Try the chimney?

Earlier this morning (8-ish) on 13th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

As I continued toward Second Avenue, I heard Santa start yelling/screaming something like %#^@*@*%$$#@!, which led me to think he had been out since last Saturday.

'Bad weather' dooms weekend flea market, per the dramatic headline

The flea market at the Immaculate Conception Church on 14th Street near First Avenue is closed for the rest of the year... per the signage...



The vendors will return on Jan. 7.

Hey kids — Santa is coming to the 9th Precinct today

The 9th Precinct is hosting its annual children's holiday party today on East Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Happening snow or shine?)

The Claus clan will there... as well as refreshments and entertainment, including the all-new orange parking cone toss.

Friday's parting shot

Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Bobby Williams...

'Cold Light' on a cold night

From the April release "Blue Wave," here's "Cold Light" by Operators, a side project via Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner that also features New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown and multi-instrumentalist Devojka.

Sidewalk bridge arrives just in time for East 3rd Street shop's busiest time of the year

A sidewalk bridge bridge arrived yesterday outside a row of buildings on East Third Street — much to the dismay of Dina Leor.

Leor is the owner of La Sirena, the small Mexican folk-art store at 27 E. Third St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Business is challenging enough without a sidewalk bridge obscuring part of the block — especially two days before what is traditionally her busiest shopping weekend of the year.

"Yesterday, on the coldest day of the season — I really felt for the workers — building management had a sidewalk scaffolding put up out front with no notice to the commercial tenants," she said.

Leor called the management (the property is owned by the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association) to find out what was happening. The response she received: "a few repairs and upkeep." She wondered why this couldn't wait until January.

And why wasn't there any notice?

"I would have been able to make a banner so people could know we are here and open on the busiest week of the year ... the week that gives us the financial boost to hopefully continue on with our evolving assemblage," said Leon, who has run La Sirena for 18 years. "I count on foot traffic. This is like the Grinch who stole La Sirena's Christmas."



Previously on EV Grieve:
With the help of Rosie Mendez, La Sirena gets a new lease on East 3rd Street

Out and About in the East Village with Dina Leor

EV Grieve Etc.: LES residents file suit against Steve Croman; 62-story tower planned for Clinton Street

[Beating the light on 1st Avenue via Derek Berg]

Stanton Street residents file suit against Steve Croman over "harassment" tactics (DNAinfo)

Another lawsuit for Ben Shaoul (Commercial Observer ... previously)

Starrett Corp. plans 62-story building at 259 Clinton St. (The Lo-Down)

More about Jared Kushner's Westminster Cares program (B+B ... previously)

Average Manhattan apartment cost $2.2 million in 2016 (Curbed)

Some history of the former Public National Bank of New York branch on Seventh and C (Ephemeral New York)

Peter McManus Cafe on Seventh Avenue may only have a year left (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A Slum Goddess SantaCon experience (Slum Goddess)

The U.S. theatrical premiere of Ted Fendt's "Short Stay" (Anthology Film Archives)

The original "Miracle on 34th Street" at midnight this weekend (Sunshine Cinema)

A review of the new Honeybrains on Lafayette: "Unsurprisingly, I didn't feel any healthier, and definitely not any smarter, after two meals here, each of which cost me about $30. Both times, however, I did walk away feeling hungry." (Gothamist ... previously)

Red-tailed hawk hunting and gathering in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

More about the Halal Guys going global (Crain's)

...and there's a Christmas ceramics sale today and tomorrow at the Sirovich Center, 331 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ...

Celebrating with Melissa

Sharing a moment ... and perhaps a piece of cake with (presumably?) Melissa on 9th Street this morning...



Photos by Steven

That time this restaurant closed after less than 2 weeks on St. Mark's Place

[Photo from June 2011]

In recent months, several restaurants have closed after a short time in business.

In late November, for instance, 100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend) shut down at Second Avenue and Fifth Street after less than three months.

And at the beginning of November, 'Merica, described as "the most American bar and restaurant in the world," switched concepts after three weeks in operation on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Each time a restaurant comes and goes so quickly, someone asks if this is a record for a closure.

