Celebrating 25 years at Paul's Da Burger Joint

Paul's Da Burger Joint celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday. EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by here at 131 Second Ave. at St. Mark's Place for a few photos (and samples) at the beginning of the day … she reported that the place was packed, as prices rolled back to 1989 prices …





As a vegetarian, I wasn’t able to sample all of what Paul's had to offer, but I did get to try to the delicious Baily's milkshake, some East Village veggie Frites and the caprese salad on a skewer. All yummy.

I sat at a table with folks from ABC News, who reported (heh) that the new sliders — called Second Avenue Sliders — were juicy, fresh and tasty. I heard that same refrain over and over again — how juicy the burgers were.



Founder Paul Koval's family still operates the restaurant today. Matt Wardrop, who has been running Paul's since 2007, was busy hustling samples out for the crowd. (Read an interview with him here.)

I was lucky enough to catch him in a rare moment of stillness for a quickie snapshot.



I also got to snuggle Ruby, the puppy mascot, as she sat outside welcoming people to the party.



Even Zoltar next door at Gem Spa got in on the action.

Work starting on Mars Bar 2.0

Over at 21. E. First St., workers have removed the for lease sign and put up brown paper on the front windows … likely signaling the start of Mars Bar 2.0.

The city issued work permits issued last Tuesday. Nothing too exciting on the permits. Some "structural stair work" and "removal of non-load bearing interior partitions," etc.

Mars Bar owner Hank Penza — along with a new group of partners — is returning to his former home, now part of the luxury Jupiter 21 building.

The new space will be a two-level cafe-restaurant-lounge combo that will feature a juice bar upstairs with a cafe that serves items such as quinoa bowls, according to DNAinfo. And the downstairs portion will house the bar-club-whatever. (Details remain a little murky on how all this is going to work.)

The place will apparently retain the Mars Bar name, even though we spotted the architect's plans in the window with The Pink Elephant on them.



Penza's new partners are Alain Palinsky, a co-founder of Juice Press, Chris Reda, an owner of The Griffin in the Meatpacking District, and Robert Montwaid, an owner of the club The Pink Elephant.

CB3 OK'd the license for the space back in May.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will the new Mars Bar be another location of The Pink Elephant?

That's it: The Mars Bar is closed for good

Here lies the Blarney Cove

While we're on the topic of bars that we used to like … we were walking on East 14th Street just east of Avenue A on Friday … and noticed that the ongoing demolition here has now claimed the former Blarney Cove space.

[Moment of silence]

The Blarney Cove closed for good in June 2013. But we got the sign.

Given the water on the site, perhaps we can call it The Blarney Cove. Or The Blarney Cove Cove.

As you know oh so well, many of the businesses on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B either relocated or closed to make way for two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Here is your Red & Gold Crab Shack! signage on St. Mark's Place

The emoji-ish Crabby arrived on Friday here at 30 St. Mark's Place, per neighbor Jordy Trachtenberg.



Otherwise, we don't know much else yet about the incoming restaurant taking over the former Japadog space along here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Breaking: Japadog is closing for good after tonight on St. Mark's Place

Reader report: Crab Shack in the works for former Japadog space on St. Mark's Place

Westside Market signage arrives

Just noting the arrival of the Westside Market signage on Third Avenue at East 12th Street … the store anchors the retail space at the new luxury rental The Nathaniel. (Still not really feeling that Nathaniel name.)

Although the Market's ads promise "We've got what you're hungry for" …



… they do not just yet here. Workers are still assembling the interior.



The family owned mini chain of markets, which debuted in NYC in 1965, announced their arrival here last October. From the official news release:

Offering freshly-prepared foods, specialty products and catering, the two-level store will occupy 18,871 total square feet – 10,500 square feet at the ground level and the remaining space at the lower level.

Shoppers at this location, Westside's fifth in the city, reportedly will be able to connect to Wi-Fi from electronic devices including smartphones and tablets. Westside is also using technology to create faster checkout counters and an advanced security system.

No word yet on an opening date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Westside Market coming to the East Village

The new Westside Market on Third Avenue will have Wi-Fi

Birdbath Bakery remains closed, though it may only be temporary

As we noted last Monday, The Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery on Third Avenue at East Ninth Street hasn't been open of late.

Another week passed here without any sign of activity. And the address no longer appears on its parent City Bakery's website.

However, a representative for City Bakery told Eater the shutter is only temporary.

If this is the case (and we like the food here, so …), then why not put up a sign noting a temporary closure? The only recent sign is the one comically announcing new summer hours.

We walked by every day last week. And on each occasion, at least one other person would attempt to enter the business. Why not tell your loyal customers that you'll be back?

Girls! Girls! Girls!

"Girls," the HBO television program entering its fourth season, will be filming in and around the neighborhood this week.

