife team are so friendly and welcoming at the window. The restaurant is also working hard providing meals to hospital staff and frontline workers.

Feast is at 102 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Want to share an appreciation of an essential East Village business that remains open during the COVID-19 crisis? Send us an email here. (Thank you for the suggestions!)

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Reader appreciation: Le Fournil Bakery

• Reader appreciation: Abraço

• Reader appreciation: Post

• Reader appreciation: Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery

• Reader appreciation: Barnyard Cheese Shop

• Reader appreciation: Good Beer

• Reader appreciation: Mamoum's Falafel

Petal power

A flower shower this afternoon here at the Seventh Street entrance to Tompkins Park between Avenue A and Avenue B...





... courtesy of the Kwanzan Cherry tree ...

Video: Man chases after Citi Bikers on 2nd Avenue for not wearing masks

There has been a lot of debate over wearing masks in public.

Gov. Cuomo issued an executive order, which went into effect at 8 p.m. on April 17, stating that every New Yorker must "wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained, such as on public transportation."

Not everyone is adhering to this, of course (Gothamist has more about it in this post) ... which has prompted COVID-19 Urban Etiquette Signs like this one. We've heard about some public shaming incidents in which mask-wearing residents will scold people without masks.

Meanwhile, one man took the mask policing to a rather dangerous level on Saturday afternoon on Second Avenue. In the short clip below posted to Twitter via @fashionweak, the man can be heard yelling "Where is your mask?" as he lunges at Citi Bikers riding outside the bike lane between Ninth Street and 10th Street. The bikers swerve and speed up to avoid the man. (Thankfully there wasn't any vehicular traffic at this time.) He appears to be filming these encounters as well ...

Anyone else catch this man yelling at bikers today? pic.twitter.com/WO50ZDaMV5

— steph castro (@fashionweak) April 26, 2020

According to @fashionweak, the man was stationed on Second Avenue for nearly five minutes yelling at various bikers who weren't wearing masks. He moved on after an argument with a passerby, who apparently called the NYPD.