Gaia Italian Café Shop is coming to the East Village

Photos by Stacie Joy

Gaia Italian Café Shop has a new home base that East Village fans will appreciate for its proximity.

Coming soon signage is up at 226 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C... for, presumably, what will be a takeout space/shop for Gaia and a home base for the online business...

After nine years, Gaia Bagnasacco closed her popular business on July 26, 2020, at 251 E. Houston St. between Norfolk and Suffolk. 

Bagnasacco then created her pasta, meal kits, and sauces that she sold via an online shop, all available for local delivery, from a space on the LES.

There's no word just yet on an opening date for Third Street. You can follow the Gaia Instagram account for updates ... and order food for delivery here. 

H/T Krikor Daglian

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Closing Day at Gaia's Italian Café

The taco cart is BACK on 2nd Street and Avenue A

After missing in action for about six weeks, the taco cart is back on Avenue A and Second Street. 

OK, it's actually a different cart with a new name — Tacos Mary now (Tacos Cholula before). 

However, an EVG reader who shared the photo here from Tuesday night says the workers are the same. Apparently, this operation is related to the Tacos Mary out in Queens. 

Also! A reliable source tells us that the fruit vendor will be back soon on Sixth Street and First Avenue. Also, MIA these past few weeks.

Report: Relief supplies for Ukraine stolen from 2nd Avenue nonprofit

Updated 3/19: The Post published a surveillance video showing two vans and masked thieves taking boxes from the building.

Donations destined for Ukraine have been stolen from an East Village building, according to police and media sources.

The supplies, including 400 bulletproof vests, were taken from the offices of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women's League of America on Second Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

Police responded around 9:15 a.m. to a call of a burglary, the Associated Press reported. 

Per the AP via ABC 7: 

Andrij Dobriansky, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, said last week that the plan was for donated gear to be shipped by air to Poland and then transported into Ukraine. 

The items were most likely to be used by civilian security and medical teams, including citizens who have joined the fight against the Russian military, not Ukrainian soldiers themselves, officials said. 

The Post noted that the used vests were donated by the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office. Officials there were working to confirm the report.

Cooper Union: Longtime Stuyvesant Street businesses 'informed us of their decision to vacate the property'

Photo from March 11 by Steven 

Cooper Union, the landlord of four popular businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue, says the tenants have "informed us of their decision to vacate the property." The landlord also said the tenants haven't paid any rent since 2020.

Yesterday afternoon, school officials responded to reports that the tenants — Angel's Share, Village Yokocho, Panya Bakery and Sunrise Mart, all operated by Yoshida Restaurant Group — were involved in a rent dispute, that the long-term leases were set to expire at the end of the month. 

The story began this past Wednesday night when a server at Village Yokocho told a customer, and New York Times correspondent Alex Vadukul, they were closing "due to [a] massive rent hike." Vadukul, a gifted reporter, recounted what he heard from staff in a series of tweets that sparked several follow-up stories, including at Grub Street and Gothamist (and EVG). 

In a statement to EVG, a Cooper Union spokesperson provided the following: 

Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020. 

Additionally, we offer clarification of a few facts here: 

• The formula for calculating rent on these properties has been in place for some 30 years and has never been changed. 

• While the tenants of these properties have not made any rent payments since 2020, they have continued operations in these spaces. We have repeatedly sought to arrive at a good-faith agreement. 

• Lastly, for context, we should note that The Cooper Union is midway through a 10-year plan to return to full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates. These properties help to generate revenue for student scholarships.

It's not immediately clear if any of the businesses will relocate (several workers said this in previous reports). A bartender told this to Grub Street's Chris Crowley late last week: "There's an 85 percent chance that we close. It's okay, though, because we're gonna relocate."

Yoshida Restaurant Group has not publically commented on future plans for these businesses. 

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. There are now also locations in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

Cooper Union did not respond to a follow-up email about what might be next for these retail spaces.

Updated 3/17: The Cooper Union spokesperson said that the school had no new plans for a new building here.

A broken gate at 89 1st Ave., where permits are still pending for a new building

Photos by Steven

The entrance gate is broken to the lot at 89 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street... (Updated 3/18: Someone repaired the entrance!)

This sighting prompted several queries from EVG readers, mostly about what might be happening with this long-empty space.

