The 'Postmodern Polynesian' of Mother of Pearl replacing Gin Palace on Avenue A

Structural repairs are ongoing at 95 Avenue A at East Sixth Street.

During the rehab, Gin Palace, one of the three bars (along with Cienfuegos and Amor y Amargo) that make up the retail component of the building, closed for service last November.

Now, as the Times reports, the bar is getting an overhaul too.

Ravi Derossi, an owner, said construction on the building so completely gutted the interior of the bar that he decided to start over with a “tiki-influenced” bar called Mother of Pearl.

Hmm. And!

Mr. Derossi and [co-beverage director Thomas] Chadwick said they didn’t want Mother of Pearl to be pigeonholed as a tiki bar. “Postmodern Polynesian,” they called it.

Per Derossi, "The idea for this was like sitting in a fancy hotel in Hawaii or somewhere."

Mother of Pearl is expected to open in late May or early June.

Rosie's puts its spin on Mexican cuisine starting today on 2nd Avenue

[Photo from Wednesday]

Rosie's opens today on Second Avenue and East Second Street.

And Women's Wear Daily has a preview, speaking with co-owner Vicki Freeman.

Rosie’s has set out to siphon the vibe of Mexico’s open markets and the myriad flavors from across the country into its menu. “The idea really was to create the feeling of a Mexican market without being literal,” Freeman said ... “We didn’t want to do anything kitschy. There aren’t going to be any piñatas.”

What the restaurant does have is clay pots and good luck charms sourced from Mexico, as well as an open, airy dining room swathed in pastel green, yellow and blue tiles and wooden tables custom-made by Asfour Guzy Architects. The restaurant sits on a well-lit corner of Second Avenue, with floor-to-ceiling windows that can open directly onto the sidewalk.

And the food?

The emphasis is on authentic regional dishes that incorporate ingredients sourced from small farmers in Mexico. Using this shorter supply chain, Rosie’s is able to get their hands on heirloom corn varieties, which they use to grind and make their own tortillas in-house, and numerous varieties of chiles. They even hope to eventually procure some more obscure items, such as terrestrial snails.

The previous tenant, the low-key, Greek-themed Boukiés, closed in March 2014 after a two-year run.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2nd and 2nd coming up Rosie's

A makeshift memorial for East Village explosion victim Nicholas Figueroa on 2nd Avenue

This afternoon, the family of Nicholas Figueroa, one of the two men who died in the March 26 gas explosion at 121 Second Ave., created a makeshift memorial in his honor on the plywood at the scene of the disaster.











Figueroa's family also left the white roses yesterday on the site where 119-123 Second Ave. once stood.



Figueroa, 23, had just finished a meal with a friend at Sushi Park when the explosion occurred. Authorities have said that an illegally tapped gas line at 121 Second Ave. may have caused the deadly blast. The investigation continues.

Thank you to EVG reader Daniel for these photos

Bed and breakfast?

East Seventh Street this afternoon via Grant Shaffer

A look at the Earth Day rainbow, somewhere over the Christodora House

In case you missed it late yesterday afternoon... after the rain and during happy hour... thanks to aegisnyc for the photo...

Schoolhouse Rock

Schoolapalooza, the annual fundraiser for the Children's Workshop School at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is tomorrow night (April 24).

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

It is from 6-10 p.m. at the Manny Cantor Center in the Educational Alliance building on East Broadway near Grand Street featuring beautiful downtown skyline views from the rooftop deck. Lisa Lisa (she is the principal Maria Velez-Clarke's sister) will perform around 9 p.m. as well as The Lonesome Cupcakes and a special surprise guest. Delicious food, great auction items and cocktails served in flashing disco ball cups. All proceeds fund programs at the Children's Workshop School, everything from the school band to class trips.

Find more details here. And find some No. 1 Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam singles here from 1987 — Lost in Emotion and Head to Toe.

Reader report: 421 E. 6th St. will house Peter M. Brant's personal art collection

On Tuesday night, reps for Peter M. Brant and his architect appeared again before CB3's Landmarks Committee to discuss a Certificate of Appropriateness application for 421 E. Sixth St., the building that the art collector-publisher-paper magnate bought last year for $27 million.



Among other modifications/additions, Brant's reps are calling for a rooftop terrace and a garden to the west of the building here between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Read more about the plans here.)

An EVG reader attended Tuesday's meeting, and shared this:

The building is intended to be a gallery space to display [Peter Brant's] personal art collection. The intention is to have approximately two shows per year, with the first show scheduled for Fall 2016. There would be an opening night event for each show. This is not intended to be a party space or a commercial space. Entrance to the gallery space will be by appointment only so there will not be people going in and out each day. On a daily basis, there should only be two people using the building, if even that. The maximum capacity of the building is 200 people.

The new garden in the empty lot next door is intended to be a sculpture garden to display the sculptures in the owner's collection. It also will be the main entrance because the current entrance on Sixth Street is not handicap accessible.

Demolition work is scheduled to begin in August and will last approximately two months. All work will be done during the day. There will be a telephone number that people can call if they have complaints about the construction.

