The ghost in you

Today in Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams...

Openings: Autre Kyo Ya, Tac N Roll

Autre Kyo Ya, the sister restaurant of Kyo Ya, the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant at 94 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, is now in soft-open mode at 10 Stuyvesant St.



As Eater points out: "Autre Kyo Ya is slightly different, with more affordable price points and more inspiration from western cooking." (Eater has a copy of the menu for the restaurant just off of East Ninth Street and Third Avenue.)

GM Erina Yoshida and her father Tony also own Sunrise Mart and the cocktail bar Angel's Share. Autre Kyo Ya last housed the tapas bar The Barrel.

Meanwhile, Tac N Roll, a quick-serve Mexican restaurant at 124 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, is also in soft-open operations.



Here's a look at their menu via their still under-construction website...



And for now, the second taco is free...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Autre Kyo Ya coming soon to the former Barrel space on Stuyvesant Street

For those about to Cookie Walk

In case you didn't see the signage up at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A at East 10th Street ... the 7th annual Cookie Walk is happening here next weekend...



Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Dec. 13 from noon to 3 p.m.

Head over to the official site for more details. But basically:

This is not your average church bake sale!
Let us transport you back in time.
As you enter the Cookie Walk, you will be greeted with the smell of baking cookies made from only the best ingredients. We have been baking non-stop for days so that tens of thousands of fresh baked cookies await you. There is nothing hi-tech here - just holiday goodness and old-fashioned fun.

Take a walk through our Cookie Wonderland and fill a box with your favorites from over fifty varieties of homemade confections. There are two sizes of boxes: $15 & $25 plus special Gluten Free options at our yummy Hot Chocolate Bar! And, the hot chocolate - no mix here - a secret recipe that is hand-stirred for a half hour and topped with marshmallows, whipped cream or both!

After the last cookie is packed, be sure to visit Tinseltown a holiday gift market for everyone on your list.

Perfect for young families! At our Little Elves Bakery & Workshop, children 10 and under can create their own sweet masterpiece to take home – no charge except to have FUN! Santa will also visit through the day for pictures at our awesome Photo Booth.

Let's hope that the wrong Santa doesn't show up on the 12th...

Developing/breaking: Lights going up on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

After waiting 75 minutes in line for lights at the Rite Aid on First Avenue, Crews were out this morning to start the annual tree decorating (aka putting up the lights in an often haphazard fashion)...


[Photo by John Greally]

Meantime, we haven't heard anything yet about the official tree lightning ceremony (this year will mark the 24th annual). Last year's event was on Sunday, Dec. 14. So maybe Dec. 13 this year? We'll find out!

Updated 10:43

Via Steven...





And later... via Bobby Williams...



-----

From the archives ...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Jenny from the bloc

Oh, was just reading about !!! serving as their own opening act, renaming themselves Stereolad to play a set of Stereolab covers at a show in Seattle Tuesday night.

So here is the real (now-retired) Stereolab from 1993 with "Jenny Ondioline," the lead single from the album Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements.

EV Grieve Etc.: Manitoba on Manitoba's; love for Love Gang

[Photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

Talking with Handsome Dick Manitoba at Manitoba's (The New York Times)

Meeting the the proprietors of "rocker babe emporium" Love Gang on East Ninth Street (The Village Voice)

Where to find bikers, drugs and rock-&-roll onscreen (Anthology Film Archives)

Hawk interlopers in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)

A new chef for Avant Garden on East Seventh Street (Eater)

Crazy amenities alert: Extell is giving buyers in Asia dibs on luxury apartments in the new 80-story tower on the Lower East Side (The Lo-Down)

The alleged tenant harassment continues at 135-137 Eldridge St. (BoweryBoogie)

Perfect Pussy singer Meredith Graves now has a weekly column featuring recipes and record reviews (The Village Voice)

A review of Garth Risk Hallberg’s sprawling new novel, "City on Fire," set in 1970s NYC (The New Yorker)

A look at Ben Shaoul's rental-to-condo conversion on First Avenue and East 23rd Street (NY Yimby)

The great La Taza de Oro is gone for good in Chelsea (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

That time someone thought it might be a good idea to fill in the Hudson River (Ephemeral New York)

Uncovering the documentary about an all Ace Frehley cover band (Dangerous Minds)

Moby trades the Lower East Side for Los Angeles for his new vegan restaurant venture, Little Pine (Well + Good)

The disappearing Hogs & Heifers (DNAinfo)

Diversions: The Swedish punk Peanuts (BoingBoing)

From the EVG inbox...

