Yonekichi now open and serving rice burgers on East 9th Street

Yonekichi had its (soft) opening yesterday at 236 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. The tiny restaurant's specialty: the rice burger.

Here's a preview via amNY:

Yonekichi serves their crisp rice buns with a variety of made-to-order fillings: ginger mujifugi features sweet bites of pork shoulder ($8) and the saikyo salmon includes a fresh fillet marinated in miso ($9). For a more traditional burger, the tsukune, a chicken meatball patty topped with shishito peppers ($7.75), most resembles your average quarter pounder. Vegetarian options, like the Kinpira made of sautéed lotus root, carrot, sesame seeds and togarashi ($6.50), are also available.

Yonekichi's menu also includes Furi Furi, Japanese for "shake shake," which are crispy, thick-cut potatoes topped with your choice of salt, pepper, yuzu or wasabi, and served steaming hot, ready to be shaken in their thick paper bag for optimal seasoning coverage.

While amNY appeared to like the rice burgers ... the Daily News did not.

[T]he pressed white sushi-grain “buns” disappointed Daily News testers.

"This is a dough-zaster," said one member of the News’ formidable Taste Kitchen. The expert had imagined that the rice buns would be thinner, and therefore, crispier.

Instead, he found himself eating too much of the unhealthy Asian staple.

"This is just a thick layer of bland rice," he said. "And it keeps breaking up, like those mini-sandwiches from 'This is Spinal Tap.'"

And it’s not even homemade! The rice bun is made off-site then combined with Yonekichi’s made-to-order umami-bomb fillings, which are far more impressive than their container.

You can check it out yourself... they are open from noon to 10 p.m.

And here's a menu...


[Click on image to enlarge]

Yonekichi is part of Bon Yagi's East Village stable of restaurants.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yonekichi bringing rice burgers to East 9th Street

The time the FDNY rescued the dog who got his head stuck under a fence at Tompkins Square Park

There was some doggy drama early this evening in Tompkins Square Park. Per witnesses, this Siberian Husky named Winter chased after a tennis ball — and got his head stuck under a fence.

FDNY Engine 28/Ladder 11 from East Second Street arrived to help.

All was well afterwards.

@evgrieve they used the jaws of life and the crowd cheered when it got free. So crazy!

— Eden Brower (@edenbrower) August 18, 2014

Thanks to EVG reader Alta Tseng for the photos.

City approves dorm conversion plans for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

It appears that the 15-plus years of stalled development at the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center might be nearing an end.

On Friday, the city (partially) approved developer Gregg Singer's controversial dorm-conversion plan for the landmarked building at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, per DOB records.



Per previous reports, both The Joffrey Ballet School and Cooper Union have signed on to house its students at what will be called University House.

Here's a breakdown on the leasing, according to the University House website:

Ground Floor — 50 Beds leased to Joffrey Ballet School
First Floor — 82 Beds leased to Joffrey Ballet School
Second Floor — 98 Beds leased to Cooper Union
Third Floor — 98 Beds leased to Cooper Union
Fourth Floor — 98 Beds available for lease
Fifth Floor with Mezzanine — 109 Beds available for lease

Here's more on the dorm from the website:

University House is an exciting new state of the art college living experience with a grand opening for the 2016/17 school year in the heart of the East Village. The redevelopment and historic restoration of this century old landmark, former New York City elementary school, will be transformed into a modern, amenity-rich home designed, built and managed for 535 students for New York's participating colleges and universities. Ideal for all students with safety and amenities as the top priorities.

According to DOB documents, the cost of the renovation/conversion of the landmarked building is $16 million.



The site has long been a community focal point, in which residents fought against Singer's various development plans, which included a megadorm that would have dwarfed its Christodora House neighbor.

And just last week this banner arrived on the East 10th Street side of the building…



Preservation groups and some local residents wanted to see the building returned for community use.

Singer bought the building from the city in 1998.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

[Updated] At the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY'

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

Asbestos abatement to begin at former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office

Signs arrived Friday at the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office noting the start of asbestos removal from the building at 432-438 E. 14th St.



This Post Office branch just west of Avenue A closed for good in February. (The USPS is leasing the former Duane Reade at 333 E. 14th St. for retail services.)

Initially, word was that the USPS was unable to come to terms on a new lease with the building's owner. However, a rep for the owner, Benenson Capital Partners, told the Town & Village blog and the Save the Post Office blog that it was actually the USPS's decision to leave because of a desire to downsize.

Last fall, the Stuyvesant Stationery shop next door to the post office lost its lease and closed. In July, the 99-Cent Discount Center to the east closed, making for three consecutive, single-level storefronts sitting vacant.

To date, there's nothing on file with the DOB to suggest any demolition or new development here.


[EVG file photo]

Asbestos abatement is often the first step before a demolition. Or, perhaps this is just for a conversion of the space to suit a retailer. Or, perhaps the landlord just wants to be proactive and clean up the place. Or, as several EVG readers believe, the three buildings will be taken down to make way for a retail-residential complex similar to what's coming to 500 and 538 E. 14th St.

Previously on EV Grieve:
UPDATED: Did you hear the rumor about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch closing?

Report: Closure of the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office is pretty much a done deal

First sign of more development on East 14th Street?

Esperanto has opened a juice bar

Well, we missed this one. In late June, Esperanto on Avenue C and East Ninth Street (quietly) opened a small juice shop called Jugo adjacent to the restaurant … you enter on the East Ninth Street side…





They'll be expanding the to-go options here in the coming weeks.

Thanks to @galadarling for the tip!

The 'stop the rooftop noise' signs return on East 10th Street

The signs returned here along East 10th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue this past weekend ... in several shapes and sizes...