The reps also said that they'd come speak to any concerned residents who live in Village View across the street to make sure everyone was comfortable with the plans.

And what about the 11 days of activities with the generators on East Seventh Street that culminated with an elegant dinner party for the world's top collectors of Dom Pérignon rosé? (The event, on the evening of March 26 — hours after the deadly Second Avenue explosion — featured a marching band playing outside at 1 a.m.)

The owner's rep also apologized for the party with the generators. She said that the owner lent the space to a friend as a favor and that the owner didn't realize it was going to be like that.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About that "giant-robot laboratory" on East Sixth Street

RIP Walter De Maria

What is your East Village dream home?

Walter De Maria's 'giant-robot laboratory' going for $25 million; inside is amazing as you'd expect

Walter De Maria's home/studio on East 6th Street is now on the market for $25 million

Rumor: The Brant Foundation buying Walter De Maria's E. 6th St. studio for an exhibition space (19 comments)

Confirmed: Peter M. Brant buys Walter De Maria's amazing East 6th Street home and studio

1st permits filed for renovation of Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

A soft opening at the Brant Foundation's new space at Walter De Maria's former East 6th Street studio

More about the 1st show at Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

Here's what Peter Brant wants to do with his new exhibition space on East 6th Street

When the world's top collectors of Dom Pérignon rosé came to the East Village for dinner

Johnny Favorite's now serving slices (and sorbet) on East 4th Street

Johnny Favorite's made its debut last Thursday at 240 E. Fourth St., just west of Avenue B.

The pizzeria is connected to Lovecraft, the bar-restaurant that opened last August at 50 Avenue B.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to take a look…


[Pizzeria manager Jason]


[Lovecraft door man and menu guy Kadim]

A regular slice starts at $2, with the Ultimate slice (homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni, smoked bacon, sweet Italian sausage and mozzarella) going for $4 ...



Other item include calzones, specialty rolls and garlic knots…





Local school kids receive a free scoop of ice cream or sorbet with the purchase of a slice.

You can find the pizzeria's website here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Enter into a Lovecraftian atmosphere at Lovecraft Bar on Avenue B

The going rate to buy up an LES corner for a new development (spoiler: $75 million)

[EVG photo from March]

Not exactly hot off the presses... however, in case you missed this... On Monday, The Real Deal reported that Ben Shaoul and Real Estate Equities, a Midtown-based firm, paid $75 million for the one-level group of properties next to Katz's on East Houston and Orchard Street.

The $75 million ($5 million less than the asking price of Shaoul's Bloom62!) went to buy four properties from two different owners and the air rights over Katz's (who will remain in place).

As previously noted, coming soon some day: a 10-story building with 83 residential units spread out over 95,000-square feet... plus 13,500 square feet of ground-floor retail.



The Commercial Observer had more on the deal yesterday, noting, among other things, that Shaoul has not yet decided if the building will hold rental units or condominiums. Shaoul said that the project will work either way.

BoweryBoogie, who first reported last year that Shaoul was behind the new project, has more details here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Katz's is now the last business on East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard

Noted

Someone left behind a giant Brooklyn pencil in the ballfields/lot in Tompkins Square Park, EVG regular William Klayer reports…

Any explanations?

White roses remain at the site of the deadly 2nd Avenue explosion

Work appears to be done for the moment now on the empty lot that was previously home to 119 Second Ave. (aka 45 E. Seventh St.), 121 Second Ave. and 123 Second Ave.

As we're told, workers at the scene victim Nicholas Figueroa's family left behind this small monument with white roses.

Figueroa and Moises Ismael Locón Yac died in the explosion on March 26 that injured more than 20 people and left dozens of residents homeless.

Photo by Raquel Shapira

--

Here's another photo … courtesy of Ted Barron…

Tuome reopens tonight on East 5th Street

A small kitchen fire on March 29 temporarily put Tuome out of commission at 536 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

And now after a closure these past few weeks for repairs, the well-regarded restaurant reopens for service tonight at 6 (with some new Spring menu items too).

In a statement sent to us, owner-chef Thomas Chen said, "We are so excited to welcome everyone back to Tuome tonight, and feel so thankful for all the support we've received over these past few weeks."

Sidewalk reopens on 7th Street at 2nd Avenue

Jimmy's No. 43 proprietor Jimmy Carbone let us know that the new sidewalk is now open on the north side of Seventh Street at Second Avenue... this section of sidewalk had been boarded up since the deadly explosion and fire on March 26. (The sidewalk in front of where 119-123 Second Ave. stood remains closed.)

Seventh Street west of Second Avenue reopened to traffic last Friday.

Updated 5:56 p.m.

The sidewalk in front of where 119-123 Second Ave. stood is now open again…

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Mildred Guy
Occupation: Paraprofessional, The Neighborhood School
Location: 3rd Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Time: 3 pm on Tuesday, April 14.