Signs are up along the Bowery and East Third Street for Tuesday … and on St. Mark's Place (and East Ninth Street) between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for Wednesday …



There are likely more filming notices on other streets, but we didn't really look too closely for them.

Sunday sunset

Courtesy of EVG reader Vinny.

Click on the image for the full panoramic sunset action.

More on Punjabi Grocery & Deli and the never-ending East Houston construction

[Photo via Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

As Jeremiah Moss first reported back on Wednesday, the never-ending construction along East Houston has put a big dent on business at the 20-year-old Punjabi Grocery & Deli on East First Street.

Gothamist has a feature on the situation as well.

A favorite of hungry cab drivers in search of good food and a spot to rest between fares, the span of East 1st in front of Punjabi between 1st and A was once lined with the parked yellow cabs of satisfied customers. Now that span is home to a battered cement median, some orange cones, and not much else.

Given the lack of parking, cab drivers have to go elsewhere … and miss out on Punjabi's inexpensive vegetarian fare. ($5 gets you a very large portion of food.)

So, in case you didn't hear ... Punjabi started an online petition asking the commissioner of the Taxi And Limousine Commission to approve a taxi relief stand at Avenue A and Houston Street.

You can find the petition here. (We posted about this on Thursday.)

Meanwhile, an EVG reader told us the following on Friday about the work along East First Street. "People have basically given up, and assume that this construction will go on forever," the reader wrote in an email. "It's very hard to unload a cab since stopping effectively stops all traffic on the block. This situation is especially hard on residents who cannot park on their own block and load bags, etc."

Yesterday morning, the street was closed for construction.



The reader also noted what looks like a grill amid all the construction materials.



"If the construction site can make room for what looks like a a grill (could it be an actual piece of construction equipment?), then it can make room for some parking."

Week in Grieview

[An East 4th Street moment via Derek Berg]

Citi Bike: A Reluctant Love Affair (Thursday, 49 comments)

How to help Punjabi Grocery & Deli stay in business (Thursday)

A look at Bulb Concepts on East Seventh Street (Tuesday)

Out and About with Alex Shamuelov (Wednesday)

Good Samaritan thwarts bike theft, leaves note (Tuesday)

The BP property on Second Avenue sold for $32 million (Friday)

Where are they now: the Cadillac with the Tiger in it edition (Friday)

New murals for Best Housekeeping at 17 Avenue A (Monday)

The New Amsterdam Market at the Seaport has closed (Monday)

Checking in on Gabay's new Avenue A store (Thursday)

Rent at the Snack Dragon is $4,495 (Thursday)

No ghosts in the office space for rent! (Tuesday)

The Films in Tompkins series returns (Wednesday)

Buy this lovely East 7th Street townhouse, save it from demolition (Wednesday)

Apartment 13 will not reopen (Thursday)

Listen to this interview with Richard Hell (Tuesday)

It rained (Tuesday)

Unidentified Flying Chickens now open on Third Avenue (Monday)

Micro loft! (Wednesday)

A look inside the rebranded Eleventh and Third (Tuesday)

The animals of a Judd Apatow film shoot (Wednesday)

Where to get a flat fixed (Wednesday)

The Bao coming soon to St. Mark's Place (Monday)

…and this looks nice on East Sixth Street at Avenue C …

St. Mark's Bookshop is now open on East 3rd Street

The store made its debut here at 136 E. Third St. just west of Avenue A yesterday.

Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. daily.

Image via @stmarksbookshop H/T @SeanCarlson

Background on the move here.

Reader report: Kids these days

Via the EVG inbox…

At around 11:20 pm, July 19, a group of drunk friends (who obviously were all still in college) were playing truth or dare outside 97 East 7th. They were obnoxious and loud.

Bro #1 dared bro #2 to climb the fire escape.

Bro #2 foolishly did, but he immediately fell from hanging onto the 2nd floor fire escape to the basement staircase.

There was a loud thud.

The girl friends of the bros started to panic and a commotion ensued. Bro #2 was unconscious. Calls to 911 were made.

The ambulance came to the scene 10 minutes later and bro #2 seemed seriously injured. I witnessed the whole thing … from the moment the group of friends started hanging outside the bldg till bro #2 got injured and was brought to ambulance. Everything happened so quick.

I don't know how to feel about this whole situation. I am livid about how these kids think that it's okay to just party like that on the sidewalk. They were bothering several neighbors as they were loudly hanging out on the sidewalk and they bothered even more neighbors the moment bro #2 fell to the basement up until the ambulance came.

I also feel quite sorry for bro #2, but he clearly brought this upon himself and it's sad how NO ONE among his friends tried to stop him from climbing the fire escape..

Oh, by the way, seconds after the ambulance left, his "friends" who were left at the scene started to laugh and giggle about what just happened.