Today's special: Milk Money Kitchens bringing food-consulting business to Avenue A

50 Avenue A finally has a new tenant.

Signage arrived over the weekend here between Third Street and Fourth Street for Milk Money Kitchens, which provides commercial kitchen rentals and consulting services for food businesses and designer kitchens for home cooks, per their website. (Their tagline: "Offering Rental Kitchens & Services that Help Food Entrepreneurs and Home Cooks Live Out Their Passion.")

Nancy Preston, the company's founder and CEO, is a 10-year Army veteran, and served as a Brigade Engineer building bases in Iraq.

This retail space had been on the market since the Citibank branch closed in January 2017.

The storefront's exterior now features the second coming of the cowboy mural by Solus.

A P.S. related:

Perhaps Milk Money can help fill the void created by the sudden closure of the food incubator Pilotworks this past weekend. Guess that means Pilotworks really isn't taking that space at 347 Bowery.

Last week to see work by Al Diaz and SAMO© at the Same Old Gallery on Great Jones

The Same Old Gallery, curated by Adrian Wilson and Brian Shevlin, featuring an exhibit of old and new work by Al Diaz, ends its run at 57 Great Jones St. on Saturday evening.

Wilson was originally hopeful that he could use the space through the end of December.

As previously reported, the front part of No. 57 west of the Bowery had been sitting unused. The back of the building houses Bohemian, an exclusive (referral-only) Japanese restaurant. They will be expanding in January, and gave Wilson access to the space rent-free.

"Unfortunately, as the space was donated for free by the leaseholders, this was always going to be a temporary gallery," Wilson told me. "It was always guaranteed for Al's show, and I hoped they would then let me keep it open until they start renovation on January, but [the landlord] liked what we did so much they have rented the space for a Christmas market, selling gifts.

"It's kind of sad but also very perfect that the one and only exhibition there will be Al."


[Al Diaz and friends via Adrian Wilson]

Diaz, who grew up in the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D, started writing graffiti at age 12. As a teen in the late 1970s, he and Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborated on a series of cryptic messages seen around the city signed from SAMO©.

The gallery is inside the building once owned by Andy Warhol. Jean-Michel Basquiat lived and worked here at the time of his death in 1988.





The gallery hours are from 2-7 p.m. through Saturday.

Meanwhile, you can listen to my recent podcast with Diaz right here (or download it for later)...

The Coffee Shop closed on Union Square, and what it might mean for NYC's restaurant biz

[Via The Coffee Shop's Instagram account]

As you probably know, the Coffee Shop closed Sunday on Union Square after 28 years in business. (You can find photos from the last day at Gothamist.)

The rising cost of rent and wages were reportedly behind the closure.

Forbes had a piece back on Friday with Coffee Shop co-owner and president Charles Milite — who opened the space in 1990 with two other Wilhelmina models, Eric Petterson and Carolyn Benitez — that provides some perspective on the challenges of running a presumably successful restaurant here and now and in the future.

Milite told Forbes that rent had become “unusually high,” accounting for close to 27 percent of the restaurant’s gross revenues. Add in the scheduled $2-per-hour minimum wage hike set to take place on December 31 — an increase that, across Coffee Shop’s 150 employees and multiple dayparts of service, would have added $46,000 to the monthly payroll — made it impossible to break even by cutting costs elsewhere.

“It’s a wakeup call for our industry in general,” Milite said. “When a restaurant is one of the top-ranked restaurants in America, sales-wise, and can no longer afford to operate, you have to look at that and say there’s a shifting paradigm in the business.”

Milite predicts that this shift will lead to the gradual disappearance of 200- and 300-seat restaurants like Coffee Shop; in their places will come eateries with smaller, more focused menus and limited service. He’s already trying this with Flats Fix, a fast-casual taqueria right next to Coffee Shop on 16th Street.

A bank branch is rumored to be taking the space, Forbes reported.

Monday's parting shot

Early morning neon glow on East Houston...