I was born in Puerto Rico, and came here when I was 7 years old. That was over 54 years ago. Until March 26, I had been living in the same apartment on 45 E. Seventh St. [at Second Avenue] for 45 years. I was recalling the other day when we moved there. We were moving into a nice big apartment. We had seven rooms. We were happy. Before we were all cramped into a railroad apartment that had the tub in the kitchen and the bathroom in the hallway. The tub was right next to the sink. I said, ‘Oh my goodness, what were they thinking?’ Now we didn’t have to run to the hallway.

We came from a smaller apartment and we just went crazy running from room to room. There was a lot of space and deciding who was going to have what room. Until this day, the rooms have names. This was Jenny’s room and Gilda’s room and then it changes to Hill’s room and Lewis’ room. Whoever occupied that room for a length of time, it was their room and they had their name on it.

I had four sisters and two brothers. We all lived there on 7th Street. It was a big, close-knit family. In my apartment we had all the family activities. My sisters used to come from wherever they worked. My mother was holding court. She wanted everybody to come and we used to always fix the food and cook and were all either in the kitchen or in the living room reminiscing.

I remember when my niece was born. Her mother brought her home from New Jersey and we all got together and there was a picture that had all these different generations together — the little ones in the front, the older cousins in the middle, my mom is right in the middle sitting on the sofa, and my sisters are all surrounding her. That’s how it was. We always came for Mother’s Day, Christmas Eve, Easter. We were always there.

When we first moved in back in 1970, there were a lot of artists and authors. It was pretty quiet, quite different from what it’s been in the last few years. [Recently] we had a lot of young people who would come in, rent the apartment to NYU students, in-and-out because they don’t stay there too long. There were people in one apartment who were just party animals. The party was just going on and they said, ‘That’s why you live in the East Village, so you can party.’ I said, ‘I don’t know where you came from, but this is not the building to be partying.’

I work as a paraprofessional — one-on-one mostly. I have been one-on-one since day one. I used to volunteer in my son’s school, PS 19 and I was there from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. And then somebody said, ‘Why don’t you go apply for a job with the Board of Education, you’re here volunteering and going on the trips and doing all that stuff.’ There was going to be an opening as an office aid. They said, ‘You know Spanish, you have some college, why don’t you apply for a paraprofessional’ and that’s what I did. Then I got a call from the Neighborhood School and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve been doing that for the past 23 years.

I remember the first time I went camping with the school. Oh man, it rained all three days. We were in platform tents and it rained for three days. They took pity on us and they said, ‘OK, we’ll come and dry some of your clothes.’ We did all the activities in the rain. I said, ‘Oh my goodness, this is my initiation’ and it was great. I have gone camping every year ever since. It was wonderful, seeing the kids all working together, doing the activities, helping each other. I love working with the children. It’s always a learning experience.

My son and his wife relocated three weeks prior to the fire [on March 26]. We all lived together. And he said, ‘Mom I don’t know how you’re keeping it together. I’m so mad and upset.’ I said, ‘You’re able to be mad and upset, and I’m able to hear you be mad and upset, and that’s the blessing that we have.’

People say, ‘How do you keep it together?’ I say, ‘I am so grateful and blessed that my son, my grandson and my daughter-in-law had relocated. My son would have been there in that apartment with the baby. If I had not had a staff meeting… I said, ‘I don’t want to hear anyone griping about staff meetings because I’m here to come in because I was in a staff meeting.’ I feel grateful and very blessed that my family is OK and I’m OK. Everybody has been so supportive — the Neighborhood School family, the staff, the colleagues. On that day, everybody was saying, ‘You want to stay here? You want to stay there?’

The people from my church, Church of the Nativity, have also been so helpful. They’re planning to close, The archdiocese gave us until November. They want us to unite with another church. [They say] there’s too many Catholic churches here, low attendance, and not enough priests. We have a website, Keep Nativity Open. We’ve been trying to have a lot of activities and showcase what we do. We’re a very small, poor community, and the community has changed because the neighborhood has changed. People cannot afford to live in this neighborhood anymore, so they move away. At the beginning, they come and still attend, but then they find their own parishes and churches nearby.

I have volunteered there for over 20 years. I used to run a summer program called HAP for the low income and families for the kids to have something for the summer for six weeks. I am very involved and I think that is what has helped me. When I came back two days before the spring break they said, ‘What are you doing here? I said, ‘I need a routine. I need to be kept busy. I need something else in my mind.’ I was very happy to come.

I love this neighborhood. Everything is so accessible and I love to walk. I went to see a studio from Cooper Square. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness — I cannot describe it. I was suffocating in the hall just to get to the apartment. It was so narrow. But I said, I will take anything and I am going to take the studio for the very simple reason that I’ve been living for the last few days in the Y on 47th Street. I want a place of my own and [for my family to come back to]. That’s what I want, but for now all I want is to know where I’m going to sleep every night and to be able to make my coffee and my oatmeal, which I miss.

I feel blessed and thankful and I want a roof over my head. I want my home replaced that I lived in for 45 years even if it’s not going to be quite the same.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.