Hunan Slurp Shop now in soft-open mode

Signage at Hunan Slurp Shop, 112 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, points to a month-long soft-opening phase that started yesterday. (Per Eater, reservations are required for this first week.)

The chef, Chao Wang, reportedly spent the past 25 years as an oil painter.

Here's a little preview via Eater:

Now, he’s opening a restaurant inspired by his hometown of Hengyang in the Hunan province of China.

Wang’s Hunan version of mifen (rice noodles) will not be as “aggressive” in its spicy-sour flavoring compared to Yunnan soup noodles, according to a statement, instead looking to the ingredients such as fish for umami or subtler flavors. Mifen variations on the menu include a bowl with bone marrow and a Tonkotsu-style broth and another stew with pig’s feet. Cold and hot small plates are also on the menu, like braised chicken feet tossed in spicy oil and stir-fried smoked pork and bean curd.

The restaurant's media outreach included Urban Daddy, who called the Slurp Shop "a modern space for modern Chinese made by a highly talented, highly homesick chef-slash-artist."

You can find the menu and photos of the food here.



The storefront was previously a Ricky's, which closed in April 2016.

Previously

Wednesday's parting shot

A freebie from outside LaMama... in recents days the theater-arts organization has been putting out items (old props, etc.) for people to take here on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Photo today by Derek Berg.

Lush life

Goggla shares these photos from Tompkins Square Park today... where the rain has left the Park looking greener than ever...

EVG Etc.: SoHo House expansion on the LES; New Essex Street Market update

[NYU graduation day, as seen on St. Mark's Derek Berg]

Details on the East Village Independent Merchants Association's Spring Mixer tomorrow night in celebration of Lower East Side History Month (Official site) Find more LES History Month events here.

Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, on protecting the neighborhood from Tech Hub overdevelopment (GlobeSt)

Errol Louis on "Shelly Silver’s other offenses" (Daily News)

SoHo House looks to be expanding on Ludlow Street (BoweryBoogie)

Update on the New Essex Street Market (The Lo-Down)

David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" in 35mm (Metrograph)

How Basquiat "became the vandal who defied the odds" (New York Post)

NYC's best doughnuts (Grub Street)

... and EVG reader Andy on 7th shared this photo... the aftermath of a tree that was recently removed on Sixth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...


[Tree Stump Comment Section]

The 9th Precinct's Sector B NCOs wants to hear from you

Sean Walsh, a neighborhood coordination officer (NCO) for the 9th Precinct, shared the above flyer with me... with details on the quarterly meeting for residents living in Sector B — which covers 14th Street to Seventh Street from First Avenue to Avenue C.

Here's what Officer Walsh had to say:

"We are trying to encourage as many people to attend as possible. We want to hear the concerns of the neighborhood to help give us an idea of what to focus on to make this neighborhood safer, and to alleviate some of the issues that people are experiencing. No problem is too small and not to be discouraged from attending. These meetings take place quarterly and are always within the area each NCO covers. This program can only be as effective as the neighborhood wants it to be."

The meeting is tomorrow (Thursday!) at 6:30 p.m. in the Campos Plaza Community Room, 635 E. 12th St. at Avenue C.

The 9th Precinct and NYPD launched the NCO program last fall. The 9th Precinct is split up into four sectors, with two officers assigned to each of these areas. Find the sectors along with details on upcoming meetings here. Find a list of the 9th Precinct's NCOs here.

LPC OKs 3-story addition to 827-831 Broadway

[Courtesy of DXA studio]

In their third appearance before the Landmarks Preservation Committee (LPC), the owners of 827-831 Broadway received the OK yesterday for a glass addition atop the twin cast-iron buildings here between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Last November, the LPC voted to landmark the circa-1866 buildings where artists Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Paul Jenkins, among others, lived and worked. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation campaigned for more than 18 months to help spare these buildings from demolition.

The LPC then rejected plans for a rooftop addition designed by DXA studio in January (too overwhelming) and April.

Here's some of Curbed's coverage from yesterday:

The third try finally seemed to pay off for the architecture firm with the Commission unanimously praising the efforts of the architects. The glass addition has now been reduced to three stories and has a 36-foot setback from the street level, making it a lot less visible from the street level than in previous iterations.