Bayside! The Musical! will makes its return to NYC and run alongside the hit show Full House! The Musical! at Theater 80 (80 St Marks & First Avenue) from Jan. 7 through Feb. 26. (Details here.)

And tomorrow at the Lower Eastside Girls Club...



And, lastly, EVG contributor Grant Shaffer finds that people can be sooo plastic on the L train...

History reimagined with $4.4 million penthouse at former 6th Street synagogue

[Photo from last month by Michael Hirsch]

Sales on the three luxe condos at the former Congregation Mezritch Synagogue at 415 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue are underway, as Curbed noted yesterday.

There are just two renderings to gawk at for now in the building with the tagline "History reimagined … For modern living."





And here are some of the amenities via the official 415 site:

Residences:
Direct entry via keyed elevator
4”-wide plank oak flooring throughout
Original stained glass windows in second and third floor residences

Kitchen:
Statuarietto Venato marble countertop and backsplash
Dornbracht Elio pullout spray faucet
Summit 24” two-zone wine refrigerator in Penthouse
InSinkErator garbage disposal

Master bathroom:
Herringbone pattern Cambric Persian White Classico honed marble tile floors
Bianco Bello polished marble tile walls
Custom double-sink vanity with honed Bianco Bello marble countertop
Deep soaking bathtub

And what will that Herringbone pattern Cambric Persian White Classico honed marble tile floors cost you?

Per Curbed:

[C]onsidering the size of the apartments and the location, they're pricey: the second-floor two-bed is $2.95 million; the third-floor unit is $3.25 million; and that penthouse, which has two private terraces, is asking $4.4 million.

Not mentioned anywhere is the proximity to the all-new Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue and East Sixth Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Plan to add condos to historic East Sixth Street synagogue back on

Play spot the potential penthouse atop the East Village synagogue

A final look inside the Anshei Meseritz synagogue on East Sixth Street

Stained-glass windows removed ahead of condo conversion at Congregation Mezritch Synagogue

Condos at former East 6th Street synagogue will start at just under $3 million

Sidewalk bridge comes down as condo conversion continues at former East 6th Street synagogue

More Italian in store for the former Perbacco space on East 4th Street

Last summer, Perbacco, the well-regarded regional Italian restaurant on East Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, quietly closed its doors.

In the months that followed, we expected to hear more about the situation ... or at least spot a for rent sign on the gate. That never happened.

Now, however, there is an applicant down for a new beer-wine license during this month's CB3-SLA committee meeting on Monday. (This item will not be heard before the committee.)

According to the public documents (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website, an Italian restaurant going by the name of IL Mago is in the works.

The paper work shows 18 tables accommodating 48 diners, with a six-seat bar. The proposed hours are 3 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, with an 11 a.m. opening time on Saturday and Sunday. We don't know anything about the proprietor of the new venture just yet.

Perbacco opened in 2000 at 234 E. Fourth St. People seemed to like it. (In his last review for the Times, Frank Bruni gave it high praise with two stars.)

In May 2014, Perbacco closed for a four-month long revamp that included a new design, menu and focus on wine. They were closed for good within nine months.

Anyway, the December CB3-SLA committee meeting is Monday night at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

The Sirovich Senior Center is holding its Annual Flea Market Fundraiser on East 12th Street

From the EVG inbox via the Sirovich Senior Center, which serves nearly 300 low-income older adults, providing them with access to various activities, such as arts, education and exercise classes.

The Sirovich Senior Center is holding its Annual Flea Market Fundraiser, showcasing ceramics, sculptures, knitted clothing, and more handmade items created by older adult members. All money raised will go to support arts programming at the Center. Sirovich is one of three Educational Alliance senior centers and is funded in part by NYC DFTA and UJA Federation.