Aside from the broken gate and new tags on the neighboring walls, not much seems to be happening here. Our last post on the property came on Sept. 1. Late last summer, legal documents affixed to the fence stated that the city has a legal right to enter the property "for the purpose of inspecting and abating the nuisance existing thereupon in violation of the health and safety requirements of the New York City health code."

These days, the lot is relatively free of discarded boxes and trash (compared to what we've seen). 

Not much else has changed. There are still permits pending from May 2020 with the city for a 6-floor building with eight residential units and ground-floor retail. In total, the proposed structure is 8,183 square feet.

Public records show that the city disapproved the plans again just yesterday, with a note stating: "Appointment required to resolve objections." 

Our previous post has a little more of the history of this space. Here's one piece: In December 2017, workers dismantled the sculpture fence that lined this lot for years (since the late 1980s, per one estimate). The fence was created at the former Gas Station (aka Art Gallery Space 2B) on Avenue B and Second Street by Claire Kalemkeris and Johnny Swing in collaboration with Linus Coraggio.  

Openings: Nudibranch on 1st Avenue

The new home of Nudibranch recently debuted at 125 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Nudibranch got its start last spring as a pop-up restaurant across the way at 130 First Ave.

The chefs here, Jeff Kim, Matt Lee and Victor Xia, alum of Momofuku Ssäm and other fine-dining establishments, are offering a tasting menu. (Find that menu here.) As Eater noted, "the restaurant features several interpretations of dishes the team piloted when Nudibranch was operating as a pop-up last spring, such as its shaoxing mushroom dish with egg yolk."

Nudibranch is open Wednesday-Sunday from 5:30-10 p.m., with a 10:30 close Fridays and Saturdays.

Follow them on Instagram here.

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Outside Veselka late this afternoon ... Honk NYC today assembled a group of musicians for "HONK! for Ukraine — A Public Singalong," which started in Union Square ... before making its way over here to Second Avenue and Ninth Street. The assembled musicians included Phoebe Legere on the accordion (center of photo).

Meanwhile, Veselka continues to serve as a drop-off point for donations for Ukraine relief efforts. 

Longtime East Village artists bring 'Double Trouble' to the Tompkins Square Library branch

Starting tomorrow, you can check out the unique work of longtime East Village artists Ruth and Valery Oisteanu at the Tompkins Square Library branch. 

The exhibit is titled "Double Trouble: Ruth and Valery Oisteanu Illuminated Landscapes Lighter Than Air." Read more about the show, on display through May 31, right here. The opening reception is tomorrow (March 16) at 5 p.m. 

The couple has been married for nearly 50 years, living in the same East East Village apartment for almost that long. (Read more about them in this amNY feature from 2019.)

The Tompkins Square Library branch is at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and B.

Images via the NYPL

Countdown to St. Patrick's Day at Key Food

Photos by Stacie Joy 

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching (Thursday!) ... and Key Food has you covered with not one but two displays here on Avenue A at Fourth Street. 

As you enter the grocery — by the deli, sushi and cakes for any occasion — you have your Irish soda bread, Hot Cross Buns, etc.

And in the back... at the start of aisle 6... you have Guinness, more soda bread, cabbage, corned beef and Kerrygold butter. Not to mention pierogis and quiche (a new tradition courtesy of Key?) ...

9th Precinct now issuing tickets to anyone parking in Neighborhood Loading Zones

Here's a warning for anyone who continues to park long-term in Neighborhood Loading Zones. 

The NYPD is now writing tickets for anyone who uses the Department of Transportation's recently added Neighborhood Loading Zones around the East Village for anything other than quick pick-ups and drop-offs.

From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, these spaces are reserved for activities such as: 

• Package deliveries by commercial vehicles 

• Taxi and car service pick-up and drop-off

• Active loading and unloading of personal vehicles 

However, given the number of people parking long-term in these spots during the week, the 9th Precinct and the Manhattan Traffic Enforcement Unit recently started enforcing violations to noncommercial plate vehicles in these spaces. 

"We'd rather educate and inform people than write summonses," Officer Eugene Adeleye at the 9th Precinct told EVG correspondent Stacie Joy. "We've been getting complaints from residents and we will be actively writing summons to violators." 

Previously, the NYPD would issue tickets in these spots, but it was mainly at the discretion of the officer/traffic agents. 

As for commercial vehicles that continue to double-park on the street and block a bike lane, Adeleye said: "The trucks loading and unloading are not supposed to interfere with bike lanes, and if they do that is a violation, and they may get tickets themselves." 

