Otto's Tacos (soft) opens today

Otto's Tacos has its soft opening today at 141 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.

Per the Otto's website:

Otto's Tacos is an LA inspired grab and go taqueria focusing on freshly prepared tacos. We make all of our tortillas, salsas and marinades from scratch every day.

(Otto Cedeno told us more about his first restaurant back on Aug. 21.)

You can find Otto's menu here.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Otto's Tacos, opening this fall on Second Avenue

[Photos via Facebook/Otto's Tacos]

Identity has closed on East 6h Street

Identity Bar and Lounge closed after service last Thursday night. The bar on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B had a bit of a strip-mall vibe until former bartenders from Bar 82 took over the space for the owner back in the spring.

However, despite helping create a better neighbor ambiance, we understand that the owner was still in arrears ... and could not pull himself out of the financial hole that he was in before the Bar 82 folks came aboard. No word on what's next here.

Former AAA Amici Pizza space for lease on 3rd Avenue; no coffee, Chinese food, sushi or burgers

AAA Amici Pizza on Third Avenue at East 12th Street closed last July. At the time, EVG regular Muzz talked to the owner, who said that the pizzeria was rent-hiked out of there.

The Newmark Grubb Knight Frank listing has the asking rent at $21,000 per month for the 1,600 square feet of space.

Description
Vented Corner for Lease. HOT NYU / UNION SQUARE AREA.

NO COFFEE. NO CHINESE FOOD. NO SUSHI. NO BURGERS.

And dreams of a coffee-Chinese food-Burger-sushi bar are squashed.

A Slice of Naples now open on the Bowery

The space at Forcella on the Bowery between Bond and Great Jones has been cut in half... proprietor Giulio Adriani is now offering up slices at the appropriately named A Slice of Naples next door ...



Time Out previewed A Slice of Naples:

The rolled-thin specialty is built atop rectangular, meter-long crust and slow-cooked in an imported electric oven. The Naples native turns out five varieties, including the Stracchino-cheese-and-prosciutto Ripiena and a Caprese topped with hand-pulled mozzarella, tomatoes and pesto, plus a rotating pie of the day.

Find their menu here.

The former Sushi Lounge is for rent

As we first reported this past Friday, Sushi Lounge has closed on the corner of St. Mark's Place and Avenue A... a "for rent" sign quickly went up...



We didn't call Mr. Josh at Gibraltar Management Co. to inquirer about the asking rent... a Sushi Lounge manager told a reader that their rent was $27,000 ... So, any thoughts on what will take this space with rents at that level?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sushi Lounge has closed (17 comments)

The T.G.I. Friday's space is for lease on Union Square

[Currently]


[The possibilities]

Sad news to report for fans of T.G.I. Friday's Sesame Jack™ Chicken Strips, Jack Daniel's® Chicken & Shrimp, and Bacon Mac & Cheese Bites ... the national chain's Union Square location is for lease... the space has been on the market for several months, apparently... the rent is currently "negotiable."

Per the listing:

Retail/Restaurant space available at 34 Union Square East. Located on the Southeast corner of 16th Street. Frontage is 140 ft wraparound. Ground and second floors can be leased seperately. Can create ground floor entrance on 16th Street and combine with the second floor. Currently TGI Friday's.

Located on the southeast corner of 16th Street in Union Square. Neighbors include, Union Square Greenmarket, Nordstrom Rack, Whole Foods, W Hotel, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Sephora, Babies R Us

The restaurant remains open for now. And this is just the latest T.G.I. Friday's to likely close in the city. The location on Eighth Avenue — one of like 23 TGIFs in Midtown — is expected to close early next year.

The Standard East Village unveils its new sidewalk cafe

[Friday]

The plywood came down Friday to unveil the Standard East Village's new sidewalk cafe concept on Cooper Square...


[Saturday]

... and a more final look from yesterday...





...complete with Christmas trees...



The Cafe at The Standard Café Standard is expected to open today, according to Eater, who has more Standard-related restaurant news here.

We first reported on the changes here back in April 2012.

Updated 9:48 a.m.

EVG reader Robert Miner notes the pace this morning... ready for action...



The Café Standard is open 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday and until 4 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Big changes in the works for the Standard East Village lobby, outdoor space; Café on the Bowery anyone?

Dusk, 1 hour earlier

Tompkins Square Park this evening via Bobby Williams...

At the Boycott 7-Eleven Rally today

Twenty-plus people came out today to hand out flyers in support of the Boycott 7-Eleven Rally ... the group handed out more than 200 flyers on Avenue A and East 11th Street ... find more photos at the No 7-Eleven blog here... You may also sign the petition here for amendments to zoning laws to prevent a chain store infiltration of the East Village.



Photos by Shawn Chittle

Week in Grieview

[This week's lost and found]

What's coming to the former Mary Help of Christians lot (Wednesday)

Out and About with 85-year-old Jerry (Wednesday)

Longtime counterman at Stromboli Pizza killed in cycling accident (Friday)

Did Mel Gibson save St. Brigid's? (Monday)

Westside Market opening on Third Avenue (Monday)

Scenes of fall in the East Village (Tuesday)

Enjoy this video of the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black from Halloween (Friday)

Kids on costumes on Avenue B (Thursday)

Sushi Lounge closes (Friday)

The Beagle has closed on Avenue A (Thursday)

New building for East 13th Street (Monday)

Biscuit Empire opens (Wednesday, 64 comments) and runs out of stuff (Friday)

Lets go vaping on St. Mark's! (Thursday)

Wigstock lives for a day (Wednesday)

Schnitz planned for former Something Sweet space (Wednesday)

Good news for fans of the Odessa Cafe and Bar (Wednesday)

Village Joker now Augers Well on St. Mark's (Thursday)

East 5th Street Tree Committee as badass as ever (Monday)

Burglar falls 5 floors making a getaway (Sunday)

Batmobile! (Wednesday)

New 7-Eleven christened in the East Village

[Via @jimnobu]

Over at the new 7-Eleven that opened Friday on Avenue A and East 11th Street.

As EVG reader Cartknocker said, "Not sure what it means, but we can imagine."



...and via VH McKenzie...



Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] The 7-Eleven signage is up, and someone has already spit on the front window (42 comments)

And how was your Saturday morning?

An East Village couple awoke yesterday morning to reportedly find a drunken man peeing in their bathroom sink.

To the New York Post!

It turned out the man was staying in another apartment in the building at First Avenue and East 13th Street. He was too inebriated to find the right apartment when he got home.

The couple whose apartment the man invaded called 911. But after cops showed up, they thought better of pressing charges.

The Post referred to the sink pee-er as "the drunken hipster."

[Bathroom sink file photo; not involved in actual incident]