In recent years, at least in the nine years of EVG, an Italian restaurant called Tre Scalini holds the dubious East Village record, closing after less than two weeks at 130 St. Mark's Place in 2011.

Here's the EVG post from July 21, 2011:

Back on June 17, we pointed out that an Italian restaurant called Tre Scalini was taking over the former Bello's space at 130 St. Mark's Place near Avenue A.

I meant to note when they opened... If I had to guess, then I'd say they opened around July 1... During the weekend of July 8, I spotted this sign...

I walked by a few times and never saw anyone inside, save the owner and a worker or two. I last saw it open on July 10. I've walked by every day since then. It has not been open in the past 10 days.

If this is all true, then it was probably a good idea that they never changed the awning from the previous tenant.

They weren't even open long enough to merit a Yelp review.

By my count, they were open nine or 10 days. I wondered how many guests they served (if any) ... and why they decided to bail so quickly. (Did their lease have some kind of escape clause? There was still the cost of renovating the space.)

Tre Scalini wasn't a new venture. They had a location on 58th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue that eventually closed. They re-opened 13 years later on St. Mark's Place. There was also a location on Melville, Long Island, that now goes by a different name.

The restaurant that eventually took over this space, Kura, has been open for three-plus years.

Plywood comes down at 131 Avenue A to reveal new cafe Baci e Vendetta

[Photo via EVG reader JG]

The plywood came down yesterday to reveal Baci e Vendetta, the new wine bar-cafe at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

This prime space across from Tompkins Square Park was the 10 Degrees Bistro until the fall of 2015 ... and the Flea Market Cafe before that.

Back in December, CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license for the owners of Shoolbred's and Kingston Hall (and formerly Ninth Ward) on Second Avenue. The CB3 meeting notes refer to the new establishment as "a New Orleans Cajun restaurant."

Baci e Vendetta, Italian for Kisses and Revenge, doesn't have much of a Cajun ring to it. Anyway, we're not sure at the moment who's behind this venture that debuted last night.

The space looks nice...

Be transported to another era. Our bar features 6 varieties of wines on tap including prosecco. #nyc #bar pic.twitter.com/ZiQdzHx0s2

— BacieVendetta (@BacieVendetta) December 15, 2016

Here's a look at the food and beverage menu... (click on images to go big)




According to the Baci website, these are the hours:

Sunday – Thursday: 9 am – midnight
Friday – Saturday: 9 am – 2 am
Brunch — Sat – Sun: 9 am – 4pm

Previously on EV Grieve:
New-look Flea Market Cafe shows itself on Avenue A; reopens March 11

Flea Market Cafe reopens today, and here's the menu

Was the fire at Flea Market yesterday suspicious?

On Avenue A, Flea Market Cafe is now Ten Degrees Bistro

The Marshal seizes 10 Degrees Bistro on Avenue A

10 Degrees Bistro won't be reopening on Avenue A

Team behind Shoolbred's and Ninth Ward vying for 10 Degrees Bistro space on Avenue A

Pastry chef Sebastian Brecht bringing chocolate to 4th Street

Signage is up at 63 E. Fourth St. noting "Obsessive Chocolate Disorder" in this storefront between Second Avenue and the Bowery. The name on the door notes the name of Sebastian Brecht, Chocolatier.

A 2007 feature in the Times on Brecht, a well-regarded pastry chef, reports that he "built a reputation by supplying Dean & DeLuca with cakes during its glory years and by working with fancy party caterers who fed his confections to the likes of Mick Jagger, Bon Jovi and Hillary Clinton." (His father was Greenwich Village historian, poet and author Stefan Brecht.)

We don't have any further details on the business at the moment. The space was previously home to Bond Street Chocolate for seven years.

Otherwise, how was your night?

From DNAinfo:

A doorman for The Ludlow Hotel became so incensed Friday evening when a taxi driver refused to accept passengers that he punched the driver repeatedly in the face, trashed his phone, then unceremoniously quit his job by fleeing the scene.

Previously on EV Grieve:
People behind fabulous hotels opening another likely fabulous hotel on Ludlow Street

Actual work being done at the long-stalled Hotel Ludlow site

Image via @ludlowhotelnyc