Ess-A-Bagel will be opening one of these days

On the topic of bagels... we happened to walk by the incoming Ess-A-Bagel at 324-326 First Ave. at East 19th Street on Saturday. No sign of bagel life here just yet on the east side of the Avenue in the Shoppes of Stuy Town. The coming soon sign arrived last Oct. 22.

Last we read, at the Town & Village Blog, the new location would be open last month. This, according to one of the owners, Muriel Frost, who said that things were proceeding at the new space, despite having to wait for some permits and other paperwork issues.

We also heard from a well-placed tipster that Ess-A-Bagel will be opening a location in the Wall Street area.

Lastly!

THIS is happening at the Third Avenue Ess-A-Bagel in Midtown East this week...

Hello All, St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. For a limited time only, beginning March 14th-17th we are...

Posted by Ess-a-Bagel on Friday, March 11, 2016

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: Landlord forcing Ess-a-Bagel from its longtime home (46 comments)

1 week left for Ess-A-Bagel at its current 1st Avenue location

[Updated] Ess-A-Bagel has closed for now on 1st Avenue

[Updated] Ess-A-Bagel announces its new location on 1st Avenue

Selling off the former Nevada Smiths

Nevada Smiths has been closed since the Marshal seized the three-level soccer bar at 100 Third Ave. last September.

Signs arrived early last week about a sale. The (presumably) new proprietors are unloading some of the unwanted items, such as TVs, bar stools and ... poker tables(?!)...



As for those new proprietors, Bruce Caulfield, a former Nevada Smiths partner and veteran NYC bar and business owner, along with James Morrissey (The Late Late on East Houston) and Gerard McNamee (GM of Webster Hall) have plans to open a venture called Vinyl, which will be a coffee house, vintage vinyl record store paying homage to Thin Lizzy and bar/restaurant all under one roof... We wrote about it here. (And Morrissey and McNamee are also behind the on-hold-for-now Honey Fitz on St. Mark's Place.)

Last month, the group appeared before CB3, who approved the Vinyl application.

So look forward to some updates on that incoming cafe-Thin-Lizzy-themed-record-store-bar-restaurant opening here between East 12th Street and East 13th Street one of these days.

Meantime, Grahame Curtis, who used to run the football (soccer) program at Nevada Smiths, is now doing the same at The Sports Bar around the corner on East 11th Street in part of the Webster Hall space...

All football, all the time! Today's big game is #eveche in the FA Cup but we've all the action from Europe & the USA pic.twitter.com/58pRlWlhWH

— The Sports Bar (@TheSportsBarWH) March 12, 2016

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nevada Smiths is closed, and here's what's next

Those persistent rumors about 74-76 Third Avenue and the future of Nevada Smiths

The East Village will lose a parking lot and gain an apartment building

Here then, where Nevada Smiths once stood

The Marshal seizes Nevada Smiths on 3rd Avenue

[Updated] New life for the Nevada Smiths space on 3rd Avenue

New concept for Nevada Smiths includes record store paying homage to Thin Lizzy, plus a bar

A souvenir Russian Souvenirs sign heads to Queens

[Photo from Feb. 27]

Last week, we noted that the former Russian Souvenirs shop on East 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue will become a coffee shop. (Still haven't heard anything else about the new proprietor.)

And workers removed the Russian Souvenirs sign the other day...



Anyway, we always liked that sign.

And just like that on Saturday, EVG regular Bayou ran into the sign waiting for the uptown Q at Union Square... heading out to Jackson Heights...



Apparently the sign was salvaged by someone who grew up near Russian Souvenirs ... and she hopes to be able to track down the store's owner.

The shop specializing in Russian tchotchkes closed last July. The proprietor said that his rent had increased.

Back on East 14th Street, the mobile phone center that opened in the early fall next door is already out of business... that storefront is for rent...



Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Russian Souvenirs is no more on East 14th Street

The former Russian Souvenirs will become a coffee shop on East 14th Store

On the CB3-SLA agenda tonight: Sidewalk cafes for Babu Ji and the Spotted Owl Tavern; new owner for the Thailand Cafe

[File photo of 129-131 Avenue C, soon to be maybe Jolie NYC]

Last week, we looked at two of the items that will be heard before CB3's SLA committee this month.

