A shell of its former self

Cicada casing on East 10th Street via Grant Shaffer...

Sounds as if there has been a lot of mating in Tompkins Square Park this summer.

Noted

Spotted on a front door on Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...

Thanks to EVG reader Jill Hennessy for the photo!

Poke Kitchen in the works for 14th Street

Workers have been renovating the storefront at 250 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

We've been curious about what's next for the space. The CB3-SLA committee docket for September provides the answer: An applicant called Poke Kitchen Inc. is seeking a beer-wine license for the address. (This item will not be heard during the meeting on Sept. 12.)

The applicant's questionnaire isn't online just yet, so we're not sure who's behind the operation. There happens to be a Poke Kitchen that opened in May on East 39th Street (from the same people who own Sushi Zo).

Here's the East 39th Street Poke Kitchen pitch via their website:

Our sushi chef begins every morning with market-fresh, sashimi-quality fish and organic vegetables. With a diverse selection of fish and vegetables to choose from, your poké bowl is readily personalizable. Our fast-casual shop, located in midtown Manhattan, makes the lunch and dinner seafood experience a delicious and healthy one. We look forward to serving your discriminating palate.

Perhaps this is just the second of many more spots to jump on the poke bandwagon and come to the neighborhood. (PokéSpot opened on Fourth Avenue and 12th Street on Aug. 12.)

Poke Kitchen will be the latest food specialty shop to open of late along this block ... joining Pink Bear Ice Cream and (earlier) Vivi Bubble Tea...



... and Patea Bubble Tea and Mr. Moustache...



As for 250 E. 14th St., it was previously home to Saving$ Paradise, which merged with I.Q. Decor back in the spring.

Long-vacant 71 4th Ave. razed to make way for 10-story building

A demo crew made quick work of 71 Fourth Ave., the single-level structure at the southeast corner of 10th Street... as you can see from the handy Blogger Portals...







Workers will next turn their demolition attention to the neighboring townhouse at 82 E. 10th St.

All this is to make way for a 10-story retail-residential building. The approved permit shows retail on the ground floor and 12 dwelling units above. The residential portion encompasses more than 24,000 square feet, so those units will presumably be the crucially needed high-end condos. Floors 2-5 will each have two units while 6-8 will each have one unit while a two-level duplex to top things off.

As previously reported, development has been stalled here for years. The previous tenants, including the Green East deli and St. Marx Music (and previously the Atlas Barber School), were cleared out in early 2007. There were once plans to build a 13-story hotel, though the city surprisingly never OK'd that proposal.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Demo permits filed to raze southeast corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street

The 'tremendous retail potential' of East 10th Street and 4th Avenue

10 stories of condos in the works for the long-vacant corner of 4th Avenue and East 10th Street

With new building OK'd, corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street finally ready for razing

Plywood signage arrives for Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan on 4th Avenue and 10th Street

Also on Fourth Avenue and 10th Street ... on the northeast corner... the plywood signage has arrived for Tim Ho Wan, the first U.S. location for Hong Kong-based chef Mak Kwai Pui's Michelin-starred dim sum parlor.

Here's more about Mak and the operation via The Village Voice, who first reported on this opening back in April:

In 2009, Mak left Lung King Heen — a three-starred Cantonese restaurant at Hong Kong's Four Seasons Hotel — to open the original Tim Ho Wan in a Kowloon neighborhood. When rent rose thanks to gentrification, Mak moved the restaurant rather than raise prices. Six years after earning his first Michelin star, little has changed.

Steamer baskets of plump prawn dumplings, Mak's signature trio of baked buns stuffed with barbecue pork, and Chinese-sausage-stuffed glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf all remain under $5. Even now, the tissues within the boxes placed atop each table serve as napkins. Meanwhile, diners still choose dishes pictured on a paper placemat, fill out their checks with pencils, and rinse their chopsticks in cups of hot tea.

And!

If lines out the door aren't already profitable enough, the New York Tim Ho Wan will also have a liquor license. While the menu will continue to be strictly limited to dim sum, the menu will grow over time and add more dishes appealing to American appetites, including "high quality beef dishes."

The address previously housed Spice, which closed in December 2014.

Previously

NY Grill & Deli opens today on Avenue A and 12th Street

The corner market opens its doors today here on Avenue A and 12th Street.