Dates & Times:
Friday, Dec. 4: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location:
331 E. 12th St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue
Sirovich Senior Center, Auditorium

A final group photo at Vic's Pizza on Essex Street

Back in September, we shared some of the group portraits that photographer Nick McManus took during the last day at three neighborhood businesses — Sounds on St. Mark's Place, Rainbow Music on First Avenue and Bicycle Habitat on Lafayette, which merged its retail spaces.

McManus — a group portrait artist who works on Impossible Project Polaroids for gallery exhibition — visited Vic's Pizza on Monday, the last day for the 45-year-old business on the Lower East Side.

The building housing the pizzeria at 51 Essex St. at Grand will reportedly be demolished to make way for a 6-story retail-residential structure.

Owner Victor Mendez told DNAinfo that he tried to move locations, "but found that most available retail spaces were at least $5,000 per month, a major price jump from the $2,200 he was paying on Essex Street."

The photo that McManus shared with us features Mendez seated center with fellow building evictee Taylor Twist, who lived upstairs from Vic's, and his friends...



Twist created the Vic's sweatshirt and hats in the photo to raise money to help Mendez start his post-pizzeria life. (There will be more info on the Vic's sweatshirts and hats here at Twist's website.)

You can find more of McManus' work via Instagram.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Closing time: Portraits of 3 newly shuttered storefronts

You won't shoot your eye out with the Flavor of the Month at Mikey Likes It on Avenue A

As previously noted, I always like Andre Trenier's 1980s-inspired murals on the roll-down gate at Mikey Likes It, 199 Avenue A near East 12th Street.

This month it's Ralphie from "A Christmas Story."


[Via Instagram]

And the flavor of the month: "Christmas Story" — an egg nog ice cream with carrot cake chunks and pumpkin pie pieces.

Report: Lawsuit accuses Raphael Toledano of not paying his office rent

Rent-stabilized tenants at the Raphael Toledano-owned 444 E. 13th St. have claimed that they were allegedly threatened and harassed to leave their homes.

Toledano is now reportedly having landlord issues of his own.

Per The Real Deal:

Landlord HRC Corporation is accusing broker-turned-investor Raphael Toledano of failing to pay rent at his Flatiron District office.

HRC filed suit Wednesday, asking a State Supreme Court judge to award it a total of $6.4 million, the amount allegedly due over the entire 10-year lease, plus damages.

In a statement, a Brook Hill spokesperson wrote "We are not in default of the lease."

In a $97 million deal, Toledano and Brook Hill closed on a 16-building East Village portfolio back in the fall.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Reader report: Large portfolio of East Village buildings ready to change hands

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal

Report: Raphael Toledano completes purchase of 16-building East Village portfolio

More about alleged harassment and landlord visits via Brook Hill Properties

Brook Hill Properties launches chocolate offensive

In op-ed, Raphael Toledano says that he wants 'to make the East Village a better place'

DeRobertis lives on! (in Clifton, N.J.)

[EVG file photo]

Just about a year ago to the date, the 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe closed shop after 110 years in business on First Avenue between East 10th Street and East 11th Street. The economy, age and health reportedly compelled the four De Robertis siblings to sell the building.

However, it turns out that the family decided to start up the business again — in Clifton, N.J.

A photo posted by DeRoLicious Delights (@derolicious_delights) on Nov 27, 2015 at 12:53pm PST

Here's an email they recently sent to their supporters:

Hello! I Hope everyone is doing well! This is the DeRobertis Family (DeRobertis Pasticceria & Caffe of 176 1st Ave, NY, NY). Well, the reason l am contacting you is because on Nov. 23 we opened up a place called DeRoLicious Delights.

My Father John, Brother John, Tony the Baker and I (Dana) have decided to continue the business in Clifton, NJ. We are very excited to be back sharing our family tradition with new and old friends. We have a retail space available to visit AND an Online Shop available for people to order Biscotti, Butter Cookies & more. Our website is www.DeRoLiciousDelights.com

Our address is 64 1/2 Market St., Clifton, NJ, 07012. Phone #973-777-0010. I hope you are doing great! We are so excited to be Back!! Wishing you All a healthy & happy Holiday Season!
-The DeRobertis Family at DeRoLicious Delights

The former DeRobertis space is now home to Black Seed bagels.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ugh: The 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe closes after Dec. 5 (43 comments)

[Updated] 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe looks to be closing once the building is sold

174-176 First Ave., home of DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe, is for sale

Let's take a look at the DeRobertis in-house bakery

Herban Decay!: About that New York Compost Box on East 11th Street

You've likely noticed the New York Compost Box that arrived earlier last month on 11th Street just east of First Avenue.