St. Dymphna's is closing this weekend after 24 years on St. Mark's Place

A reliable EVG tipster said that St. Dymphna's, a neighborhood hangout at 118 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, would close after service this Saturday, Oct. 20.

We did receive official confirmation on the closure. We reached out to the owners for more information on the decision to close St. Dymphna's, a favorite local spot known for its perfectly poured pints of Guinness and traditional Irish breakfast.

The pub, named for the patron saint of the mentally ill, opened in 1994.

The owners, Eric Baker and sisters Patricia and Raquel Sanguedo (Baker and Patricia Sanguedo are married), also opened Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place in December 2016. That space is currently used for special events. (Patricia and Raquel also operate Noz Catering.)

In 2017, Conor Oberst had a song titled "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out" on his Salutations album. The video was filmed at the bar... seems like a nice way to end this post...



Meanwhile, the St. Dymphna's Instagram account is now posting photos with #rememberingstdymphnas.

Black Emperor slated for 2nd Avenue

A group of applicants whose résumé includes bars and restaurants in the Bowery Hotel and Arlo NoMad Hotel are looking to open Black Emperor at 197 Second Ave.

The applicants, including David Massoni and John Bush, will appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight for a new liquor license for the former Schoolbred's space between 12th Street and 13th Street.

According to the detailed application at the CB3 website, Black Emperor would include nine table for 35 patrons as well as a 10-seat bar and a four-table sidewalk cafe. (Shoolbred's was also licensed to operate on the sidewalk.)

The food is described as "Asian fusion tapas," and here's a look a the menu via the application...



Black Emperor would open at 5 p.m., with a closing time of 2 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. (And 1 a.m. Sunday.)

Massoni and Bush have opened several establishments via their Three Kings Restaurant Group, starting with Thistle Hill Tavern in Park Slope as well as the above-mentioned hotel spots. (East Village residents may know Bush from his days bartending at 2A and Niagara.)

Shoolbred's closed in June 2017 after nearly 10 years in business.

Tonight's SLA committee meeting takes place starting at 6:30 in the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

Merakia owners swap out the Wayside for Greekito on 12th Street

[Photo Saturday night by Christopher Pelham]

On 12th Street at Third Avenue, the Wayside has gone by the wayside... and the owners have turned the space into Greekito (Greek 'n'Roll), a cafe serving Greek tacos, beer and wine, and coffee...


[Photo Saturday by EVG reader Laura]

The sign notes that this is Greekito by Merakia... last fall, these owners opened Merakia: Greek MountainThief Spithouse + Steak on West 21st Street that Eater described as a "stone-cold-stunner of a space."

The Wayside, a coffee shop with a variety of pleasant cafe fare, opened in July 2013.

Full reveal at 287 E. Houston St. (aka 287/LES)

[Saturday]

Workers removed the scaffolding and construction netting from 287 E. Houston St. late last week... providing a full reveal of the 11-floor condoplex — called 287/LES — here between Clinton and Suffolk...


[Friday]

As previously reported, the 120-foot-tall luxury building features 27 residences ... with two to four units on each story, including two duplexes on the first and second floors and a penthouse duplex on the top two floors. The units start at $1.175 million.

Here's more about 287/LES via Corcoran:

287/LES is the most successful ground-up new development on Houston Street. An Italian-inspired presence resonates outside with an elegant façade comprised of blackened steel, black textured brick and oversized floor-to-ceiling windows.

Amenities include a part-time doorman complemented by virtual doorman technology, a full-time superintendent, a fitness center, bicycle storage, private storage for purchase, supplemental commercial-grade laundry room, and a landscaped common rooftop terrace with outdoor kitchen.

And the final product...


[AA Studio]

The lot here previously housed a tax-preparation business; a landscaping business also shared part of the property.


[Google Street View]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Quickly reaching the top of 287 E. Houston St.

11 stories of condos to join the growing East Houston residential corridor

[Updated] Lumos Kitchen now appears to be closed for good

As mentioned last Tuesday, Lumos Kitchen, 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street, hasn't been open in recent months. A sign on the door since early August notes a temporary closure and the words "gas meter."