• Owners of Eleven B propose to open a Mexican restaurant in the former Mercadito space on B (March 11)

• Daniel Delaney proposing Delaney Barbecue for 1st Avenue (March 8)

Here are more East Village-related applicants ahead of tonight's meeting at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Applications within Saturated Areas

• Jolie's NYC (Liquid JV LLC), 129-131 Ave C (op)

This is the Babel Lounge and Hookah Bar space between East Eighth Street and East Ninth Street. According to the paperwork (PDF) on file at the CB3 website, the current owner and licensee will be joined by a new partner for a venture called Jolie's NYC. There isn't much information about the concept, other than the proposed hours are 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. seven days a week. There will be 20 tables good for 80 seats, with a menu of "appetizers/finger foods."

Sidewalk Cafe Application
• Babu Ji (Babu Ji NYC Inc), 175 Ave B

The seemingly popular (and newish) Indian restaurant at the northeast corner of 11th Street is applying for a sidewalk cafe for 12 tables and 24 seats, with hours of 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

The previous tenant here, the Italian restaurant Spina, had a sidewalk permit with 13 table and 26 seats.

• Spotted Owl Tavern (Tavern 211 Corp), 211 Ave A

The bar on the northwest corner of 13th Street is looking to add a sidewalk cafe license to its license. Plans call for six tables with 14 seats on Avenue A and East 13th Street, per the paperwork.

The proposed sidewalk cafe hours are 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday though Thursday; 5 p.m.-midnight Friday; Noon-11 p.m. Saturday; and Noon-10 p.m. Sunday.

Alterations
• Lovecraft (Sunrise Shadow LLC), 50 Ave B (op) (alt/ extend happy hour, closing hours, misc. changes)

The paperwork isn't specific about why the restaurant-bar-performance venue between East Third Street and East Fourth Street wants to extend their hours. The new proposed hours are: Sunday-Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Their current hours are: Sunday 11 a.m.-midnight; Monday-Thursday 4 p.m.-midnight; Friday 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; and Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

New Liquor License Applications

• Boonsri Inc, 95 2nd Ave (op)

A new owner is taking over (or took over) the Thailand Cafe. The restaurant will continue to serve Thai food.

• Virginia (Oyster City LLC), 647 E 11th St (upgrade/op)

The well-regarded restaurant near Avenue C wants to upgrade its license to full liquor.

Items not heard at Committee

• Luzzo's Restaurant Pizzeria (Luzzo's 211 LLC), 211 1st Ave (op) (corp change)

A partner is leaving the corporation. Michele Iuliano will now be the sole owner, according to the paperwork.

• 575 Pub on Second Inc, 93 2nd Ave (op) (corp change to place corporation into family trust)

This is the new Cock on Second Avenue (former Lit Lounge space). Allan Mannarelli wants to put the ownership into a family trust, per the CB3 paperwork.

----

bc=beer & cider | wb=wine, beer & cider | op=liquor, wine, beer & cider | alt=alterations

Week in Grieview

[Cute cat photo by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

123 Second Ave. is for sale (Monday) ... and here is the listing (Friday)

Progress at Astor Place (Tuesday)

Asking rent for the former Stage Restaurant — $15,000 a month (Wednesday)

Car jumps curb, collides with Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue (Friday)

Douglas Steiner's luxury condos growing up quickly on Avenue A and East 12th Street (Monday)

Residents at 37 Avenue B are still looking for their 'fair share' of the rent from Credit Union (Thursday)

Out and About with Parker Dulany (Wednesday)

Yuca Bar is back open after fire at 133 E. Seventh St. (Friday)

Daniel Delaney proposing Delaney Barbecue for First Avenue (Tuesday)

EV heave: Regal Cinemas debuting 4DX at Union Square on March 25 with 'Batman V. Superman' (Monday)

Half the size but still Fabulous at Fanny's (Wednesday)

New frame shop for Third Avenue (Thursday)

Owners of Eleven B propose to open a Mexican restaurant in the former Mercadito space on B (Friday)

On East Sixth Street, TonkatsuYa is in soft-open mode (and Awash has a new awning) (Wednesday)

Someone stole this poster from Theatre 80 (Thursday)

A pop-up gallery arrives at 95 Avenue B (Saturday)