Adeleye also said that he was sympathetic to residents upset at the loss of parking spots in recent years, from outdoor dining structures to Citi Bike docking stations.

"We are only doing this based on complaints we've received with no intention of giving anyone a hard time — that's why we are trying to educate people as much as we can," he said. "I feel like if people are aware, then they might be able to avoid getting an unnecessary summons."

Openings: Essex Squeeze on 5th Street

Essex Squeeze debuted last week at 300 E. Fifth St. a few steps to the east of Second Avenue. (We first reported on this arrival back in November.) 

The cafe, run by LES natives and childhood friends Cedric Hernandez and Charles DeLaCruz (previously an operations manager at Katz's), specializes in a variety of fresh-made juices, smoothies and bowls ... not to mention coffee. You can check out their menu here. 

There are two seats in the front window ... though it's mostly a to-go spot. 

Essex Squeeze opened an outpost in the Essex Market in 2020.

The EV location is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 9 a.m. open on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday.

A new restaurant for the Papilles space on 7th Street

Photos by Steven 

Papilles, an underrated and well-regarded French restaurant, recently closed its doors at 127 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

As far as we know, there wasn't any closing announcement, neither on the restaurant's Instagram account nor its now-deactivated website. (Updated: See the comments. They are relocating to North Salem, N.Y.)

Hiring signage is now up for the establishment taking over the small space — De Radda, described as an Italian and Argentinian restaurant ...

Papilles opened in June 2018. 

FWIW, here's what the Michelin Guide had to say about Papilles:

Don’t let the small space fool you. The elegant, contemporary dishes gliding on to tables at Papilles are going to knock your socks off. Three young owners are behind this perfect date spot, but their combined experience in the restaurant industry comes together to form culinary magic.

Monday's parting shot

Thanks to Cecil Scheib for the sunset photo on this March 14...

Meanwhile on 1st Avenue and 5th Street...

No. 

That's the answer to the (rhetorical) question posed in a headline on Saturday: Have we seen the last of the sinkhole on 1st Avenue at 5th Street? 

Despite the arrival of a freshly painted crosswalk and bike lanes on Fifth Street at First Avenue, a crew is back on the scene today doing more work at the intersection... 

Thanks CHurt for the tip!

Holyland Market is closing on St. Mark's Place; owner to focus on hummus biz

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Holyland Market, the Israeli grocery at 122 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, closes at the end of the month after 18 years in business. 

Moving forward, owner Eran Hileli (pictured above and below) will focus his time and attention on his blossoming hummus business — the 4-year-old Holy Hummus, now available at 700-plus stores in the United States, including locally at Westside Market, Union Market — and Holyland Market. (He said he has 12 new products/flavors on the horizon, including spicy w/red s'chüg, roasted pepper, roasted garlic, za'atar flavored and green s'chüg.)

In an interview with EVG contributor Stacie Joy, Hileli said that he was having challenges finding help and felt burned out after working through the pandemic. (He was also unable to find a buyer for the market.)

From Friday, here's a look around the shop, stocked almost entirely with Israeli products ... 

Hileli first opened a record store — House of Trance — at this location in 1998 before pivoting to the market. 

As he told The Times of Israel in an August 2020 feature: 

"The industry was changing. People weren’t really buying music anymore," he lamented, saying customers would enter the store, listen to music and then go home to purchase it on the computer. "But you can’t download Bamba," he joked, explaining his decision to start selling the peanut butter-flavored puffed corn snack along with the hundreds of other Israeli products that line Holyland's shelves.

[Updated] An uncertain future for these Stuyvesant Street businesses, including Angel's Share and Sunrise Market

Photos by Steven

Updated 3/16: Landlord Cooper Union says the tenants have "informed us of their decision to vacate the property." The landlord also said the tenants haven't paid any rent since 2020. Read more here.

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As you may have heard in recent days, businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue are in danger of closing as the long-term leases here are set to expire at the end of the month. 

This impacts four retail spaces — Angel's Share, Village Yokocho, Panya Bakery and Sunrise Mart. 

Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times, broke the news on Twitter the other night...

The forecast looks grim, I’m told, although there’s a slight chance some agreement may be brokered yet. The trigger for these events, apparently, is that a very old and longterm lease arrangement has finally come to its end. pic.twitter.com/wMKfHyBSd4

— Alex Vadukul (@AlexVadukul) March 10, 2022

Other outlets, including Grub Street and Gothamist, had follow-up pieces on Friday. 

