Photo by Stacie Joy
At the Key Food checkout tonight with Shirley and Cáit!
P.S.
In the background... Key seems to have even more Keebler® Export Sodas in the recloseable can these days. (And why are they always by the checkout and exit?)
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Happy trails to the Shake Shack curbside dining structure on 3rd Avenue
Help for A&C Kitchen, which remains closed after a late-February fire
Photo of Mr. Li from March by Stacie Joy
On Feb. 27, a two-alarm fire broke out at 136 Avenue C between Eighth Street and Ninth Street.
Initial reports blamed a "lit object" discarded from a residential window down to the courtyard in the rear of the building. Unfortunately, a groundfloor tenant, A&C Kitchen, the longtime quick-serve and affordable Chinese restaurant, remains closed.
Sierra Zamarripa, who owns Lovewild Design next door, recently started a crowdfunding campaign to help Mr. Li, who has run A&C Kitchen for 30-plus years, with lost income over the past two months as well as other additional reopening expenses.
You can find the link here.
After group-show ghosting, the EVAC space is for lease on 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
A for-lease sign arrived late yesterday afternoon outside 215 First Ave., the now-former home of the East Village Art Collection (EVAC) between 12th Street and 13th Street.
The rental notice comes five days after the art venue failed to open for a group show featuring 25 artists from around the country (and overseas) who now find their work locked inside the space. 
As previously reported, the artists, who paid a $500 submission fee to display their work here, showed up for the opening on Friday night — only to find the space locked and papered up. Attendees who bought tickets for the event received notices and refunds from Eventbrite minutes before the start of the show, per comments on EVAC's Instagram account.
Meanwhile, some of the artists involved in the group-show ghosting have banded together and formed Artists United NYC...
Goldberg said he didn't know anything else about the circumstances here... that he was simply the leasing agent for the property. As such, he noted that the storefront, previously a Dunkin', will be available to rent starting May 1. Asking rent: $12,500.
After the weekend, a sign on the EVAC's front door noted, "Due to an unforeseen medical emergency, the gallery is closed at this time." 
Greg Goldberg, a senior director at Meridian Capital Group, had just arrived and put up the rental sign when EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the space late yesterday afternoon.
Goldberg said he spoke with "a representative" of Steve Hirsch, who opened EVAC under questionable circumstances in 2021, and was told that they were "vacating the space and would be out by the end of the month." (There is no mention of a new location on the EVAC website or social media properties.)
And the artwork inside? The EVAC representative told Goldberg that "all the art was being packed up" to be returned to the artists by the end of next week.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Sushi on Jones departs The Bowery Market, where several new concepts are on the way
Scott Marano, the founder of The Bowery Market, told us that he has a new establishment on the way called Sunday, a plant-based concept out of Miami whose owner, of Colombian descent, creates a new menu every three months.
"Sunday's food is influenced by South American and Caribbean cultures and will incorporate local ingredients whenever possible," Marano said.
He also said that he has several other new vendors lined up to join current tenants, Current Coffee and Kettl tea.
The year-round market first opened in the summer of 2016. Marano, who grew up in the neighborhood, previously said that he wanted The Bowery Market "to provide an opportunity to do some fun short-term seasonal or experimental-type concepts" and a low-overhead opportunity for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Making headlines in ad shoots today
Photo by Derek Berg
Shooting a spot today in Tompkins Square Park for Kiehl's... including a model with a prop newspaper titled The Pear Street Journal. (Wish we knew before that this wasn't a real journalistic enterprise. We pitched them several bylines, including "Why you should never out Avocado Eye Cream on toast.")
P.S.
You can read about the pear tree that was outside Kiehl's on 13th Street and Third Avenue right here.
Awakenings: A celebration of East Village community gardens this Saturday
Per the LUNGS website:
Spring Awakening kicks off with our parade led by Batalá, through the Streets beginning at 11 a.m. at El Sol Brillante, 522 E. 12th St. between Avenues A and B, walking east to Avenue C, south on Avenue C to Seventh Street, west on Seventh to Tompkins Square Park, meandering through the Park and ending at Avenue B and Ninth Street.
Some of the individual community gardens will be hosting events throughout the afternoon. Check this link for details.
Report: East Village gallery a no-show on opening night, leaving artists without their work
Photos yesterday by Steven
Twenty-five artists set to participate in a group show this past Friday night arrived to find the East Village venue papered up and their art locked inside.
The four-day event was to take place at the East Village Art Collection (EVAC) at 215 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. The artists reportedly have said they have yet to receive any notice from the gallery. Attendees who bought tickets for the event received notices and refunds from Eventbrite minutes before the start of the show, per comments on EVAC's Instagram account.