The former Bago space is for rent on First Avenue (Monday)

'Snowflake dessert' coming soon to Second Avenue (Tuesday)

St. Mark's Place without the Trash & Vaudeville signage; No. 4 in contract (Friday)

Avenue A sinkhole no longer sinking (for now) (Thursday)

Former bar turns into an architect's office on East 13th Street (Monday)

Rent the former Cock space on Second Avenue (Thursday)

At the former home of the Broadway flea market, condos will cost upwards of $22 million (Friday)

Second Avenue residential complex now complete with renderings on the plywood (Thursday)

Epically launching 100 Avenue A (Wednesday)

... and for everyone who says that we don't have enough motorcycle coverage here...


[Photo on Avenue A by Derek Berg]

Report: Jennifer's Way Bakery involved in $43 million lawsuit

Actress Jennifer Esposito is being sued by her investors, including her soon-to-be-ex husband, over her gluten-free food empire, which includes the bakery on East 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, the Post reports.

According to the Post, Esposito and investors Lawrence Wenner and David Drake got together in 2014 to expand the business with a commercial plant in Queens to bake and ship orders from her website. (The baked goods are made in-house on East 10th Street.)

Per the paper:

Wenner and Drake sank $250,000 each into the business and then loaned $1 million to the enterprise, court papers say.

Esposito was supposed to transfer ownership of the East Village bakery to the newly formed company, Jennifer’s Way Inc., which she failed to do, court papers allege.

The investors contend Esposito was difficult to work with, in one instance nixing the use of a corn-based ingredient because “she personally was allergic to corn, and not because it posed any sort of danger to those suffering from celiac disease.”

I'm no longer affiliated w/jennifersWay online ordering. Just storefront bakery. 4 more info check out Jennifer's way Facebook page #celiac

— Jennifer'sWay Bakery (@JWayBakeryNYC) February 21, 2016

There are more sordid details in the article, including that Esposito was served with a restraining order against bad-mouthing her investors on social media.

Espositio's lawyer said the case was baseless and she was "misled by her investors, and has done nothing wrong to warrant a lawsuit."

She offers more details in a blog post from March 1:

It is with great sadness to say this but as you know me by now, my #1 goal was to always be transparent in my mission to create a safe place for us celiacs and allergy sufferers.

As founder and creator of Jennifer’s Way Bakery and its associated products and recipes, and as a person suffering from celiac disease, my mission was to always bring you the highest quality, the purest and the safest products I could possibly create. From my storefront bakery in Manhattan, I am able to ensure that my products were not only solely my inventions, but that they were also safe for celiac sufferers to consume.

Unfortunately, for the time being, the larger brand of Jennifer’s Way products, the products you purchase online, has sadly been taken out of my control. I will not and cannot get into the gory details at this juncture, but keeping with my brand’s connotation, I owe my loyal customers a duty to notify them of these concerns.

Please know that I am in the process of and will regain control of my products and when I do, I will be sure to report to you. For now, however, I cannot endorse something I have been pushed out of with a clear conscious

Jennifer’s Way Bakery in NYC (263 East 10th St) is still alive and kicking with my wonderful loyal staff continuing to bring you the safest product run by this celiac herself.

The gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, soy-free, peanut-free, allergy-friendly, organic bakery opened on March 2, 2013.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Actress Jennifer Esposito's Jennifer's Way Bakery opening soon on East 10th Street (46 comments)

Sign of a lonely plant on East 4th Street

Vinny & O spotted this guilt-inducing stolen plant sign outside Bond Street Chocolate on East Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery...

Please return the plant.

It was very happy here. Its sibling is very lonely now.

When you put out a lot of trash bags on St. Mark's Place Saturday evening

You are treated to this on Sunday morning here in the Bubble Tea District between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



Looks like the remains of someone's apartment. Contents include two basketballs and one bag of thawed frozen waffles.

Practicing for Thursday

First Avenue and East Ninth Street...

Photo via @fnytv

A reminder about Daylight Saving Time

Just a reminder (cut and paste from the Google):

Daylight Saving Time (United States) 2016 begins at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 13

...and ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 6

So, if you're looking at The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on East Third Street ... it will actually be 6:15 rather than 5:15... or 2:40 instead of 1:40...

