[Updated] Renovations for the Meatball Factory

A few readers got further than we did with information on why the 7-month-old Meatball Factory on 14th Street and Second Avenue was randomly closed yesterday... EV Grieve reader Michael, who took the above photo, talked to a worker on the scene last night who said they were "doing some renovations." A commenter mentioned, "They've painted some crazy colors and designs all over the walls and ceilings. The bar is also gone."

Updated:

Eater has more on the Meatballers here.

This is what a view from East River Park looked like on April 29, 2012

This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...

Photo by Bobby Williams

Michael White now hiring at Nicoletta

Yesterday, we took a look at the incoming Michael White pizzeria on Second Avenue at 10th Street ...

Anyway, a reader sent us a link to a Craigslist ad ... apparently, if you're interested, they're hiring front-of-the-house positions... Per Craigslist: "Focused on pizza and Italian cuisine, we are seeking staff to share in our love of food, passion for service, and desire to develop a new brand offering the highest levels of quality, hospitality and professionalism."

Bonus ad except for host/hostess: "Able to multitask while remaining calm and hospitable."

Happy birthday Keith Haring

If you've been to Google today... then you probably saw the Google Doodle honoring Keith Haring on what would have been his 54th birthday today. Haring died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1990 at the age of 31.

And an EVG repost from March 12, 2009:

Blogger Jack Brummet at All This is That today posts a Polaroid that he received in 1982...It's a shot of Keith Haring's mural on Houston and the Bowery....


The photo was affixed to a postcard and mailed to him from San Francisco...the former NYC resident was living in Seattle. You can see the postmark on the bottom left of the photo....

Allright meat, show him your heat

This afternoon, for some reason, New York Mets knuckleballer (and all-around-nice-guy) R.A. Dickey was in Tompkins Square Park to watch people throw Wiffle balls... and interact with kids. And adults.

Above photos by Bobby Williams.

And from the MLB ManCave Facebook page...

h/t for headline

Meatball Factory closed for the moment

Over on 14th Street and Second Avenue, the 7-month-old Meatball Factory is closed... there's no sign, and there wasn't any sign of any workers on the scene. (Perhaps in the cellar?) There isn't a message on the restaurant's Facebook page or Twitter account (which haven't been updated the past month) ... and no one answered the phone when we called; no outgoing message ... so... we'll try again later.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[Seventh Street along Tompkins Square Park... Photo by Bobby Williams]

Extensive history of St. Mark's Place (BoweryBoogie)

Dedicating Harry Wieder Way this weekend (The Lo-Down)

What's going on at the Sun Shine Cafe on Allen Street? (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A look at the menu and cocktails at Bishops & Barons on IHOP Way (Grub Street)

A lot of opposition for the Chelsea Market expansion (Curbed)

Lars Ulrich on working with Lou Reed, the reaction to "Lulu" (Spin)

And at Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A today...

Proto's Pizza opens today on Second Avenue

We've been watching the space where Proto's Pizza will open on Second Avenue between Third Street and Second Street... as the above photo shows, the place looks like a nice, pretentious-free pizzeria.

Owner Rob Proto left us this message:

Proto's Pizza is opening for business on Thursday, May 3rd. Looking forward to providing the East Village with high quality and great tasting pizza, sandwiches and much more.

Let us know if you try it ... And, as a bit of background...Earlier, Neighborhoodr had more on the pizzeria:

The owner’s first go at a pizza place. Aims to hit the sweet spot of offering a high-quality slice for around $2.50. No dollar slices here. "I'd rather go out of business than have to compromise quality. You’re in New York. Do it right," says Mr. Proto, a Brooklyn native.

Hotel construction on 13th Street and Fourth Avenue — now in fifth year! — continues

Yesterday morning, EV Grieve reader John noted some progress at the incoming Hyatt Union Square on Fourth Avenue at East 13th Street... Indeed, workers were erecting scaffolding on the lower levels...

...and later... more scaffolding!

In any event, it seems as if the stalled/unstalled/too tall/view-blocking hotel project is dawdling along ... by our count, construction has entered its fifth year. Curbed's first post on it went up on July 18 2007.

It wasn't always a Hyatt property, of course... early on hotel developer Sam "McSam" Chang's group was behind the construction ... It became Hyatt's problem property in November 2010...

Early rendering!

Newer rendering with the hydroponic bamboo garden and halo!

[Image from Archpaper via Curbed]

Last official word on this via Hyatt was a fall 2011 opening.

Previously.

Let's take a quick look inside Michael White's new pizzeria on Second Avenue

We walked by that incoming Michael White pizzeria on Second Avenue at 10th Street yesterday ...

...the plywood is down on the side... (see the first comment — a commenter said there was never any plywood...)

...and the anti-blogger shield hasn't been activated...

Anyway, here's what one portion of the interior is looking like these days...

Per Diner's Journal, Nicoletta's pizzas "will be baked in a gas-fired brick oven but would be 'different, crisper' thanks to both his technique and a flour that is lower in protein."

Nicoletta is on this month's CB3/SLA docket for a sidewalk cafe...

Here's the bar behind Jane's Sweet Buns

Just following up on yesterday's item via UrbanDaddy about a new, sorta secret bar opening in the rear of Jane's Sweet Buns... A reader sent along the above photo from last evening... workers were still setting up the 10-seat bar, which is called Proletariat ... they will serve "hard-to-find brews from the Death + Company guys."

No official word on when the bar opens...

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] There's now a (sort of) secret beer bar behind Jane's Sweet Buns

Vandaag's weiner window opening this weekend

This weekend, over on Second Avenue, Vandaag will start serving sausages out of a takeout window on the restaurant's Sixth Street side, Eater reported yesterday.

As you might expect, the weiners are foodie friendly. Here's the menu, via Eater ...