RIP Brian Butterick/Hattie Hathaway

[Photo of Brian Butterick from 2009 by Stacie Joy]

Downtown nightlife legend Brian Butterick, who performed in drag as Hattie Hathaway, died on Wednesday. He was 62. According to a statement from Howl! Arts, Inc., where he served as a board member, Butterick had lung cancer.

Per Howl!:

His warmth, intelligence, wit and friendship, have sustained all of us throughout his many years as a fierce creative force in the community. Provocateur, satirist, and magnet for bringing together diverse individuals into his visionary process, he was an inspiration and a driving force in the Downtown arts world and in all our hearts. We will miss him.

Artforum had more on Butterick, who was born in the Bronx in 1956:

In addition to shaping the East Village’s queer nightlife as a producer and performer at venues such as the Mudd Club and Mother, Butterick was an early collaborator with and lover of artist David Wojnarowicz. He was also a member of Wojnarowicz’s New Wave band, 3 Teens Kill 4 (Butterick played the drum machine). In the late 1970s, Butterick posed for several of the artist’s iconic “Arthur Rimbaud in New York” photographs.

Around that same time, Butterick got a job doing security at the influential queer cabaret and nightclub Pyramid, eventually becoming its creative director. He also coauthored a history of the club titled "Secrets of the Great Pyramid: The Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Cultural Laboratory" in 2015. It was there, in the early 1990s, that Butterick developed his Hattie Hathaway alter ego, named for his grandmother and Nancy Kulp’s Miss Jane Hathaway character on the CBS sitcom, "The Beverly Hillbillies."

[Photo of Hattie Hathaway from 2011 by Stacie Joy]

In this August 2016 interview with Michael Musto at Paper, Butterick recalled his first nightlife job:

I like to think it was late-night short order cook at the Empire Diner, which was in 1979. Then I was a busboy at Danceteria [a rock dance club at 37th Street], which was really, really long shifts from eight or nine until eight or nine in the morning. They had no liquor license and they advertised in the New York Times! Whatever you can do illegal, they did it. They were all such mobsters. They thought they could get away with it. We all went to jail. By the time they moved it to 21st Street, it was a different branch of the family. Meanwhile, the Mudd Club [a new wavey hangout in Tribeca] was open and Richard Boch was working at the door. After Danceteria closed, I worked at an after hours club called Berlin, which opened at three in the morning. Iolo Carew worked at Berlin and got me the job at Mudd, from 1980-'81.

In a Facebook post, Lady Bunny discussed Butterick's influence during his time at the Pyramid on Avenue A...



A memorial for Butterick is the works; details will be announced in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, people may leave tributes on his website.


[Image via Howl!]

Looks like there's a Trader Joe's coming to 432-438 E. 14th St. after all

Last October, I asked a Trader Joe's media rep at the national office if they were opening a store at 432-438 E. 14th St. at Avenue A. The response: "Unfortunately, we do not have any current plans for a store at that location."

Perhaps those current plans weren't for October ... but it sure looks there are plans now here in mid-winter.

Yesterday morning, EVG reader Laura H. spotted this truck dropping off various equipment outside the new 8-story luxury rental called EVE... the work was happening in the under-construction retail space on the 14th Street side of the building...



... and there is a sign on the supplies...



... wait for it...



Some history. In May 2017, The Real Deal, citing anonymous sources, reported that Trader Joe's "quietly signed a lease about two months ago with Mack Real Estate and Benenson Capital Partners ... for 8,531 square on the ground floor and 14,170 square feet on the lower level."

However, there wasn't much else mentioned about this possible new TJ's location (aside from some TJ clerk gossip that it wasn't happening) in the ensuing months. Finally, in a preview of EVE last August, City Realty noted: "To the delight of residents and neighbors, Trader Joe’s is the building’s retail tenant."

Still, a few months later, Trader Joe's said there weren't plans for this location.

A map on the EVE website shows a Trader Joe's here...



It's also now mentioned in the "East Village Life" section that lists nearby restaurants and stores. Per the EVE site: "Although with a Trader Joe’s in the building, you may not need to go too far."

Trader Joe's is reportedly tight-lipped about its operations ... which apparently includes information about new locations, and likes to have store buildout details worked out before announcing a target opening date, as the Lo-Down has noted.

From the look of it, the retail space at EVE has some work left before it's retail ready. It will be curious to see what impact this might have on the Associated directly across the street as well as the food-heavy Target a few hundred feet to the east.

