Fish story: Crab Du Jour bringing seafood boils to 1st Avenue

An outpost of Crab Du Jour is opening at 225 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. The coming-soon signage arrived late last week. (Thanks to Pinch for the photo!) 

This is the latest NYC location for the expanding chain described as a Cajun Seafood Boil & Bar. 

Per the restaurant's website:

Crab Du Jour offers experience-driven seafood dining in a fun, communal atmosphere, perfect for friends and family. Our Cajun-inspired eatery is known for fresh seafood boils (made for sharing) and an array of signature house-blended sauces, to enhance the experience. 

We offer everything from delicious starters like wings, po-boys, chicken tenders, and seafood favorites such as fried fish, shrimp, crab and oysters.

This address was previously a Checkers, which closed late last year after six years in business.

Y7 reopens along 250 E. Houston St.

Y7 Studio, the hip-hop-fueled yoga center, reopened yesterday for in-person classes along 250 E. Houston St.

The studio had been closed since March 2020, offering virtual classes instead. Y7 has been in this space since December 2018.

As previously noted, a Pure Barre outpost is also coming to this retail strip between Avenue A and Avenue B, per the fitness chain's website. Not sure what space they are taking. (We incorrectly thought it might be the Y7 storefront.) Pure Barre is a ballet-inspired fitness regimen mostly centered around the handrail used in ballet training — the barre. 

And as we've been noting, there's been a storefront shuffle along this renovated retail stretch. Kapri Cleaners and the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center moved from the unrenovated spaces a few doorways down East Houston. 

The old retail section of this strip is apparently coming down to make way for an unspecified new development.

A night (on Thursday!) of live music and art at 3rd & B'zaar

The next holiday market at 3rd & B'zaar starts on Nov. 26... ahead of that, expect to find more one-off events... Such as! 

On Thursday evening from 7-9, EV-based artist/musician Alex Carpenter is headlining a night of art and music in the space at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Carpenter will be showcasing new video works as part of his performance, and will also be officially launching his new release "Chord From the Second Delphic Hymn." 

Other art and artists will be part of the show, including dancer Elayna Lopez...

Photo by Stacie Joy

P&T Knitwear Co. bringing books, coffee and podcasts to the Lower East Side

P&T Knitwear Co., an independent bookstore and cafe, is slated to open in early 2022 at 180 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton. 

The publishing industry newsletter Shelf Awareness first reported on this arrival. 

According to the report by Alex Mutter, Bradley Tusk, the venture capitalist and philanthropist who founded the Gotham Book Prize last year, and general manager and buyer Julie Wernersbach, are behind the new venture. 

Per Shelf Awareness:

"He wants to give back to New York," Wernersbach said of Tusk, adding that he's a "huge reader" and "loves the city." The store's name comes from the name of a knitwear company co-founded by Tusk's grandfather in the early 1950s, which was located just a few blocks away from where the bookstore will open. "He wanted to pay homage to the neighborhood, and create a good bookstore for New York and the Lower East Side." 

Another major part of the project for Tusk and Wernersbach is making sure that the store's booksellers are well compensated, have health insurance and are able to "make a real living wage in NYC." Given what the bottom line looks like for a bookstore, that could make for an "exciting challenge." Said Wernersbach: "We're putting our staff and community first."

The 3,000-square-foot bookstore will include "an events amphitheater with built-in seating" as well as a podcast studio that community members will reportedly be able to use for free in this retail space connected to the Indigo Hotel.

H/T Marjorie!

Weekend reopening recap: Blue & Gold, Tom & Jerry's

Rocktober '21 is off to a fine start for fans of two longtime bars that reopened for the first time since March 2020 — as noted here.

On Friday, Blue & Gold, 79 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, returned to action (this post has more background) ... ditto for Tom & Jerry's over at 288 E. Elizabeth St. near Houston ...

B&G photo by Steven

T&J H/T to Garth and Ryan

The Brazen Fox becomes the Ugly Duckling

Signage for the Ugly Duckling has arrived on the NW corner of Third Avenue and 13th Street (thanks to Doug for the top pic!) ...

In April, we reported that hospitality veteran Curt Heugel's Host Restaurants, whose portfolio includes concepts such as Bill's Townhouse, Campagnola and Printers Alley, was behind a new unnamed venture... which was to be the previous tenant — the Brazen Fox.

Anyway, they rethought that decision... and the two-level sports bar is now going as the Ugly Duckling (same ownership).

The Brazen Fox closed during the pandemic after nearly seven years in business.

Drunken Dumpling will be serving up its large soup dumplings again soon

Several businesses are reopening after 18-month layoffs during the pandemic (see Blue & Gold and Tom & Jerry's).

Also on the list: Drunken Dumpling, which is expected to be back soon at 137 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

The place looked like a goner, with stacks of mail piled up inside the front door. However, EVG contributor Steven saw activity inside the space last week... The DD Instagram account also posted that the restaurant will be serving again this fall. 

DD opened in the fall of 2016 and received favorable press for its gigantic soup dumplings created by the mother-son team here. 

Superiority Burger vying for liquor license for new Avenue A space

Community Board 3 just released its schedule of meetings for October ... including the SLA & DCA Licensing Committee, taking place on Oct. 18. 

Among the items on that agenda — a new liquor license for 119 Avenue A... where Superiority Burger is taking over the Odessa space (which also had a full liquor license here) ... the public notices went on the storefront over the weekend... 

Looks as if they'll be vying for some sidewalk seating as well (sidewalk cafe is circled on the above document). We'll explore this and other applications as they are posted online. 

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

ICYMI: Quartino Bottega Organica has closed on Bleecker Street

I missed this one. Quartino Bottega Organica closed back in August at 11 Bleecker St. just west of the Bowery...

According to Quartino's website, the owners are opening a new restaurant in Genoa, Italy — "60 miles from our farm in Pieve di Teco." 

This was a lovely low-key spot with housemade pasta and bread and whose customers through the years included David Bowie, Lou Reed and Willem Dafoe.

The restaurant got its start at the South Street Seaport in 2000 before moving to Bleecker in 2004.

Xing Fu Tang is now open on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

The Taiwan-based Xing Fu Tang, a bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba, debuted on Saturday on the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue. 

There was a line (and crowd!) when we walked by around 8 p.m. This is the second NYC location for Xing Fu Tang, joining the one in Flushing.

Our previous post has more about this corner space (133 Second Ave./37 St. Mark's Place) in recent retail years. 

P.S. 

And we don't know if a foot rub is $32 or $36 upstairs. (Someone asked last time about the dueling signs.)