Pop-up gallery at 95 Avenue B through March 21

The recently renovated space at 95 Avenue B between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street will be home to the Mary Sky pop-up gallery through March 21.

The show here is titled Online Resource... here's more about it via the Vermont-based Mary Sky website:

Online Resource is an exhibition existing in both web and live formats, the first of its kind. The web exhibition is permanently on view at the portal below and onlineresource.co.uk

A wholly unique exhibition will be on view in the gallery for ten days only. The gallery show features "gifs brought to life" in paint and multimedia.

The opening was last night (sorry!) ... the exhibit officially opens today...

Gallery Open Hours: March 12-21, 11 am-9 pm
Artist Talk: Sunday March 13, 3 pm-4 pm

As we understand it, the space here is still for lease. The building went through a gut renovation last year. Part of the building was formerly home to Tu Casa, the recording studio that had been around since 1972.

Updated 3/13

There will be another exhibit in the space from March 25-28. Find details here.

Reader report: Car jumps curb, collides with Dunkin' Donuts on 1st Avenue

@evgrieve car jumped the curb into dunkin donuts pic.twitter.com/yeFck5XlQ4

— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) March 11, 2016

Close call outside the Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue and East Sixth Street early this evening.

According to witnesses, an older man was backing into a parking spot in front of the McDonald's when he apparently hit the accelerator by accident, driving up onto the sidewalk outside Dunkin' Donuts, taking out part of the railing in the process...



... narrowly avoiding hitting an estimated six people, including EVG Facebook friend Mike Diaz, who shared these photos...





The driver was also not injured, though he was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Updated

Here are two more photos via Derek Berg showing the aftermath...

Time for Pony Time

Seattle bass-and-drum duo Pony Time will be making their first NYC appearance in several years coming up on April 11 with a show at Shea Stadium BK in Williamsburg.

The video here for "Go Find Your Own" is from 2013.

Yuca Bar is back open tonight

[Photo by Steven]

Yuca Bar has been closed since last Sunday night's fire in an apartment above the restaurant on Avenue A and East Seventh Street... according to a sign on the door, Yuca returns this evening ... "with full bar and reduced menu" starting at 5:30.

The Hare Krishna tree is showing some green in Tompkins Square Park

Thanks to Goggla for the photo today...

And a bonus photo at the Park entrance on Avenue A and East Ninth Street...

Selling 123 Second Ave.

["Building sketch for illustration purposes only," via Compass]

George Pasternak, the landlord of 123 Second Ave., put the vacant plot of land up for sale, asking $9.7 million, as the Post first reported on Monday.

His building, which housed Pommes Frites and Sam's Deli, was destroyed along with two others last March 26 after a fatal gas explosion next door.

The marketing materials from the Compass brokerage firm are making the rounds. A tipster shared an email with us that included the above illustration and a link to the listing:

Vacant lot (25’ x 100’) for rental or condo development with commercial overlay offered for sale. 1031 exchange opportunity, in prime East Village location (2nd Ave and 7th Street), and currently zoned C1-5/R7A. FAR ranges from 3.45-4.6 subject to the DOB approval of proposed/planned build out, to be filed by potential purchaser post closing. Building sketch for illustration purposes only.

As Lois Weiss reported for the Post on Monday about the three fallen buildings, 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.:

[A]ll three properties were reclassified from apartments in Tax Class 2 to vacant land in Tax Class 4, which will bump their expected rates starting July 1.

While only Pasternak’s lot is for sale, each of the three lots, including the corner at 119 Second Ave., can host 10,000 buildable square feet for apartments, residential condominiums plus stores.

As previously reported, the DA last month charged No. 119 and 121 landlord Maria Hrynenko and her son, Michael Hrynenko Jr., with involuntary manslaughter ... as well as contractor Dilber Kukic and an unlicensed plumber, Athanasios Ioannidis. (A fifth person, Andrew Trombettas, faces charges for supplying his license to Ioannidis.)

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, someone placed more posters of the victims — Moises Ismael Locón Yac and Nicholas Figueroa — on the fence that surrounds the property...