Meanwhile, leasing continues at EVE, where the residential entrance is at 433 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. This development is on the site of the onetime Peter Stuyvesant Post Office (1951-2014).

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

Former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office slated to be demolished

The former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office will yield to an 8-story residential building

All about EVE, the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office-replacing rentals on 14th Street

Claim: A Trader Joe's won't be coming to new development at 14th and A after all

Trader Joe's: No current plans for grocery at 432-438 E. 14th St.

Happy No. 20 to Lavagna!

Lavagna, the low-key Italian restaurant with an open kitchen at 545 E. Fifth St., celebrates its 20th anniversary today.

That's quite an achievement given how many buzzy restaurants come and go (have come and gone).

Here's a little bit of a review from over at The Infatuation:

The place has been in business since 1999, and it’s still busy every night. Chalk it up to an excellent and consistent menu of pastas and entrees that keep the regulars coming back, exceptional daily specials, and a really good wine list. It’s everything that you want a cozy Italian restaurant to be, and it’s not even all that expensive.

Lavagna, which is just west off of Avenue B, has remained one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants for these past 20 years. Congrats to Yorgos and the entire Lavagna family.

Bubbleology Tea debuts tomorrow with an Instagram Boomerang photo booth

The London-based Bubbleology Tea chain opens its EV outpost tomorrow at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As the Times noted last spring, this outpost "will feature milk- and fruit-based bubble tea blends including Oreo Crush, along with alcoholic brews including Raspberry Mar-Tea-Ni." Not to mention concoctions like bubble waffles and gelato.

Here's what is in store for tomorrow...

View this post on Instagram

GRAND OPENING: East Village, New York 🥳 Come join us between 4pm - 6pm on Saturday 2nd Feb for FREE bubble tea, an Instagram Boomerang photo booth, Bubbleology vouchers and the chance to win Beats headphones when you post your Boomerang on Instagram by 10pm the next day. Don’t miss out on being one of the first to explore our incredible new store in the heart of East Village 🤩 Join the party at: 120 ½ First Avenue New York NY 10009. See you there!

A post shared by BubbleologyUSA (@bubbleologyusa) on Jan 26, 2019 at 12:56pm PST

The latest iteration of the International Bar closed in this now-sanitized space in November 2017. (Non-renewal of lease, via landlord Steve Croman.) The bar merged with its sister saloon, the Coal Yard, down the block.

Thought #19

Thought #19

Here it is again

with cold above

and warmth within

those long frozen fingers

taking hold once more

of months ahead

time to close the barrier door

make sure the dog is fed

no way to surpass all

that is to come but

time to read and write

that novel Knit or weave

clothes you will need

time to sit and ponder

what will you do this year

then as if unexpected you

see that first green shoot

birds arrive with spring

then all alive again.

•

peter radley

Frozen

EVG reader Tara Cox shared the above photo showing the Con Ed power plant on 14th Street at Avenue C early this morning ... and Vinny & O took these in Tompkins Square Park...





Today's forecast per ABC7: "Thursday will be windy and bitterly cold with ineffective sunshine and a high only in the teens, but it will feel like -10 at times as winds continue to gust up to 30 mph."

.@NWSNewYorkNY A Special Weather Statement for NYC has been issued until 5 PM, today, 1/31 for subzero wind chills that range from 0 to -5 degrees. Limit your time outdoors and if going outdoors, make sure you wear a hat & gloves. Dress in layers!

— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) January 31, 2019

Temperatures are dangerously low today, only as high at 15-20 degrees — but with wind chills it could feel like zero degrees.

Bundle up and stay inside as much as possible. Contact 311 immediately if you have any heat or hot water issues or see someone in need of shelter. pic.twitter.com/ukxtRFc1qA

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 31, 2019

Longtime East Village residents open Foxface, now serving sandwiches at Theater 80

[All photos by Stacie Joy]

Late last year, East Village residents Ori Kushnir and Sivan Lahat opened Foxface, a small sandwich operation inside the William Barnacle Tavern at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place.



The space — featuring a narrow sliding window facing the sidewalk with a small counter inside the door — became available after Feltman's moved out last fall after two-plus year peddling hot dogs from here.

The situation seemed ideal for Kushnir and Lahat, who are married and live in the building here at No. 80 between First Avenue and Second Avenue. A few of the ingredients were even grown in the garden behind the building.