“It’s a marvel to take all that information and create something that is sensitive and elegant,” said Meenakshi Srinivasan, the chair of the Landmarks Commission, shortly before the Commission voted to approve the structure.

The LPC didn't have much to say about a seven-floor addition on an adjacent property at 47 E. 12th St. that's also part of the overall development. That addition will proceed for use as office space.

Reps for DXA studio issued a news release with more details on the project...

The 3 story addition will be composed of slumped, reflective glazing that’s curved form references the organic and spontaneous qualities of the art work of de Kooning and his contemporaries. “We felt the reflective nature of the glass could serve to capture the kinetic quality of the surroundings, broadcasting back color, textures, and movement, helping us see the world around us in a different way,” said Partner Jordan Rogove. “The reflection also turns the lens back on New York City, a place forever changed by the immense contributions of the New York School painters making it the capital of the art world for the first time.”

The original 4 story Italianate warehouse building that the addition sits atop will be fully restored. A new historical wood storefront will be installed at 831, and 827’s existing wood storefront will be restored. The addition’s slumped glazing is arranged in the same rhythm as the original building, balancing two sympathetic facades built of the material and technologies of their respective times.

As previously reported, Quality Capital and Caerus Group bought the parcel in 2015 for $60 million.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: 14-story building planned for 827 Broadway

An appeal to landmark these buildings on Broadway

There's a proposed addition for the recently landmarked 827-831 Broadway

Report: LPC rejects glassy addition for landmarked 827-831 Broadway

Dan and John's new dining room expected to open this week

[Photo last Thursday by Steven]

Dan and John's is nearly ready to debut their new dining room next door to their current take-out location at 135 First Ave. here between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street,

Co-owner John Henninger recently told me that they were hoping to be open by Friday. They were just waiting for the new license from the SLA.

The expanded space will have at least 10 tables as well as a bar seating six people. (The current Dan and John's just has a few stools, and operates mostly as a take out and delivery operation.)

Dan and John's opened on First Avenue in October 2015. They are also regulars on the Smorgasburg circuit and last year started selling their wings at Citi Field for Mets game.

The space next door had been empty since March 2017 when Rustico, the cafe that specialized in crêpes and Italian coffee, closed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dan and John's Wings opening a storefront on 1st Avenue

Dan and John's Wings looking to expand on 1st Avenue

[Updated] Mikey Likes It remains closed, and people are getting worried

Earlier last week, Andre Trenier created one of his 1980s-flavored murals on the gate at Mikey Likes It, 199 Avenue A near East 12th Street.

The murals always correspond with the ice cream shop's new flavor of the month. Unfortunately, the painting has been the only activity here of late. The storefront has been closed since at least May 1, and some readers/Mikey fans are concerned.

The shop, which is active on social media, hasn't posted anything on Instagram since May 1:

Sorry for the inconvenience both locations are closed today. We are finishing up spring cleaning, we will be right back in a couple days 👍

Meanwhile, the shop's phone is currently out of service. (Mikey's Harlem location is also closed.)

By the way, Saturday marks the four-year anniversary for Mikey Likes It on Avenue A.

You can read our two-part interview with Michael "Mikey" Cole from September 2014 here and here.

Updated 5/18

And they are back open!

Tuesday's parting shot

All is quiet now on the Western front... photo by Bobby Williams...

Tree down on 9th Street

At least one tree casualty from the storm that rolled through late this afternoon... EVG reader Penny Rand shared these photos from Ninth Street just a little east of Avenue B along the Christodora House...



"I watched it get uprooted and tossed like a little twig," she said...



Updated:

Here's another photo via EVG reader Brad212...

Noted

#Treason message spotted on the FDR overpass at Sixth Street... photo by Dave on Seventh...

Reminders: The 9th Precinct's monthly Community Council Meeting is tonight

The 9th Precinct's Community Council meetings take place on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. ... at the 9th Precinct, 321 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

This is an opportunity for residents to address any concerns and ask 9th Precinct officials for their input on recent crime statistics. (Find the PDF of the most recent crime stats here.)

If you're planning ahead, then note that the Community Council does not meet in July and August.