There is a story about this, if you haven't heard about it. The repurposed newspaper box comes courtesy of Debbie Ullman, an urban gardener who worked in the graphics department at the Daily News for nearly a decade.

The onetime East Village resident (who now lives uptown) came up with the idea for the project as a repository for New Yorkers to get rid of their food scraps whenever it's convenient for them.

Here's more about it via the New York Compost website:

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) reports that a third of what New Yorkers throw away is food scraps. When this material is sent to a landfill, it adds to the city’s disposal costs and ultimately contributes to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions. When composted, food scraps and other organic waste become a nutrient-rich additive that improves soil quality for street trees and gardens. This reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides, helps prevent erosion and suppresses certain plant diseases.

The New York Compost Box Project complements the DSNY’s Organics Collection program by offering an innovative way to divert food waste from landfills and raise awareness about urban composting.

There are three boxes in use: on Governors Island, at the Urban Garden Center on Park Avenue and 116th Street in East Harlem, and on 11th Street outside the East Side High School Community Garden. (Someone donated a newspaper box to her. She bought the other two from a prop company.)

The box on 11th Street is being maintained by Laura Rosenshine, who runs Reclaimed Organics. There is a lock on the box (otherwise, the contents will likely end up on someone's windshield). You can contact her via this website to obtain the combination. There is a bucket inside the box in which people then drop their scraps. The boxes contain sealed bins, which are emptied daily. (Find more FAQs here, including what is allowed in the box.)

Ullman shared a few thoughts on the project with us...

I think the DSNY is doing an incredible job with their Organics pilot. My boxes aren't meant to replace that. I don't think that the newspaper boxes are the solution. They are a fun and memorable way for people to stop and think about composting. The fun takes the "ick factor" out a bit for people. And scraps can be dropped off anytime it's convenient.

They are a response to the social community and public space, meant to stimulate community involvement and interaction. I wanted to create an unexpected experience and just to remind people to think about disposing of their organics properly. The surprise element is a way to reach people who might not have been interested otherwise.

And...

I'm feeling great about the project. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. A lot of it is just getting it seen and spreading the word. If it gets even a few non-composters participating, then it will have been a success.

Reader report: That new place called Stuyvesant Organic on East 14th Street is really good

We quickly noted the other day that a new deli/cafe called Stuyvesant Organic has opened in the former Kennedy Fried Chicken space on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

EVG reader g whiz left this comment:

Went in the other day and met the owner Alex, a really nice guy and the food is really great. It's great in the homemade grandma's home cooking kind of way. I was glad to see a nice family owned business opening up and the prices are very reasonable ($8-12) will get you a nice meal.

Another EVG reader stopped in yesterday, and raved about the place, starting with the friendly staff and reasonable prices. The daily special with three sides is $4.99. The most expensive main dish is the salmon for $9.99, which also includes three side dishes. (Not to mention the $2 hot dogs as advertised in the front window.)

Here are some photos the reader shared...











We're looking forward to stopping by too...

What next then for 45 Rivington St.?

There has been a rumor that the Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation will be closing its doors by Dec. 11. The Lo-Down got confirmation of this impending closure yesterday. (Read their article here.)

For nearly 20 years the Rivington House operated as a nursing home for AIDS patients here at 45 Rivington St. between Forsyth and Eldridge on the Lower East Side. Let's go to The Lo-Down for some background:

Its previous owner, VillageCare, closed the location and sold the building to The Allure Group, a for-profit nursing care provider. The idea was to run the 215-bed center as a nursing home for the general population. The Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation opened this past February with a limited number of patients. But it has now become apparent that the bureaucratic hurdles of making the facility work are insurmountable.

The Allure Group reportedly plans to open another facility nearby.

An EVG reader told us about the closure this past weekend. The reader had actually been a patient there for a period of time earlier this year, and heard the news from staffers who will be reassigned to other Allure-owned facilities.

