First look at Lil' Frankies Grocery on 1st Avenue

Workers have removed the plywood from outside the under-renovation 21 First Ave., offering the first look at East Village restaurateur Frank Prisinzano's personally curated grocery store that will be opening in the weeks ahead.

Lil' Frankies Grocery is steps away from Prisinzano's Lil' Frankie's restaurant between First Street and Second Street. 

We first reported on this back in March. Here's an excerpt from that post, based on a series of Instagram Stories by Prisinzano:

"I've always wanted to have a grocery store. I've always wanted to curate all my own products," said Prisinzano, who also owns and operates EV mainstays Frank on Second Avenue and Supper on Second Street. "It will be a curated list of products that I use and recommend. Nothing will be on the shelves that I don't personally love." 

He plans on having a deli case inside the new shop to sell sandwiches ... with a vertical slicer for prosciutto. He's also thinking about offering homemade gelato and sorbet — similar to what his restaurants have on the dessert menus. Other amenities will include a 20-foot table to host private parties catered by the shop. 

"I'm going to keep it real simple, real Italian and real fresh," he said.

The grocery's Instagram account is currently listing an opening for this month.

The retail space was previously Fineline Tattoo, which is now located in a private studio.  

Former Zum Schneider space now for lease on 7th Street and Avenue C

A for-lease sign recently arrived on the storefront on the northwest corner of Avenue C and Seventh Street — the former Zum Schneider. 

The EVG reader who shared this photo said this is the first time the space has been on the market these past 20-plus months. The posted sign doesn't list any details about the type of tenant desired. (The space is vented for cooking.)

Zum Schneider, the popular biergarten and restaurant, closed here after 20 years in late February 2020. According to Zum Schneider owner Sylvester Schneider at the time, the co-op's lawyer stated that the building had no intention to renew the lease. (Zum Schneider continues to host various pop-up events in Brooklyn and NYC.)

In November 2020, a jokester attached a fake sign to the storefront stating that a McDonald's was opening here in January 2021. 

Work starts on the Union Square Holiday Market

Staging for building the Union Square Holiday Market arrived yesterday (thanks to EVG reader Doug for these pics)...

As widely reported last month, the winter market, featuring 150 local and national vendors, returns to the southern portion of Union Square at 14th Street after a year off due to the pandemic. 

Things open here on Nov. 18 and run through 4 p.m. on Dec. 24. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a 7 p.m. close on Sundays. Find the vendor list here.

Beyond the sea: Crab Du Jour shapes up on 1st Avenue

Work continues at 225 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street, the future home of a Crab Du Jour outpost. As you can see, the Crab signage is in place. (First reported here.) 

So 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. 

Not sure about an opening date ... they are currently in hiring mode...

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

Paving party tonight on Avenue B

Tow-away notices are now posted (as of last night) along Avenue B ahead of the repaving party on Avenue B ... happening tonight and tomorrow night (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.) from Houston to 14th Street. 

Workers milled Avenue B back on Oct. 18-19. 

Thanks to the East Village Community Coalition for the pic!

Your chance to hear Citi Bike's expansion plans

Community Board 3's Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment Committee will hear from city DOT reps tonight about Citi Bike's expansion in the East Village and Lower East Side.

The meeting invite simply notes, "NYC DOT will present on Citi Bike infill stations for CB3."

As Streetsblog editor Gersh Kuntzman reported last week:

Citi Bike says it needs to add thousands of docks within its existing Manhattan service area to handle the ongoing bike boom, but so far, the Department of Transportation has not kept up with the Lyft-owned bike company’s requests — and millions of rides are not happening as a result.

In a bombshell statement that dropped extremely quietly last week, Citi Bike announced that it needs the DOT to provide it with sites for an immediate Lyft-funded infusion of docks and bikes because the system is under "added stress [in] its original service area, which serves a disproportionate number of the total rides."

Also:

Citi Bike docks currently occupy just .5 percent of curb space. But sitting those docks has proven to be a perennial challenge to the DOT, which seeks community board input for every single location. As a result, many are sited on sidewalks rather than in curbside spots, which has the double-edged problem of discriminating against pedestrians while also doing nothing to discourage car ownership. 

The East Village is among the neighborhoods experiencing the greatest need for infill docks, per a Citi Bike tweet from last week...

Citi Bike fam!

We're partnering w/ @NYC_DOT to add 8k new docks and 4k bikes in 2022.

Through the "infill" process, we will be adding/extending more docks to reduce the # of empty stations and keep you moving! 🚲💙

Check out this priority-area heat map based on DOT data. pic.twitter.com/17IuTu4pgj

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) November 2, 2021

Tonight's virtual meeting, which starts at 6:30, will likely highlight where (and when) these new docks might appear.

You can tune in to the meeting via this Zoom link.

Cinnamon Girl bringing cake, pie and coffee to 2nd Avenue

Cinnamon Girl is in the works for 73 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

The neon signage in the windows promises cake, coffee, pie and more (empanadas!) ...

While we haven't confirmed this just yet, this is likely another outpost for the Brooklyn-based Cinnamon Girl, which has three locations for vegan and gluten-free items in that borough.

This address was previously home to Atlas Cafe, which served reliable vegan (and non-vegan) menu items with a Moroccan vibe (1999-2020).  

Lahore Deli — home of the world's best chai? — has closed on Crosby Street

From a little outside our usual coverage zone... EVG reader Choresh Wald brings word that Lahore Deli has closed at 132 Crosby St. between Houston and Prince after 25 years in service.

A sign on the door notes the permanent closure (with an apology!) and thanks customers for their business through the years.

The small shop, a popular destination for cab drivers, offered up delicious, inexpensive and generous portions of Indian and Pakistani fare.

However, it was Lahore's $1.50 chai that people talked about. Bon Appétit once declared: "The World's Best Chai Might Just Be From a Small NYC Deli." Other fans included Ian Astbury, lead singer of the Cult, who said it was "the best chai I have ever tasted outside of India."

While there wasn't any reason given for the closure, the lack of office workers and cab drivers around here during the pandemic didn't help.  

The new outpost of the Wild Son opens today

ICYMI: The Wild Son opens today in its new home at 130 First Ave. — directly next door from its previous spot on the SE corner of St. Mark's Place. (After our last post, the opening date moved from Nov. 5 to today.)

The new Wild Son outpost will be in service Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for breakfast and lunch via its 10-seat lunch counter and outdoor space. Find the menu here.

The old location at 132 First Ave. is now closed. It will reopen soon as a cocktail bar/restaurant called Bar Lula, which "will take inspiration from modern French bistros and the bold flavors, colors, and culinary traditions of Mexico," per a restaurant rep. 

From from Sunday by Steven 

Monday's parting shot

Felton Davis of the Second Avenue Star Watchers shared this:

Venus and the Moon were low over the Avenue tonight, and disappeared behind Avalon and the Public Hotel soon after sunset.

The top pic shows the view from Second Avenue and Third Street ... while the shot below is what people saw through the telescope he had set up on the corner (click on the images for a better view!) ...

And on the horizon (so to speak) on Nov. 18 into Nov. 19 ... the Full Moon in the constellation Taurus will undergo a partial — but almost total — eclipse, per Felton.