EVG NY Grill & Deli correspondent Greg Masters shared the above photo of (from left) Sam Ali, owner; partners Ahmed Alzandni and Abdul Ali.

Poppy's Gourmet Corner, the previous tenant here, closed at the end of January.

[Updated] Aroma Kitchen & Winebar giving way to Misirizzi on 4th Street

After 12 years of serving Italian food in a low-key atmosphere on East Fourth Street, Aroma Kitchen & Winebar recently said goodbye (ciao actually) to its patrons...

And coming soon, another Italian venture — Misirizzi...



There's a teaser website up for Misirizzi ... we don't know who's behind the restaurant just yet. Signage points to a September opening here at 36 E. Fourth St. between the Bowery and Lafayette.

Updated 8:30 p.m.

EVG reader Andrew Lax exchanged emails with the new owners, Siria, Matias and Alessandro, who say they have retained Aroma's staff and menu... Misirizzi, which is expected to be open the first week of September, will also offer a lunch service and delivery.

Updated 8/30

Vito, the previous owner, sent an email to Aroma regulars earlier in the summer. It read, in part: "Few changes are in order, the name and the layout, but they will keep the same format, the same atmosphere and the genuine italian food and wine."

Week in Grieview

[A hero to go in Tompkins Square Park via Steven]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

RIP Stephen Konzen, aka the East Village Magic Man (Tuesday) and Richard Kopperdahl (Thursday)

Sept. 2 is the last day for New York Central Art Supply (Friday)

Resident known as the "box man" found dead in Second Street apartment (Monday)

At 112-120 E. 11th Street, concerns about asbestos removal (Monday) ... and a rally (Monday)

Blink opens a sales office on Avenue A (Friday)

A small request to clear the weeds from the Second Avenue explosion site (Thursday)

Former wine and liquor store to become a wine store on Avenue A (Wednesday)

Last day for the Edge: Sept. 24 (Thursday)

Steve Croman gift ideas (Friday)

More rolled ice cream for St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Sugar Cafe is back open (Saturday)

New Museum announces exhibition on the work of Raymond Pettibon (Wednesday)

Former Dempsey's space transformed into the Gray Mare on Second Avenue (Wednesday)

Out and About with Craig (Wednesday)

Park View Office Suites available on Avenue A and Seventh Street (Tuesday)

Another healthy choice at the Death Star: Orangetheory Fitness coming soon (Monday)

Sweetgreen opens on Astor Place (Monday)

Sahara Citi has apparently closed on 13th Street (Monday)

Cava Grill opens on Fourth Avenue (Thursday)

A letter to Peter M. Brant about the jackhammering (Monday)

Restaurant space that has been a lot of things lately ready to be something else (Thursday)

Fish Cheeks opening soon on Bond Street (Tuesday)

The $29.5 million triplex penthouse on Cooper Square (Friday)

Noted

East Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Reminders: The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is today in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo by Steven]

Crews are setting up the stage now for the free show today from 3-7 p.m.

Here's a preview via The New York Times:

Sunday’s program, at Tompkins Square Park, will feature a special triumvirate of Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass and Jason Moran on piano; the singer Allan Harris; the alto saxophonist Grace Kelly; and the Donny McCaslin Quartet, recently acclaimed for its work with David Bowie.

Reminders: NYU Welcome Week starts today

At NYU, Fall Welcome Week begins with the Residence Hall move in...

With this in mind, you may want to avoid the following areas...



Kidding!

But there are parking restrictions around the various residence halls along Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 14th Street...and on 14th Street ... and the one on the Bowery at Second Street...

And maybe today isn't the day you decide to pick up a few non-dorm-related items at Basics Plus on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street. Could be crowded...

Report: 3 East Village residents arrested on gun, drug charges

Three East Village roommates were busted for storing guns and drugs in their East Fourth Street apartment, per published reports.

According to the Daily News, the NYPD executed a search warrant yesterday morning at an unspecified address on Fourth Street ... this followed the arrest of Nico Meneses, who had been found carrying a loaded gun when he was busted for an alleged assault nine days earlier at the Artichoke Pizza in Chelsea. (Which is why the 10th Precinct was involved.)

Per the Post:

Inside they found three loaded handguns, police sources said.

In addition to the firearms, police recovered 20 ounces of cocaine, marijuana and an assortment of 130 prescription pills from the apartment.

Police arrested Devin Detres, Kristopher Gibbs and Meneses, all 24. They reportedly face multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance.