Mother of Pearl and Honey Bee's close to make way for a larger Amor y Amargo on Avenue A

Changes are afoot at 95 Avenue A, East Village restaurateur Ravi DeRossi's complex of eating and dining establishments in the corner space on Sixth Street.

No. 95 housed three businesses: Honey Bee's, Amor y Amargo and Mother of Pearl. However, according to materials on file with Community Board 3, the spaces will be converted to accommodate a larger Amor y Amargo.

DeRossi is on CB3's SLA virtual docket tonight for the following changes at No. 95:

• Honey Bee's, Amor y Amargo and Mother of Pearl Room (Cien Fuegos LLC), 95 Ave A (op/alt/change method of operation: change current concepts of Honeybee's, a vegan Texas barbeque whiskey bar, and Mother of Pearl, a vegan tiki bar, to Amor y Amargo, a bitters bar).

A rep for Derossi Global confirmed the restructuring, and confirmed that Mother of Pearl and Honey Bee's have closed.



The expanded Amor y Amargo operation will now also include a full food menu.

Amor y Amargo debuted in 2011 with just a handful of seats, and quickly became celebrated as the country's first bitters-based bar.

Mother of Pearl opened here in July 2015, replacing another DeRossi venture, Gin Palace. Honey Bee's opened in May 2019 in the space that was Cienfuegos for 10 years.

DeRossi is known for switching up concepts in his restaurants either after a successful run or more quickly if the space doesn't pan out. In this case, the DeRossi rep said that the restructuring was "in response to COVID-19 and the new world we’re entering."

And 95 Avenue A is not the only DeRossi restaurant on tonight's CB3 agenda: He's changing the menu at Night Music:

• Night Music (Derossi Asia LLC), 111 E 7th St (b/alt/change method of operation: from a vegan Indian restaurant to a vegan Mexican restaurant)

Night Music, on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, opened last September.

At the beginning of the pandemic in NYC, Mother of Pearl distributed free school lunches during the week. DeRossi also distributed free vegan meals from Avant Garden on Seventh Street.

Hit Japanese coffee cafe Hi-Collar moves to a larger space on 9th Street

Hi-Collar, the Japanese cafe offering coffee and sandwiches by day and beer and sake in the evening, debuted in its new, larger home at 231 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue this past Friday.

Here's more about Bon Yagi's spot — part of the T.I.C. Restaurant group — via an Eater profile a few years back:

[E]spresso drinks are not pulled here. Instead the bar is dressed like a chemistry lab, with rows of coffee siphons, AeroPresses, and Hario V60 ceramic coffee drippers at the ready to make liquid magic.

Hi-Collar is, by Japanese standards, what's called a kissaten, a traditional Japanese coffee and tea house that also sells Japanese-American breakfast, sweets, and light lunch fare, usually including some sandwiches and even a pasta dish or two.

The move here takes over the East Village outpost of T.I.C.'s Sakagura.

The previous location of Hi-Collar on 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue closed two weeks ago ahead of the move... they opened here in the summer of 2013.

Last day for I Need More

[Leticia and Eddy]

In case you missed our post from Saturday... today is the last day for I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on Orchard Street...



We stopped by over the weekend, and it was surprisingly upbeat... there were still several items for sale — including the original I Need More t-shirts (though just xs remain as of today) ... EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted Raven a.k.a. Seaton Hancock from Murphy's Law at the shop...



The store is expected to be open today from noon to 6 p.m. or so, but you may want to call ahead before trekking down to 75A Orchard St. between Broome and Grand. While you're on Orchard Street, check out the rock-vintage goods across the street at The Cast.

Webb, who opened I Need More in October 2017, died on April 14 of cancer. He was 62.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES

About the for-rent sign at Tac N Roll on 4th Street

Tac N Roll's time has come to an end here — for now anyway — at 124 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

A for rent sign arrived outside the quick-serve cafe late last week.

Earlier this month, owner Eric Wong said that he was awaiting an insurance company assessment to see if he'd be able to cover damages from a looting the shop suffered late on May 31.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to receive compensation from the insurance company for our riot claim, and rather we keep depleting our funds to an empty space we asked the landlord to attempt to rent it or we can retake the space when the claim comes through," Wong said yesterday.

So a return is possible.

Most recently, Tac N Roll was sharing the space with the pop up Black 6 Coffee Trading Co. The veteran-owned company, which was created to fund the nonprofit organization the Black 6 Project, was serving coffee and a variety of breakfast parathas.

And Tac N Roll will continue with the pop ups, taking part in one this coming weekend at 50 Avenue A, the former Villa Cemita space. Wong, a Marine veteran, is teaming up with the incoming Milk Money Kitchens, whose founder and CEO, Nancy Preston, is an Army veteran who served as a Brigade Engineer building bases in Iraq.

View this post on Instagram

Come join us July 25th & 26th from 10am-2pm for a Pop Up alongside @black6coffee and @andersons_icecream hosted by @milkmoneykitchens 📍50 Ave A, New York, NY 10009 . . . . . . #tacnrollnyc #black6coffee #andersons_icecream #milkmoneykitchens #foodporn #foodbeast #nycwff #nycfoodie #eeeeeats #foodandwine #eater #thrillist #zagat #newforkcity #foursquare #timeoutnewyork #foodnetwork #amnyeats #evgrieve #paratha #coffee #icecream #saverestaurants #toosmalltofail #supportlocal #smallbusiness #covid19 #nycsbs #smallbizsos

A post shared by Tac N Roll (@tacnrollnyc) on Jul 17, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

Wong opened Tac N Roll in December 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The Black 6 Coffee Trading Co. takes up temporary residency on 4th Street

A locksmith for this retail space on 10th Street

From the EVG tipline... a report that a locksmith opened last week at 241 E. 10th St. just west of First Avenue.

The small space was until December 2019 home to United Copy & Print.

The former Lions & Tigers & Squares space is for rent on 2nd Avenue

As noted last week, the East Village outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares had apparently closed. Workers were spotted cleaning out the pizzeria, including scraping the restaurant's name off the front windows here on Second Avenue at 10th Street.

The signage, which some commenters thought looked fitting for a car wash, was removed... and a for-rent sign arrived late last week...



Also arriving on the front door: Legal documents from the landlord, stating that rent from April through July — at $16k per month — is past due...



The Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team debuted in this high-profile corner space back in October.

The first Lions & Tigers & Squares remains open on 23rd Street in Chelsea.

Week in Grieview

[Tompkins Square Park this morning]

Posts this last week included...

• Body of dismembered, decapitated man found inside residence on Houston and Suffolk (Tuesday) Reports: Police arrest former personal assistant in murder of tech CEO (Friday)

• The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES (Saturday)

• Bali Kitchen closes on Aug. 1: "COVID-19 was too much for us" (Thursday)

• Gemini Rosemont buys third parcel on 2nd Avenue for future development (Friday)

• Odessa's longtime manager says the diner is closing for good; co-owner later says they're just closing for renovations (Monday)

• The Russian & Turkish Baths have NOT permanently closed on 10th Street (Monday)

• New community coalition helping keep Avenue B safe for cyclists and pedestrians (Monday)

• These East Village streets are now part of the expanded Open Restaurants initiative (Saturday)

• Veeray Da Dhaba bringing the "authentic roadside cuisine of Punjab" to 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday)

• Checking in on Pause Cafe (Thursday)

• Flashback Friday: Take a virtual tour of the Brant Foundation's Basquiat exhibit from 2019 (Friday)

• Report of a fire at 67 Avenue D (Wednesday)

• Retail space at 4 St. Mark's Place, onetime home of Trash & Vaudeville, is for rent again (Wednesday)

• Stranded Records is back open (Friday)

• INA NYC closes 13th Street outpost (Wednesday)

• On 2nd thought, C&B finishes its curbside seating with the help of the DOT (Tuesday)

• Mystery dig behind the St. Brigid School (Wednesday)

• Shell shock! Lost turtles return to La Plaza Cultural (Wednesday)

• Calling out a plant thief on 7th Street (Thursday)

• Oscar watch on 2nd Street (Monday)

• The new-look 151 Avenue A (Thursday)

• Formerly interesting new business closes on 1st Avenue and 14th Street (Monday)

• The Standard East Village sets reopening date (Monday)

... and as seen on Avenue B at East Houston...


[Photo by Vinny & O]

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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

The fast and the squirrious: Juvenile hawk gives chase in Tompkins Square Park

Amelia and Christo's 2020 offspring are all grown up now, and doing red-tailed-hawk things, like chasing squirrels in Tompkins Square Park.

Derek Berg got these shots the other day as one of the juveniles put the heat on a squirrel... who managed to get away...







As always, Goggla has been busy documenting the activities of the whole fam. Check out her site for updates here.

Area under heat advisory today and tomorrow

NYC is under a heat advisory starting today at noon, lasting through tomorrow at 8 p.m. Cooling centers are open across the city. To find the nearest location call 311 or visit the City’s Cooling Center Finder. This city map provides details on public spray showers as well as tree shade.

Meanwhile, @Newyorkist shared this photo from this morning on Second Avenue and 14th Street. And yes — a few people have pointed out that the man is being inconsiderate for not wearing a mask.

EVG Etc.: Inside the COVID Rent Relief Program; Update on the tech CEO murder

[Photo on 7th Street by Derek Berg]

• An explainer on New York state’s COVID Rent Relief Program (Curbed)

• Aunt says accused killer Tyrese Devon Haspil "was a quiet young man, at times annoying, but incapable of the cold-blooded murder of victim Fahim Saleh" (Daily News ... previously on EVG)

• Why gets to drink outdoors in NYC? "Nobody is drinking pouches of colorful cocktails underneath the floodlights on Avenue D." (Grub Street)

• Without jobs in bars and restaurants, what will happen to the city's creative class? (The Associated Press)

• Inside Abolition Park (The Indypendent)

• A unique season package at the New York Theatre Workshop on Fourth Street — a subscription to the artists, rather than to a roster of plays (The Washington Post)

• The online screenings and events at the Anthology Film Archives (Official site)

• Empire State Building observatory reopens Monday (USA Today)

• ICYMI: A Sonic Youth album guide (Brooklyn Vegan)

• Diversions: When the Ramones appeared on the Sha Na Na television variety show in 1979 (Boing Boing)

The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

I Need More, the rock 'n' roll boutique that Jimmy Webb owned and operated on Orchard Street, closes Monday after three-plus years. The store announced their closure in an Instagram post last month.

Webb, who opened I Need More in October 2017, died on April 14 of cancer. He was 62.

I stopped by to speak with Eddy, the manager, about Jimmy, the store's last days and the future.



"We want people to come by, reminisce and talk about Jimmy: laugh, cry, dance ... to be happy," he said. "Even though Jimmy's gone and the store will soon be gone, he will live on in the spirit. The rock 'n' roll spirit. Jimmy lived his life to the fullest, living out his dream. He was a fighter and would say that he had a great life. Whenever I am lost I ask myself, WWJD? What would Jimmy do? He would say, 'Keep your pants tight. If the clothes aren't tight, it's not rock-n-roll!'"










[A look in the now-closed basement]

One much-requested item that sold out immediately online is the original I Need More T-shirt design. Eddy's says it will be back in stock and available only for in-person purchase and pick up at the store, starting today (Saturday!) at around 1 p.m. Sizes available include unisex or men's cut from sizes xs to xxl and women's cut from xs to large.





All other merchandise is discounted steeply right now and Eddy hopes to sell much of it prior to Monday’s closing.

Curious about what will happen to the cement footprints, handprints and autographs? Eddy says there are currently no plans in place to sell them or remove them, that the store needs to "pack up and leave ASAP, that the autographs will stay and the next tenants will be very lucky."

He says if anyone in interested in purchasing these items, or the Slash drawing on the bar, they should contact him and he'll put them in touch with Jimmy's estate. (Slash, the guitarist for Guns N' Roses, was a longtime friend and supporter.)







In early 2020, the shop hosted a "Footprints in February" celebration, in which Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop put their handprints, footprints and autographs in concrete on the floor of I Need More...











While I was there drummer and tattoo artist Bob Nelson of Five Points Tattoo dropped by to talk about Jimmy and pick up some remaining bullet belts.



Store hours are extended, currently through Monday's closing date, noon until 6 p.m., possibly 7 p.m. if there's a need. I Need More is at 75A Orchard St. between Broome and Grand.

A pop-up breakfast service on Avenue A

[Image via @MilkMoneyKitchens]

Milk Money Kitchens is hosting a pop-up breakfast service at 50 Avenue A (the former Villa Cemita space) between Third Street and Fourth Street today from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (They did this last Saturday as well.)

Today's menu: gluten free lemon-ricotta pancakes with blackberry compote and maple syrup with crispy bacon sprinkles (optional!) ... and chia seed pudding with blackberries and natural dates. And there's coffee by The Bungalow.

Milk Money Kitchens, which provides commercial kitchen rentals and consulting services for food businesses, is opening soon right next door on Avenue A. Nancy Preston, the company's founder and CEO, is a 10-year Army veteran, and served as a Brigade Engineer building bases in Iraq.

These East Village streets are now part of the expanded Open Restaurants initiative

[Photo via @astorplacenyc]

As you may have seen, Mayor de Blasio yesterday extended the Open Restaurants program until the end of October, giving NYC restaurants two extra months to serve sidewalk and curbside meals.

Also! The mayor announced that the city was providing a weekend expansion for outdoor dining options — a combo of Open Streets and Open Restaurants.

Per the city's release:

The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. Restaurants on these corridors will go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles. Selected corridors will be operational on Friday from 5-11 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11 P.M. The 26 new locations bring the citywide total to 47 participating streets.

And around here, the new street dining — weekends only — will happen on:

• St Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue
• Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street
• Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue
• Bleecker Street between Mott Street and the Bowery

As the top photo shows, the outdoor dining on St. Mark's Place already has branding — Street Feast.

Friday's parting shot

Dog-window action on 12th Street today via Vinny & O...

Lover's rock

Local synth-pop group Hennessey have released a new single — a cover of "We Will Not Be Lovers" by the Waterboys (from that band's 1988 album Fisherman's Blues). Read more about that track at Paste.

"We Will Not Be Lovers" is the second single off Hennessey's forthcoming debut EP on Velvet Elk.

Hennessey is performing tonight at the Bowery Electric as part of the venue's ongoing livestream series. Learn more about that here.

Noted

From the EVG inbox: A reader shares that someone tagged the statue of Samuel S. Cox at the Seventh Street and Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park.

Cox (1824–1889) was a longtime member of Congress who "spearheaded legislation that led to paid benefits and a 40-hour workweek for postal employees."

However, according to the History News Network: "Cox fancied himself a champion of the United States Constitution but somehow his interpretation of the Constitution always seemed to deny rights to Blacks. On June 2, 1862, a year after the Civil War had begun but six months before the Emancipation Proclamation, Cox argued in Congress that the United States was made for white men only."

Stranded Records is back open

[Image via @strandedrecords]

Stranded Records reopened today for weekend business here at 218 E. Fifth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

For now, their hours are Friday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (Masks required to enter.)

This outpost of the new-and-used vinyl retailer, which started in Oakland in 2012 and expanded to San Francisco several years later, debuted in the East Village in April 2019.

The shop shares ownership with archival label Superior Viaduct. Label artists include Glenn Branca, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, DNA, the Fall, the Gun Club, Charles Mingus, the Residents and Suicide, to name a few.

Reports: Police arrest former personal assistant in murder of tech CEO

[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Police have a suspect in custody for the murder and dismemberment of tech CEO Fahim Saleh in his apartment on Houston and Suffolk Monday.

The New York Times has more on the suspect, identified as Saleh's former personal assistant.

Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, was expected to be charged in a criminal complaint with second degree murder and other crimes.

Detectives believe that the motive for the killing stemmed from Mr. Saleh having discovered that the assistant had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from him, despite the fact that Mr. Saleh had not reported the man and had set up what amounted to a repayment plan for him to return the money, one of the officials said.

Saleh was found decapitated and dismembered on Tuesday. Police offices yesterday said that Saleh was stabbed to death. According to the NYPD and published reported, Saleh used a key fob to select his seventh-floor residence in the elevator Monday afternoon. Surveillance footage shows a man wearing black and carrying a bag following him on and acting like he selected a different floor.

When they arrived on the seventh floor, the man followed Saleh, possibly knocking him out with a taser.

Police believe the killer was interrupted at the scene by Saleh's sister, who had come to the building to check on her brother.

Updated 7/18:

Gothamist has a summary of the arrest and charges here. Haspil was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was held without bail after his arraignment early today.

Gemini Rosemont buys third parcel on 2nd Avenue for future development

As expected, Gemini Rosemont Development bought the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street.

The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building — announced yesterday — is the third of three contiguous parcels between Second Street and Third Street acquired by the firm this year for future development. Gemini Rosemont closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March for $40 million.

The total lot area of the assembled site is 14,075 square feet, according to city records. The combined development site can accommodate an as-of-right buildable area of 75,908 square feet and up to 101,210 square feet of residential area under the city's Inclusionary Housing Program.

Development plans have not been made public. Meanwhile, demolition permits have already been filed for the former Church of the Nativity and the adjacent building.



La Salle purchased the Annex property in 1966 to provide additional space for its large population of students during that era. Since 2010, the Annex served as the home of the Brothers' Community that was associated with the school and provided office space for some members of the school's administrative staff.

According to a press release on the sale, proceeds are earmarked for school's endowment.

A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale are earmarked for La Salle Academy’s endowment fund, boosting the school’s financial stability and its ability to meet the growing needs of the segment of its student population who require tuition assistance. La Salle Academy, which currently occupies the top three floors of St. George’s Ukrainian School on East Sixth Street off Second Avenue, will continue to operate at its present location.

Brother Thomas Casey current president of La Salle Academy, remarked enthusiastically, "This sale will benefit La Salle students far into the future."

La Salle Academy's former school building and Brothers' Residence on Second Street, which is currently leased by the Nord Anglia International School, are not included in the transaction.

The Church of the Nativity closed after a service on July 31, 2015, merging with Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street.

As previously reported, the Cooper Square Community Land Trust had explored buying the former Church of the Nativity to use as low-income housing.

As for the future of 38-48 Second Ave., the Gemini Rosemont website notes that they look to rent to "tenants in high growth and tech centric industries."

Flashback Friday: Take a virtual tour of the Brant Foundation's Basquiat exhibit from 2019

[Photo by James Maher]

In case you missed the Brant Foundations's Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit last year... the currently-closed space on Sixth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is now offering a 360 VR tour of the show as seen in the four-level space owned by Peter M. Brant.

The exhibit, open to the public for two-plus months, featured some 70 works collectively valued at $1 billion. You can start exploring at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• A Basquiat-at-the-Brant Foundation reader