Public records show that Cooper Union is the landlord here. So far, Cooper Union and the owners of the four businesses, Yoshida Restaurant Group, haven't commented, which has fueled more speculation. 

There's hope for a lease renewal. Otherwise, a relocation is likely in the plans. An employee at Angel's Share told this to Gothamist:

A bartender there sounded somewhat optimistic, telling Gothamist of the current situation, "it's between the owner and the landlord, but we're either relocating or staying here."

Another bartender told this to Grub Street: "There's an 85 percent chance that we close. It's okay, though, because we're gonna relocate." 

As for speculation, an employee at Panya said Friday that Cooper Union had plans for a new building on the site (there is nothing in Department of Building records that shows permits for new construction) and that they'd be moving. 

Adjacent to this space is the 29 3rd Avenue Student Residence Hall, which offers apartment-style housing for 170-plus Cooper Union students. The 15-story building opened in 1992. Retail tenants here include the Bean and Sunrise Mart. (In 2011, Cooper Union and tenant St. Mark's Bookshop were in a high-profile rent negotiation. The school eventually reduced the rent by $2,500 per month and forgave $7,000 in debt. The bookstore finally had to move to a smaller shop before closing in 2016.)

Coincidentally (or not) on Friday, workers were seen clearing out the former Autre Kyo Ya space (and, from 1989-2009, the diner Around the Clock) at 10 Stuyvesant St.

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. There are now also locations in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

We hope to learn more about what's happening here soon. 

La Fleur Café to set up shop on 9th Street

Photos by Steven 

Signage is up for La Fleur Café at 437 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

One source says this will be a coffee shop-CBD shop hybrid. The Café's Instagram account describes the business this way: "Amsterdam ❌ Nyc. We are a minority and woman-owned business, with productivity and your health in mind!"

We reached out to the owners to learn more about what to expect here...

This retail spot was previously home to the Sullivan Street Bakery pop-up.

Avenue A Deli and Grill shapes up

Photos by Steven

The market-deli coming to 123 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place is shaping up.. temp signage on the front window reveals the name — Avenue A Deli and Grill...

Bit of a logjam now with like-minded businesses within a few blocks of each other on Avenue A... two new places have opened in recent weeks — one on the SW corner of Sixth Street ... the other mid-block between Sixth and Seventh... not to mention the recent renovation of Kamaran Deli & Grocery at 79 Avenue A at Fifth Street to include more to-go food options. Plus the places already in service — East Village New Deli at 115 Avenue A and Tompkins Finest Deli & Grill at 153 Avenue A.

The storefront at 123 Avenue A has been vacant since Tony (aka Abdul) died in the fall of 2018. Tony, who owned the building, ran the deli, which operated under various names in this spot for 25 years.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Steven) ...

• Sunny's Florist is BACK (Monday) 

• Two Boots supporting Ukraine with 2 new pizzas, including the Mr. Ze (Monday) 

• Let's take another look at the eerie remains of the long-abandoned 6 Avenue B (Thursday) 

• A visit to Arka, the 71-year-old Ukrainian gift shop on 2nd Street (Tuesday) 

• A sign of spring amid the bulldozed remains of East River Park (Tuesday) 

• Mayor Adams visits the EV (Monday) 

• The art of East Village artist Tabboo! at Karma (Saturday)

• A sneak peek at El Colmado, opening soon on East Houston Street (Thursday) 

• Ramen Setagaya's St. Mark's Place location looking very closed (Monday) 

• Why the Fillmore East commemorative plaque is missing on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

• #Baonanas bringing their version of banana pudding to 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• Chef Tan signage arrives on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

• On 9th Street, wind sends sidewalk-bridge plywood onto 2 cars below (Tuesday) 

• World party on 14th Street: Hello, Bong World! (Wednesday) 

• Higher Empire announces itself on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Report: 'Rowdy teens' blamed for series of attacks at Sheen Brothers on 10th and B (Tuesday) 

• Purple reign: Incoming Taco Bell now looking more like a Taco Bell (Monday) 

• Today is the day for the new, smaller TD Bank to debut on 3rd Avenue (Thursday)

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

Indoor service is back at Abraço

For the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, indoor service has returned to Abraço Espresso. (Thanks to Drew Heffron for the photo and tip!) 

The cafe had been selling their pastries and coffee drinks from a walk-up to-go system. 

Abraço is at 81 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Hours: 

Tuesday-Thursday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Friday-Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Sunday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.