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

Former residents talk about landlord Maria Hrynenko: 'it was clear she wanted to get rid of anyone with a rent-regulated apartment'

Report: 123 2nd Ave. is for sale

Owners of Eleven B propose to open a Mexican restaurant in the former Mercadito space on B

[Photo via @salim]

Mercadito has been closed now for just about a year at 179 Avenue B between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

If things work out, then there looks to be another Mexican restaurant opening in the space. Vincent Sgarlato, who owns Eleven B and 11B Express almost directly across Avenue B, will appear before CB3's SLA committee meeting on Monday for a new liquor license for the former Mercadito.

Paperwork (PDF!) made available to the public at the CB3 website shows a configuration of 19 tables and 38 seats. The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday; until 3 a.m. on Friday-Saturday.

There is not a working name listed just yet for the new restaurant.

CB3's SLA committee meeting is Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

P.S.
While on the topic of Mercadito... the former Mercadito Cantina space at 172 Avenue B between East 10th Street and East 11th Street remains empty and for rent. The space has been vacant since January 2011.

At the former home of the Broadway flea market, condos will cost upwards of $22 million

[EVG photo from last summer]

As previously noted, renderings for the 12-stories of condos rising at the former open-air shops on Broadway near East Fourth Street have made the rounds in recent years.

The Post had more details in an article yesterday titled "What it’s like to live on one of NYC’s secret streets." (H/T Curbed!)

The 16-unit project is known as One Great Jones Alley, which will include a "private gated alley."



According to the Post, sales will launch on St. Patrick's Day (woo, March Madness!). The units will will be priced from $4.62 million to $22 million. (Woo, March Madness!)

There's also a teaser site with a few more details and renderings... such as the master bathrooms...



... and the spa...



According to the One Great Jones Alley website, "the private wet spa pays homage to the bathhouses that once populated this area of Downtown Manhattan, incorporating Corten steel, Venetian plaster, stone, glass and wood throughout."

(Woo, March Madness!)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Retail plans revealed for 12-floor condo building replacing open-air market on Broadway

NoHo flea market gutted ahead of new condo project on Broadway

Looking at One Great Jones Alley, 'a private paradise'

Renderings via One Great Jones Alley

Something new for 9 St. Mark's Place, but not St. Mark's Place

A new sign arrived in late February at 9 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



The upstairs space will soon be home to Nohohon Tea Room, a bubble tea shop with a location in Toronto.

Here's more about their product via their website:

Nohohon Tea Room offers a healthier alternative flavours for bubble tea enthusiasts! Keeping true to the owner roots our green teas are imported from Japan and are steeped to the every guests’ order. Nohohon Tea Room specializes for Matcha drinks, which are hand whisked to each order ensuring maximum freshness.

Our tea is white-sugar Free and uses no artificial powders or powdered milk in the drinks. Pure sugar cane and organic agave are used as a basic sweetener. We also offers an option of sugar-free sweetener and dairy alternatives, Almond milk and Soy milk to cater to your dietary needs. We are also able to offer Vegan and Gluten-Free bubble teas ...

According to Bedford + Bowery, who first reported on Nohohon's arrival, this will make the sixth business to sell bubble tea in this block of St. Mark's Place. (And probably not the last.)

This space was previously home to the Brooklyn Dark Hemp Bar, which closed after just three months last October when the city said the cafe needed four sinks — one for soaking dishes, two others for sanitizing and rinsing dishes, and one for hand washing.

We don't know how many sinks are inside now ... at least three...



Previously on EV Grieve:
First U.S. hemp bar is now open on St. Mark's Place

[Updated] City forces the country's 1st Hemp Bar to close on St. Mark's Place

St. Mark's Place without the Trash & Vaudeville signage; No. 4 in contract

Meanwhile, across St. Mark's Place, workers removed the rest of the neon signage at Trash & Vaudeville at No. 4 on Wednesday.

As you know, the shop is relocating from its home here since 1975 to 96 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. They haven't announced an opening date just yet. Their website remains open for business should the need arise in the interim.

Last November, 4 St. Mark's Place, the landmarked building whose first owner in 1833 was Alexander Hamilton’s son, arrived on the market with an asking price of $11.9 million.

According to the Eastern Consolidated website, the building is in contract...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: After 40 years, punk rock mainstay Trash and Vaudeville is leaving St. Mark's Place

'Gentrification in Progress' tape arrives at former Trash & Vaudeville and Stage Restaurant spaces