After several weeks of limited hours, the two are now opening Foxface (as of yesterday) for business five days a week (see below for schedule).

Here's Ori on how Foxface came about:

We first moved into the building exactly 15 years ago, and have watched [owner Lorcan Otway] revive the theater and the bar after the Pearl Theatre left.

This past October we had just come back after spending five years in Japan where we had some fun with pop-up restaurants, and we'd been toying with the idea of opening something in New York when Lorcan told us that Feltman's was leaving to focus on his retail business.

We didn't know exactly what it was that we'd do there but the appeal of the commute and operating a mom-and-pop shop in the neighborhood was such that we just told Lorcan we'll take the space. We went ahead and renovated the kitchen, developed an initial menu of sandwiches and started serving food to the street and into the William Barnacle Tavern while working on seating arrangements, a nice wine list and other improvements.

We try not to make too much of a point about our background, the ingredients we use, etc., as we feel the food should speak for itself, but I will say that we must be the only place on St. Mark's Place using hot sauce made from chili peppers grown on the block, so their commute is as short as ours.



On the reception so far:

The first few weeks have been great, despite the cold weather. We opened quietly ... but feedback has been very positive and it's a joy watching people loving your food, coming back for more, and sending their friends over. The local business community has also been amazingly supportive — shout out to Abraço, and to the very friendly team at the Holiday.



On the menu:

We're trying to serve five sandwiches every day, with one or two new ones introduced every week, and a soup or stew during winter. I think the Smoking Fox (smoked boneless rib, coleslaw, pickles, homemade spicy sauce) is going to be there permanently as people love it, but otherwise we'll just keep changing with the seasons.

View this post on Instagram

Peter Peter - Egg, kabocha, gruyere, brie, pumpkin seeds.

A post shared by Foxface (@foxface_nyc) on Dec 29, 2018 at 1:13pm PST

---

Foxface is located inside Theatre 80, 80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Hours — Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 12:30-3p.m.; 6 p.m. until sold out. Saturday and Sunday: 1 p.m. until sold out

You can find their daily menu and other updates via the Foxface Instagram account at this link.

Thanks to Stacie Joy for all the photos!

A waste of space: 10th Street still waiting for the garbage trucks to move on

In the past three-plus months, residents and business owners on 10th Street haven't heard much, if anything, from city officials about the garbage trucks that have been parked on the block just west of First Avenue since September.

"Nothing has been done and garbage trucks continue to park on 10th Street," said resident Michelle Lang, who noted one minor improvement — there are sometimes just three trucks here instead of seven. "But the quality of life and safety concerns that the wall of garbage trucks create remain."



As I first reported on Sept. 18, the DSNY is using part of 10th Street for up to seven trucks. The DSNY no longer has use of their garage at 606 W. 30th St., and are relocating their fleet elsewhere.

This move — apparently done without consultation with Community Board 3 — sparked numerous complaints this past fall from residents and merchants alike who have called out the problems with the smell, noise and negative impact on business.

Before Theater for the New City moved into its current home at 155 First Ave. near 10th Street in the late 1980s, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) used the building for storage. As Off the Grid noted in a 2012 feature, "When the Theater for the New City purchased the former First Avenue Retail Market building there was stipulation that they had to still share part of the space with the Sanitation Department for a time."

Pinks, the bar-restaurant at 242 E. 10th St., is the business most directly impacted by the parked trucks.

In a recent email, owner Avi Burn said that the trucks still provide "a pretty nasty backdrop for customers looking out the windows."

And he doesn't really feel as if the issue is still on anyone's radar.

"It's on their radar like a nagging house fly would be on someone's radar," he said. "I don't believe anyone truly cares but they are forced to respond to us when we make noise about it. Yet, no solutions have been presented to us."

On Jan. 11, the Mayor’s Office held a meeting with Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assembly Member Deborah Glick, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer, a representative from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s office and representatives from the DSNY, the Department of Transportation and the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit.

As I understand it, the meeting was, in part, to find a solution to the parking issue. The elected officials were said to be upset by the lack of movement with finding a new location for the fleet. In the end, the DSNY agreed to further explore alternatives and move the trucks, but they have not finalized a timeline.