Here's what some of the artists had to say to PIX 11, who first reported on the gallery ghosting:
"We came here with a purpose to get our work out there and to make something of ourselves, and they took advantage of that and they stole from us,” said Charlotte Art, a Flint, Michigan-based artist. "I had a lot riding on this. And I'm a mother of four. 'How dare you' is what I have to say."
"We got a notification one minute before 7 p.m., and the event was at 7:30 last Friday," said Melissa Driscol, whose brother-in-law’s art was part of the exhibit. “Not an email, not a phone call, not a text, just to tell the artists, 'Hey, this event isn’t happening."
"We've been calling and Instagramming and emailing and phone numbers have been disconnected," said Christine Ditolvo, whose friend from Vermont had art in the exhibit. "It's really sketchy."The EVAC Instagram account described the event like this:
The Immersive Art Experience is a 360º, digital, physical, and musical art exhibition in NYC with East Village Party Vibes.THE EVAC invites you to step foot into the expansive universe of art to be surrounded by paintings, canvases, holograms, photography, fractals, and sculptures.Live Music and drinks for this special night.You as the guest will be able to connect and experience art on a different level like never before. The East Village Art Collection is unlike any gallery in the world. We focus on quality and unique art experiences. We are the opposite of boring. Art is everywhere!VIP doors open at 7:30 PM VIP entitles you to a private viewing prior to doors opening to the general admission. Upon your entry, you will be greeted with a cocktail of your choice, where you will be able to interact with the artists in a more intimate setting. You will also have access to the downstairs VIP lounge area with a couch.
After the weekend, a sign arrived on the EVAC's front door noting, "Due to an unforeseen medical emergency, the gallery is closed at this time."
The small print reads, "all artwork will be returned as soon as possible."
Per the artist in the comment:
So now they have our art. Paintings and photographs ranging from $5,000-$10,000 each in value. The gallery's phone goes to a voice mail, and their personal cells have been disconnected. No one knows why. Did they go out of business? Did they have an emergency? Or are they just scum bags? All I know is there were lots of broken hearts and dreams last night mixed with embarrassment. We all had invited peers, friends, and art collectors to this event to see a mess of us just standing on the sidewalks, looking at each in disbelief.
The EVAC website features a ticker with daily cryptocurrency prices by market cap. It states that it is "dedicated to providing a quality gallery space for artists of all mediums while merging physical art with the rapidly growing digital world."
The venue debuted in April 2021 under the guidance of Steve Hirsch, whose LinkedIn profile described him as EVAC's director of operations, having a 25-plus-year career in apparel design and merchandising and being "an industry innovator."
East Village artist and entrepreneur P.J. O'Rourke, with the help of Hirsch, had established his FlyeLyfe brand at this space. However, as we reported, O'Rourke found himself locked out of the space after one day in business, with the venue pivoting to the EVAC.
O'Rourke told EVG contributor Stacie Joy: "I went back to get my stuff ... Not only had they locked me out, but my belongings were also inside, and my partner told me it was his. They papered up the entire store, and a couple of weeks later, they are trying a fly-by-the-seat art gallery while leaving my livelihood at stake."
Hirsch would not comment on this sequence of events, stating at the time, "Mr. O'Rourke's statements are not facts."
As for the canceled show this past weekend, the artists told PIX 11 that "they are now out thousands of dollars for their artwork and travel expenses, as well as a $500 submission fee."
"We just want the art back," Driscol told the station.
Aura Bar & Kitchen is back on 1st Avenue
The restaurant, with various small plates and pasta dishes, debuted here in late December... before taking a break last month while awaiting a liquor license.
Cafe Mocha first opened in the East Village in 2008.
Aura's hours are listed as 4 p.m.-midnight on Tuesday-Wednesday; until 1 a.m. Thursday; and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The Aura website is at this link.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Meanwhile in Syracuse...
A new home on an avenue for East Village gallery-bookstore Ed. Varie
The larger space is right around the corner from their previous home at 184 E. Seventh St. (Artist-curator Karen Schaupeter launched Ed. Varie in 2009.)
Per a recent Instagram post...
Our new home will allow us to revive and regenerate past programs that had been squeezed into such small spaces, they began bordering on non-existence.Our new home will allow us to embrace and embark on all of the projects we put on the illusive back burner for the past 7 years.Our new home will allow us to conjure and collaborate with our broad and growing community of artists, aligning with our mission to nurture the exploration of new concepts in artistic practice.
Ed. