Openings: Salad Don at Essex Market

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

Lenin Costa (above) recently launched a healthy new quick-serve option inside the Essex Market.

Salad Don serves a variety of build-your-own salads and bowls. (Billed as "delicious healthy bowls with a Peruvian touch.") You can find the menu here. 

The best sellers to date are the salmon tahini bowl and the rotisserie chicken bowl.

I got the vegan Buddha bowl and the roasted squash soup, and they were both delicious, especially the soup. 

Costa now has three local businesses: the well-regarded Don Ceviche at 57 First Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street and the Don Ceviche stall at Essex Market.

Salad Don is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

If you're on Instagram, they have an account here. 

Tacombi is not reopening on 12th Street

After 14 months in business, Tacombi "closed for renovations" on the NW corner of Third Avenue and 12th Street in September. 

Subsequent months saw no work in the space, and in the past week, the "closed for renovations" signs came down. The address is no longer on the Tacombi website, and the space is now mostly empty.

This hasn't been the easiest spot to make work for any length of time. Other recent casualties include iSouvlaki and Greekito. The Wayside lasted six years. 

This seems like a decent location, with its proximity to NYU and New School dorms, not to mention people-drawing venues like the Loews Village 7 and Webster Hall.

Signage alert: Smashed on 3rd Avenue

An outpost of Smashed is coming soon to 94 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

This will be the third location for the brand specializing in smash burgers and fries. (The other two stores are in the West Village and Dumbo.) 

You can check out the menu here. (Smashed has vegan options too.) 

As far as we can recall, this space has been vacant since the Joint (fka 99 Miles to Philly) shuttered in 2018.

Openings: Tiki Tiki on First Avenue

Tiki Tiki, described by the business as "a sweet tooth's paradise featuring churros, skillet cookies, waffle sticks and more," is now open at 14 First Ave. between First Street and Second Street. 

This is the third Tiki Tiki in the metropolitan area, a spin-off business from chocolate specialist Sticky Tiki. The EV outpost is open daily from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. and closes at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. 

No website, but they have an Instagram account here. 

No. 14 was previously home to successive illegal smoke shops that were shuttered.

Monday's parting shots

Photos by Derek Berg 

Post-snow day snow creatures...

Cat power: Crowdfunding to keep Ollie's Place open on 9th Street

Via the EVG inbox... 

Ollie's Place Cat Adoption Center, part of Mighty Mutts Inc. (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), urgently needs your support to continue its life-saving mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding forever homes for cats in need throughout New York City. A fully volunteer-run group, it can no longer meet the rising expenses of rent, food, and veterinary care. 

Without support, Ollie’s cannot renew the lease and continue to save the cats who desperately need help. A special donor has offered to match 100% of proceeds raised in this GoFundMe! This is an opportunity of epic proportions for our cats! We are looking for large donors to help us reach this goal and to provide on-going funding as well. 

Find the CrowdFunding link here. 

Ollie's Place us at 430 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. You can follow them on Instagram to learn more about our mission and adoptable cats.

Sunday snow scenes

Photos by Daniel Efram 

Here are a few scenes from yesterday. Depending on the location, NYC received two to four inches of snow...

Monday's opening shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

From last night in Tompkins Square Park...

Reports: 20-year-old East Village man dies in stabbing on the Lower East Side

Two men stabbed, one fatally, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side https://t.co/HnEwCOIeoW

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 19, 2025

Two young men were stabbed on a Lower East Side street last night, leaving one dead, according to police sources and media accounts. 

A 20-year-old man was reportedly stabbed on Norfolk Street between Delancey and Broome around 8:30 p.m. Another man, 19, was found with multiple stab wounds two blocks away on Delancey and Clinton.

 

EMTs took both men to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

The 20-year-old, who the Daily News and police sources identified as Amir Smith, died from his wounds. He lived in the East Village, police said. 

The other victim is in stable condition.

Two men "were handcuffed at the scene and taken into police custody for questioning," per amNY and the Post. 

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a David Lynch tribute on Canal Street via Matt Geo LES) 

 

• Man pleads guilty to Tompkins Square Park shootings, D.A. Bragg announces (Wednesday) 

• This is the date for the next informational session about the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center (Thursday) 

• Report: The late Gary Indiana’s personal library and collection destroyed in L.A. wildfires (Monday) 

• Side-by-side business closures on Avenue A (Tuesday) 

• First Look: Rendering reveal for new residential building at 1st Avenue and 2nd Street (Monday) 

• At the 1st annual Fuck Fest (Wednesday) 

• 2025 Construction watch: Barrier Free Living on 2nd Street (Tuesday) 

• Paws-itive news: Boris & Horton is returning under new ownership (Friday) 

• Revamps: Íxta turning Japanese-Brazilian at 299 Bowery (Monday) 

• Full reveal at 280 E. Houston St. (Friday) 

• Samascott Orchards expected back at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket (Saturday) 

• A look at The March Hare, closing on Jan. 31 (Tuesday) 

• Bad news travels fast! Catch the U.S. premiere of the Fuzztones doc at the Bowery Electric (Thursday)

• A look at 'The Entertainer' (Friday) 

• Signage alert: A diner for 2nd Avenue? (Wednesday) 

• About 'Luna 10 Years' and a unique lineup of planets (Tuesday) 

• Playing Santa, Arnold Schwarzenegger looks for his magic bag outside Veselka (Monday) 

• Activity at the former Raul Candy Store on Avenue B (Thursday) 

• Return of the permanent signage for Ben's Deli (& Grill) on Avenue B (Friday) 

• Signage alert: Sunday Morning on Avenue B (Wednesday) • Yankee doodle Deli demoliton (Thursday) 

• ICYMI: Brick Lane Curry House has closed on 2nd Avenue, though a Brick Lane 2.0 is in the works (Tuesday)

• Amor y Amaro returns to its original 6th Street home (Monday) 

• That time when David Lynch filmed a rather terrifying trash PSA for New York City (Thursday)

Sunday's opening shot

Photo by Steven 

Samascott Orchards were back today at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket — 12 days after a barn fire destroyed much of their produce in Columbia County. 

This link has a list of all of today's vendors.

Today in snow forecasts

The metropolitan area is under a winter-weather advisory today through tonight, and three to five inches of snow are expected in NYC. 

According to the National Weather Service, snow will start falling this afternoon around 3 p.m. and last through 10 p.m. 

And after the snow (which is also the name of an underrated Modern English record, even with the inclusion of "I Melt With You")...

After the snow ends Sun night, the main story will be arctic air through much of next week. Temps are likely to be well below freezing from late Sun night until Fri. Wind chills Mon night into early Tue -5 to -15°F and Tue into early Wed 0 to -10°F. See graphic for more. pic.twitter.com/WTmgW9952Y

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 19, 2025

Saturday's parting shot

"Paper View II" is now at the Hole at 312 Bowery between Bleecker and Houston. 

The above work by Katsu Sawada* is one of the many pieces in the exhibit, which will be on display through Feb. 2. 

Hours: 12-7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. 

* Rudolph (CriminalData), 2024, charcoal on paper, 36 x 24 inches, 91 x 61 cm.

Noted

What about Bob: Annoyance with Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan is so December 2024! 

As seen on Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street...