So what's next?

Public records show that on Nov. 10, The Allure Group paid $16.15 million for the deed from the city. As The Lo-Down notes, "As part of that deal, the city administration lifted a restriction in place since 1992 requiring the property to operate as a not-for-profit residential health care facility." In addition, The Lo-Down hears from residential neighbors who are "anticipating a market rate residential conversion of the building."

Back to the EVG reader: "The building is incredible with 12-foot ceilings and a penthouse floor that has a view from the UN to all of Midtown and Downtown. I knew it was doomed to have developers all over it from the first day I got there."

What developer around here would buy a nursing home for use as luxury housing? We can think of one for starters.

Drug stores drug stores everywhere

The Commercial Observer checks in with a piece titled Be it Duane Reade, CVS/pharmacy or Rite Aid, NYC Is Overrun with Drug Stores.

To some excerpts!

It is a familiar sight to anybody who has spent any time in this city: the ubiquitous drug store chain. This is the one business that seems immune to rent hikes or gentrification. The drug store shines in poor areas as well as rich ones. And it doesn’t seem to matter that the nearest competition is two or three blocks away. It doesn’t even seem to matter to a Duane Reade that the nearest competition is another Duane Reade.

And!

Another broker in the know pointed out that you can find a Duane Reade across the street from Walgreens in Union Square, because they have different customers—even if both sets are convenience-driven. Another retail specialist noted that perhaps one drug store chain could set up shop nearby a competitor, thinking the latter is underserved or its lease is coming due.

And, per the article, this drug store boom is happening all over the city, not just around these parts, where on Astor Place for example, there's a CVS going in at the IBM Watson Building/Death Star across the [construction zone] from Walgreens and Kmart (with its pharmacy area) ... Not to mention the recently expanded Walgreens on East 14th Street and Fourth Avenue … and the Duane Reade locations on East 14th Street and Third Avenue … and East 14th Street and Broadway ... and the Duane Reade that's rumored to be expanding on Third Avenue and East 10th Street. And the Duane Reade on Broadway near East 10th Street... and...

As for that incoming CVS on Astor Place... the plywood came down this week...



... and we've seen trucks unloading the CVSandise all week...



No official word on an opening date. But soon. And if our count is correct, this will mark Manhattan's 45th CVS. Still lagging behind the 91 Duane Reades though, per the Observer.

These festive-looking balloons on 3rd Avenue will make you forget this gloomy weather!

Look, balloons! And some in large bags!

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: Andru Cann
Occupation: Musician
Location: Houston Street between Avenue A and B
Time: 3:30 pm on Monday, Nov. 30

I’m from Manchester, England. I was 24 years old when I came here. Music brought me here. I found I was able to play the kind of music I wanted to play. I came here mostly to study jazz and play jazz, which is what I continue to do, although I expanded to classical music and also incorporated that with film making because films require music. I was able to go to college and I was able to get four degrees including music composition and education. I was going to teach in the school system, but that was just too intense for me.

I don’t really make much money from the music but I get by, which is very nice because a lot of people come here and are never able to do that. There have been ups and downs. I’ve had many, many regular day jobs. I’ve worked in offices, washing cars, selling this, that, and the other, working in stores, and teaching. It’s good to do it privately, part time. That’s a good day job. It’s still a lot of fun. Not too much of any one thing, that’s the trick.

I’ve lived in the same building the entire time I’ve been here, since 1980. The neighborhood way back when I came was more or less abandoned. The hippie period had ended and then the punk rock scene had started, but that [scene resided] more in the East Village, whereas as you got to the Lower East Side it was mostly struggling families.

After being here for awhile, it became the center for cocaine, heroin, then later crack. Everyone from the whole city would come down here. There was a constant flow of people. The crime rate and the break-ins ... I came before that and I saw it turn into that. There were some major streets that were the no-go areas because it wasn’t worth going down them – you would be hassled too much.

That lasted about 10 years and then all of a sudden, like almost overnight, the police and the mayor decided to have the war on drugs. So they came to clean it up. Even though the most I ever did was smoke pot, but I even stopped smoking pot. It was just too dangerous to smoke on the street because you could get beaten up or taken in. I would be on my roof and cops would come up with their guns out saying, ‘What are you doing here?’ I said, ‘I live here.’ And they said, ‘This is a paranoid area. You have to be careful. Stay indoors.’ And that’s understandable, because it was a paranoid area.