We last spotted this flyer/sticker campaign in April (read that post here) ... as far as we know, the signs date back to June 2010 ... so we can celebrate four years of rooftop noise here then.

Be Juice coming to 3rd Avenue

The cold-press juice craze shows no sign of slowing down (oh wait until the juiceocalypse!). Signs are up now for a new Be Juice location on Third Avenue between East 12th Street and East 13th Street adjacent to the new Basics Plus, which opened Friday.



Where's the door?



The folks at Basic Plus said that the juicers will have a walk-up window … and it will be open for business in another week.

Anyway, Be Juice opened a location on East 13th Street and University Place back in the spring — also attached to a Basics Plus.

Here's to your juice cleanse.

Au Breve Espresso remains 'closed for renovations' on Cooper Square

We noticed that Au Breve Espresso at 51 Cooper Square closed earlier this month … for renovations…



Two weeks later, it doesn't appear that too much renovating has been happening here…



So far, there isn't any mention of the temporary closure on their website, Twitter feed (which hasn't been updated since Dec. 24) or Facebook page (last entry is from last Sept. 22).

Au Breve opened in November 2011.

Week in Grieview

[E. 9th Street outside La Plaza Cultural]

About the rooftop parties at Icon Realty's 205 Avenue A (Tuesday, Thursday)

Deal for East Village treasure John's of 12th Street is off (Tuesday)

Tenants suing Steve Croman on East 8th Street (Friday)

Jim Power begins removing his mosaics from Astor Place ahead of reconstruction (Thursday)

Billionaire Peter M. Brant buys Walter De Maria's amazing East 6th Street home and studio (Tuesday)

Out and About with Gary Bell (Wednesday)

Remembering Robin Williams on East 13th Street (Friday)

The ancient ruins of 98-100 Avenue A (Thursday)

Laundromat replaces laundromat on Avenue B (Monday)

Hibachi Dumpling Express opens in former 2 Bros. space on First Avenue (Wednesday)

Shakespeare & Company closes for good at the end of the month (Friday)

Lovecraft Bar NYC now open at 50 Avenue B (Tuesday)

Check out the new mural by Paul Kostabi on East Second Street (Monday)

Korilla BBQ confirmed for Archie & Sons space (Monday)

More reports of ATM skimming (Thursday)

Heavenly Market coming to Third Avenue (Monday)

Prima closes on East First Street (Monday)

Aug. 25 is the last day for Kim's Video and Music (Tuesday)

Birthbath Bakery has apparently closed for good (Monday)

14 photos of the East Village from the 1980s (Friday)

So much for "Taxi Driver 2" (Sunday)

You can still rent the Le Souk space on Avenue B (Friday)

T.G.I. Friday's closing on Union Square (Monday)

… and one more look at the supermoon via EVG regular Grant Shaffer…

Basics Plus is now open on 3rd Avenue

The windows at Basics Plus at 91 Third Avenue are filled with oven mitts, household cleaners and power drills!

The housewares store with several NYC locations opened Friday here on the northeast corner of 12th Street. They took over the space last held by Surprise! Surprise!, which closed after 25 years in business on April 27.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Surprise! Surprise! will close at the end of April (42 comments)

Reader report: Basics Plus moving into the former Surprise! Surprise! space

Basics Plus confirmed for former Surprise! Surprise! space on 3rd Avenue

[Updated] Fire this morning at 92 St. Mark's Place

The FDNY responded to a fire this morning just before 8 at 92 St. Mark's Place east of First Avenue.

MAN ALL HANDS 92 ST MARKS PL, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE 1ST FLR,

— FDNY (@FDNY) August 17, 2014

Firefighters smashed the windows and cut away the window guards of the ground-floor apartment as they quickly had the situation under control.

We saw one soot-covered resident, a male in his late 20s or early 30s, wearing only shirts sit down next door on the steps to Physical Graffitea. A next-door neighbor brought him a blanket. Paramedics brought another woman out of the building and treated her on the scene for smoke inhalation, according to witnesses.







First Avenue was temporarily closed to northbound traffic at East Seventh Street. At this point, we do not know the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage. As far as we know right now, there were not any serious injuries.

Updated Aug. 18, 6 a.m.

The Post reports that the FDNY reduced two unconscious women from the fire. They are both "hospitalized in serious condition with smoke inhalation."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, "but sources said investigators are focusing on the theory that smoking may have caused the couch to burst into flames."

Here's No. 92 early last evening...



Top photos via @evgrieve

Today's hawk (with bonus lunch shot)

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

Thoughts on unchaining NYC

Jeremiah Moss of Vanishing New York has an op-ed in the Daily News today titled "De Blasio, unchain the city now." An excerpt follows:

It’s time for the mayor to step up and take action against the destruction of the city’s character.

Start by following the example of San Francisco, where City Hall tightly controls “formula retail,” as in big chain stores. If former Mayor Giuliani could keep adult businesses from operating near one another, then de Blasio can keep national chains from doing the same.

Starbucks and Marc Jacobs should not be allowed to have multiple stores within a few blocks, and we don’t need Walgreens down the street from CVS.

Then, pass the Small Business Jobs Survival Act to create fair negotiations of commercial lease renewals, so landlords can’t use insane rent hikes to evict dependable business people.

Give fines to landlords who leave commercial spaces vacant, creating blight while they wait for the right price.

While general commercial rent control may be unworkable, we can protect what little remains of the city’s oldest and most beloved small businesses by creating a selective rent control program.

Read the whole piece here.

You are no longer welcome!

Oh! Just noticed that the Welcome to the East Village/Modelo ad on East 12th Street at Avenue A has been blacked out…



The wall previously displayed an ad for the new season of the HBO television program "Girls."

Given that this appears to be an ad wall now … what ad would you like to see next? (Serious responses are OK.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Welcome to the East Village — home of beer