The P.F. Chang's outpost opens Friday on University Place

The P.F. Chang's outpost on the SE corner of 13th Street and University Place is slated to open this Friday, per the restaurant chain's website. (The brand's horse mascot has been under wraps here for the past few weeks.) 

As previously reported, this will be P.F. Chang's first sit-down restaurant in NYC — and a large one with three floors of space. 

The company opened several P.F. Chang's To Go outposts during the pandemic ... there are more than 300 locations worldwide. 

Italian restaurant brand Vapiano was previously in this University Place space. 

Thanks to EVG reader Doug for the photos!

Monday's parting shot

Power washing the graffiti off the ping-pong table in Tompkins Square Park this morning... photo by Derek Berg...

This week in paving (but not milling)

It looks like paving only tonight and tomorrow night on Third Street from Avenue D to the Bowery...

Seventh Street is also on the docket for paving from Avenue D to Cooper Square ... though it appears that just the section between Second Avenue and Cooper Square needs the new surface...

You can check the DOT schedule here. 

The milling on these streets commenced on Sept. 6.

Thanks to Stacie Joy for the top pic!

New cat owner opens Cosmic Cat Cafe on 2nd Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Cosmic Cat Cafe opened last week at 170 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

The sliver of a storefront — previously a hair salon — offers up a selection of coffee drinks (and some teas)...

Owner-barista Sonam Chorda is a first-time cat parent ... and recently received two cats from the same litter. He loves them so much, and says "cats are out of this world, so Cosmic Cats it is."

And despite the name, there aren't any actual cats on the premises.

Daily hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thanks to the EVG readers who first told us about this opening!

La Pizza Italiya taking over the Baker's Pizza space on Avenue A

Signage is up for La Pizza Italiya at 201 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street.

The awning notes Pasta, Gluten Free and "Krunchy Chicken." (Quotes ours!)

La Pizza takes over for Baker's Pizza. Some recent history there: A "Permanently Closed RIP" message was posted atop the pizzeria's website in January. However, several weeks later, the pizzeria reopened (though not by original owner Jordan Baker). BPII didn't last, though, long as the gates came down and a closed/Department of Health notice arrived on the door dated March 31. A for-rent sign arrived in the summer.

Baker's arrived in February 2016 and quickly built a fervent fanbase.

No word yet on an opening date for La Pizza Italiya.

Kenneth Cole reopening Bowery outpost with a 'Temporary' concept

Now that the J. Crew Men's store is all settled in at 316 Bowery... Kenneth Cole is making a comeback a block to the north where signage shows a new concept on the way called Temporary...

Cole signed a 10-year lease here at Bond Street in 2015 ... the shop had been closed since the start of the pandemic, though the space has hosted several pop-up events. 

According to its website, Temporary will focus on men's essentials.

In 2016, the company announced it was closing all but two of its U.S. brick-and-mortar stores to focus on "its e-commerce and international business." The Bowery outpost was one of two that remained in service.

Buka bringing Nigerian cuisine to 1st Avenue

Photos by Steven

The Brooklyn-based Buka is bringing its homestyle Nigerian cuisine to 137 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street ... 

This will be a second outpost for Buka, which has a new location on Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy after launching in 2010. (This piece at Eater offers more details about what to expect from Buka.)

Per the Buka Instagram account, this East Village spot is expected to open on Oct. 1 with hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can find a menu here.

The space was previously home to Drunken Dumpling, which debuted in the fall of 2016 and received favorable press for its gigantic soup dumplings created by the mother-son team here. The restaurant was closed for a good part of the pandemic, reopening back in November before going dark again in the spring. 

Yaki Sushi takes over for Hawkers on 14th Street

There's a concept change at 225 E. 14th St. 

A new venture called Yaki Sushi, featuring a lengthy menu for the venue's lengthy bar-like set-up, has taken over the storefront here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... marking the end of Hawkers, which offered Southeast Asian street-style food since its 2010 debut. 

A Parish Picnic outside St. Stanislaus on 7th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

Today, St. Stanislaus — New York's oldest (and only) Polish Roman-Catholic church — hosted a Parish Picnic on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy and shared these photos from the family-friendly event outside the church, which is celebrating its 150 anniversary... 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on Avenue A by Derek Berg) ... 

• Big changes are coming to the iconic skate spot in Tompkins Square Park (Monday) 

• Community groups advocating for low-income housing on these 2 East Village sites (Tuesday) 

• Ella Funt & Club 82 looks to bring food, film and theater to storied 4th Street venue (Monday) 

• The [plant-baked] retail space is closing on 7th Street this Sunday (Friday) 

• The former Uncle Johnny grocery slated for demolition on Avenue D and 5th Street (Wednesday) 

• The great First Avenue Laundry Center is closing for renovations this fall (Thursday) 

• Good Beer has closed (Monday) 

• Crossroads Trading bringing the resale and vintage clothing to Second Avenue (Friday)

• Openings: Monsieur Vo on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• New York State is selling off the contents of Matthew Kenney's restaurant Sestina (Thursday) 

• Pretty much a full reveal at the incoming Empanada Mama (Wednesday)

• Former Tarallucci e Vino space for rent (Thursday) 

• Former Los Tacos space now a 787 Coffee training facility on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• Longtime bar space at 68 2nd Ave. hits the rental market (Tuesday) 

• 1 guess on what is coming to this empty storefront on Avenue A and 13th Street (Monday) 

• Signage alert: Chomp Chomp Thai Kitchen on 1st Street (Friday) 

• New 6th Street psychic apparently didn't summon psychic powers before taking this space (Thursday)

• A Link5G tower for Avenue A (Tuesday) 

... and speaking of Link5G towers, on Friday, EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted workers erecting one on Clinton Street between Houston and Stanton... 

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