A rep for Sen. Hoylman told me this: "We are awaiting information from the DSNY and will continue to work together to forge a solution."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Questions and concerns as the sanitation department begins using 10th Street to park garbage trucks

More trash talk about those garbage trucks parked on 10th Street

Local elected officials continue to press city for alternatives to parking garbage trucks on 10th Street; muggings now a concern

Eating in the East Village via Eater

[EVG photo of B&H Dairy, named in multiple Eater listicles]

Eater dropped a comprehensive East Village dining package yesterday that includes multiple categories, including:

• 10 Best Cheap Eats

• 22 Bars for Every Vibe

• Where to Dine With a Group

• Where to Celebrate a Special Occasion

• 22 Japanese Restaurants to Try

Maybe you'll find a new place among these picks ... or agree with the selections, or disagree entirely and write your own category like, say, 22 Bars for Every Vibe That Aren't These 22.

Coming soon: Camellia on 3rd Avenue

Just a little to the north, on Third Avenue between 15th Street and 16th Street, signage is up for Camellia, which, per the signage, will serve a variety of ramen, gelato and drinks... no word on an opening date (the website listed on the signage isn't active yet).

Camellia takes the place of a Subway (sandwich shop) that shuttered a few years back.

Thanks to Nick Solares for the photo!

Momentary afternoon whiteout in Tompkins Square Park

The snow squall warning ended at 4 p.m. (according to the alert on my phone).

Updated 5 p.m.

Here are two photos from the Great Whiteout of 1/30/19 courtesy of Goggla...

Plywood arrives on 7th Street and 2nd Avenue; excavation expected in 2 weeks

Workers yesterday finished erecting the plywood around the empty lot on the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue, the site of the deadly gas explosion that leveled the three buildings here in March 2015.



A worker on the scene told EVG correspondent Steven that the excavation for the new 7-story condoplex will commence in about two weeks...



The Morris Adjmi-designed residential building with 21 condos and ground-floor retail will include a commemorative plaque that honors Moises Locón and Nicholas Figueroa, the men who died in the gas explosion on this site.

My previous post at this link has more about defendants and their latest court date.

Meanwhile, the other lot here, the former 123 Second Ave., remains inactive. That lot sold for $6 million in the fall of 2016, and the new owner has said he's not in any hurry to develop the property.

Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million in June 2017 for what was 119 and 121 Second Ave.

Trader Joe's will end home delivery in Manhattan on March 1

An EVG reader was at the Trader Joe's location on Union Square the other day when she overheard two employees say there would be no more home deliveries from the store beginning on March 1.

"Horrified and dependent on deliveries — four flights of stairs — since they day they opened in NYC (in 2006), I went to the manager's desk because I hoped I heard it wrong," the reader told me via email.

"But no, it was apparently right, according to someone who seemed to have all the details. She said the cost of the delivery service is too great and is affecting pricing overall," the reader continued. "They tried every alternative and can't make it work without raising prices, which is their priority. So, deliveries are done — all locations, not just Union Square — effective March 1."

I reached out to the Trader Joe's HQ for more info.

Kenya Friend-Daniel, the company's national director of public relations, confirmed the news.

"When we originally introduced delivery, we had one store on 14th Street in Manhattan and options for outside delivery services were limited," she said in an email. "Today, there are seven Trader Joe’s stores across Manhattan, with more on the way; and there are now a number of services available for transporting food and people."

So...

"Instead of passing along unsustainable cost increases to our customers, removing delivery will allow us to continue offering outstanding values — quality products for great everyday prices, and to make better use of valuable space in our stores," she said. "This was not a decision we made lightly. We value our customers and all that they do to come shop with us."

Oh speaking of more Trader Joe's on the way... will one of those happen to be coming to 432-438 E. 14th St.?

"I have nothing to confirm at this time," she said.

Hakata Zen is now closed for renovations on St. Mark's Place

[Photo by Steven]

The gate is down at Hakata Zen at 31 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. The sign says there's a renovation, with the hope of reopening as soon as possible.

The Hakata Zen website is offline, leading to some thoughts that we're in for a concept switcheroo here. That might not come as a surprise, given the recent turnover here.

As previously noted, the restaurant at No. 31 was a Hakata Hot Pot/Zen 6/Sushi Lounge combo since March 2016. A year later, it became Noodle Cafe Zen presents Sushi Lounge & Hakata Hot Pot. (This is ALL on the midterm FYI. This post recaps the switcheroo-ing.)

Eventually the space just became Hakata Zen.

Meanwhile, the Zen 6 over on Sixth Street became the vegetarian szechuan spot Spicy Moon.

Updated: A commenter says a broken pipe is to blame for the closure...