One time I was walking right on that corner there, Norfolk Street, and a cop said, ‘Hey pick up your property.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘Don’t get funny with me,’ and he started going for his handcuffs. He said, ‘It’s right there; that vial down there.’ So what am I going to do? I thought if I run, they’re going to probably catch me, so I’ve got to talk my way out of it. The best way I thought would be to get on his side. I said, ‘Hey, listen. We love you coming down here to clean the area up. I’ve lived here a long time.’

And somehow that word love, it calmed him down. He eventually let me go, but even then he said, ‘Oh before you go, can you pick up that vial and throw it down the drain?’ And I knew what would happen if I did that. Even then he was still trying to get me. I said, ‘No, that’s not my job, sorry,’ and walked off. I could have been in jail now for having crack cocaine probably. And that was unfortunately the modus operandi for some rookie cops who came down here. Their mentality was that anybody walking down here would be scoring drugs, so you might as well bust them anyway.

We’ll go to the happy stuff because I could talk about the other stuff… The happy stuff is that for the 35 years I’ve lived here, you’ll walk around and see the same people, the familiar faces, and even though you might not say hello to them, you think in your mind that they’re still here. You’ve grown old together. It’s a neighborhood.

I’ve also said goodbye to a lot of characters in the neighborhood too. Antonio who lived down here. He was a Cuban artist. I actually worked in an office with him one time, and in his apartment there was like a 100 paintings of fruits, apples, oranges, grapes. And he can’t understand why nobody wants to buy his art. I didn’t have the heart to tell him, well maybe no one wants a picture of an apple. There was a guy named Fred, his mother lived in the same building, and he died of AIDS. These were happy people to hang out with.

In the building on the first floor there was a guy called Lenny who was a screenwriter. He was like Lenny Bruce. His name was Lenny, but he came from the Lenny Bruce period. He had a lot of jokes like Lenny Bruce. He used to sing this song, which I recorded him singing it. I’m going to sing it for you right now so that he’ll become famous from that song. It goes like this:

Night after night, the taxis brought me home.
Down East Houston, to the home I’ve never known before.
And there goes Harry and there Bob
And there goes Dick and there goes Rob.
But in the middle of my story, there was grief.
In the middle of my story, there was crime.
Night after night, the taxis brought me home.
Down East Houston, to the home I’ve never known before.

That was his song. He used to love singing it. He was a very good singer. There you have it. There’s Lenny’s song.

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

Team behind Shoolbred's and Ninth Ward vying for 10 Degrees Bistro space on Avenue A

[EVG photo from September]

Nic Ratner and Robert Morgan, owners of three establishments on Second Avenue — Shoolbred's, Ninth Ward and Kingston Hall — look to be expanding their reach to Avenue A.

According to public documents (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website, Ratner and Morgan are applying for a new liquor license for the former 10 Degrees Bistro and Flea Market Cafe space at 131 Avenue A.

There aren't many details, such as a proposed name and menu served, on the questionnaire filed ahead of Monday night's CB3 SLA committee meeting. The paperwork shows 8 tables good for 31 seats as well as an L-shaped, 15-foot bar. The proposed hours are Sunday-Thursday 1 p.m. to 2 a.m.; until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

As we first reported on Aug. 18, the landlord took legal possession of the restaurant between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street. A sign arrived the next day noting that 10 Degrees was closed for maintenance. They never reopened.

The proprietors of Ten Degrees Bar, which remains open around the corner on St. Mark's Place, took over operations of the Flea Market Cafe in March 2013 ... changing the name to 10 Degrees Bistro in December 2013.

The December CB3-SLA committee meeting is Monday night at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New-look Flea Market Cafe shows itself on Avenue A; reopens March 11

Flea Market Cafe reopens today, and here's the menu

Was the fire at Flea Market yesterday suspicious?

On Avenue A, Flea Market Cafe is now Ten Degrees Bistro

The Marshal seizes 10 Degrees Bistro on Avenue A

10 Degrees Bistro won't be reopening on Avenue A