On Saturday afternoon, EVG reader Harry Weiner spotted workers removing the contents of the restaurant, which is now mostly empty...



There is a Stop Work Order order for the address dating to late July for "gas work done without a permit" in the kitchen of the restaurant.

To date there isn't any mention of a closure on the Lumos website or social media properties.

The restaurant, serving a menu of French- and Chinese-influenced cuisine, opened in early April. An EVG reader who lives nearby estimates that Lumos has not been open since the end of July.

If this is permanent, then this marks the fourth restaurant — joining Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — to close here since March 2015.

Updated 10/19

The Marshal came calling yesterday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen remains closed

Coffee probably for St. Mark's and 2nd Avenue, and the rent is still due at the former DF Mavens

EVG DF Mavens correspondent Steven continues to monitor the former DF Mavens space on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place.

And in recent interior revelations ... we have the makings of coffee ...





The contractors here say they don't know who the new tenant is.

Meanwhile, as we've seen in recent years, another past-due rent notice arrived on the door late last week...





DF Mavens, the vegan ice cream shop, closed in January 2016 after opening in December 2014. (The coming soon signage arrived in October 2013.)

Before the Mavens, the prime corner space was the cafe Eastside Bakery (.net?). And there was Roastown Coffee before that. And how could we forget Pizzanini? Or the Gap?!

Another look at Village Square Pizza, coming soon to Avenue A

Here's a Day 2 look at the Village Square Pizza signage, which arrived back on Friday at 147 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street...



The pizzeria's Instagram account says this: "New gourmet pizza shop opening in the East Village."

So "gourmet" probably doesn't mean $1 pizza. We'll see soon enough.

Anyway, Village Square Pizza makes five places for slices on Avenue A: Muzzarella, Baker's, 99-cent Pizza and Two Boots. (There's a pizza place coming to 20 Avenue A as well.)

Eggoo, which sold Hong Kong egg waffles and ice cream sandwiches, was at No. 147 for a year. Before that we had La Lucha for six years.

Sunday's parting shot

At the Open Day at the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street... photo by Derek Berg...

Week in Grieview

[Kramer on 6th at A]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

2nd Avenue gas explosion defendants due back in court on Monday (Thursday)

Preparing for Saturday's dinner at Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street (Friday)

Owner of Tompkins Square Bagels wants to bring the old Liquiteria vibe back to the original space (Thursday)

The gutting of 180 2nd Avenue continues (Wednesday)

Dojo looks to have closed for good (Friday)

Tree Bistro's back garden badly damaged in last week's 1st Avenue fire (Monday) ... Report: 188 1st Ave. survives fire; back extension must be demolished (Monday)

Coffee is in your future at this new café on 7th Street (Thursday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Heavy-duty fencing arrives as playground renovations continue in Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

Report: Arrest made in armed robbery of Mona's on Avenue B (Tuesday)

The Marshal seizes Papa John's on 1st Avenue (Monday)

The Vitamin Shoppe on 14th Street and 1st Avenue is closing (Tuesday)

It's possible to get the Impossible Burger at Sidewalk now (Friday)

80 stories of glass now at One Manhattan Square (Monday)

Name reveal: Emmy Squared's grilled-pizza sibling will be called Violet on 5th Street (Wednesday)

New cafe alert: JQK Floral Tea slated for 11th Street (Tuesday)

Grand Opening continues at the Dumpling Shop on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

That Nutella Cafe is shaping up on University Place (Wednesday)

StuyFitness debuts on 14th Street (Monday)

Here's your Möge Tee signage on Cooper Square (Monday)

C Lounge debuts on Avenue C (Friday)

... and on Tuesday, we reported that Tony (aka Abdul), the longtime owner of the deli at 123 Avenue A (and apparently the owner of the building) died... photographer Thomas Anomalous shared this photo of Tony on Instagram from September 2005...



Anomalous had moved away from the East Village in the early 2000s and returned several years later. As he wrote, in part, on Instagram:

Virtually no one remembered me, except for Abdul. He shook my hand warmly and said he had wondered what had happened to me many times over the years. I asked where everyone from the old days had gone. He said “There is no one left but you and I, my friend.”

-----

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Report: It's 'Crusty vs. Postie' on 2nd Avenue

New York Post reporter Dean Balsamini reports that he was punched by a traveler/crusty while looking into the annual migration that has seen the group camped out on the corner of Second Avenue at Seventh Street at the site of the 2015 deadly gas explosion.

Balsamini described the alleged attacker, named Zeke, as having a "farm-animal musk" and "Charles Manson eyes." Wrote Balsamini: "Crusty vs. Postie."

A passage from the article published today:

One terrified 64-year-old retiree blamed the city’s decriminalization of quality-of-life offenses.

“The fish stinks from the head,” he fumed. “From de Blasio on down. He doesn’t care. He’s too busy at the gym.”

Jose Amigon, co-owner of Paul’s Da Burger Joint, was beaten with his own broom in June when he asked a sleeping crusty to move as he swept outside his store.

Not long after I was crusty-creamed, 9th Precinct Capt. John O’Connell called me to make sure I was OK, saying, “This is upsetting to me.”

[Enz's owner Mariann] Marlowe said my Wednesday-afternoon whipping prompted action. O’Connell has stopped by her store at least three times since, and a cop is now posted on the block.

The Post has a history of conflict with the travelers. In 2015, when the travelers camped outside the new Cooper Union academic building, a group of them threatened a reporter and photographer with taunts and cookies.



Per that article:

Nine of the drifters were splayed out on bits of cardboard Thursday morning, and began hurling insults, water and bits of cookie when approached by a reporter.

“I was going to chase him down and beat the s–t out of him,” one thin, bedraggled man spat in anger.

“If I ever see you or that photographer again, I’ll kick the s–t out of you,” he threatened.

Today is the last day to visit the Marble cemeteries for the year

[41 1/2 Second Ave.]

Both the Marble cemeteries in the neighborhood are open today to the public.

• The New York Marble Cemetery is at 41 1/2 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street (above). Their hours today: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The New York City Marble Cemetery is on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue (below). Their hours today: noon to 6 p.m.

Art project in the Park

The benches in the Central Plaza of Tompkins Square Park are marked with colored tape... an EVG reader reports that this is some kind of student art project about art and spatial relationships (or something to that effect) ... in case you were wondering... the students are apparently nearby monitoring this...

It's fall, and the bicycles are starting to fall from the trees in Tompkins Square Park

Photo today by Derek Berg...

'Tough Broads' take the screen this weekend at the Lower Eastside Girls Club

In case you haven't seen this...the Lower Eastside Girls Club is hosting its first Tough Broads Film Festival this weekend.

The festival started last night and continues today and tomorrow with "films featuring feminist icons — women of a ‘certain age’ who have led full lives starting with early forays into activism which only deepened over time."

Today's screenings: "The Rest I Make Up," "Dolores" and "BadddDDD Sonia Sanchez."
Sunday's screening: "What Happened Miss Simone?" and "Chavela."

Each screening opens with a documentary short, "Meet My Grandmother," produced by a Girls Club member.

Find the festival program with more info at this link. And ticket info is here.

The screenings are FREE and at the Lower Eastside Girls Club, 402 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D.

The 'Joyce' theater

Canada's Fucked Up released their fifth record — a double LP titled Dose Your Dreams — last Friday on Merge. The video here is for "Raise Your Voice Joyce" ... and "Two I’s Closed" to show off their art hardcore for good measure.

Breaking: Village Square Pizza signage arrives on Avenue A

The signage is going up for the new tenant at 147 Avenue A — Village Square Pizza.

This is at the former Eggloo spot between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

It's unknown at the moment what the "Square" stands for... possibilities include:

• An open (typically four-sided) area surrounded by buildings in a town, village or city.
• A play on Tompkins Square Park, which is directly across the Avenue
• The shape of the pizza
• A person who is conventional and old-fashioned.
• All the above (though likely not No. 4)
• None of the above.

To be continued.

Thanks to Steven for the photo!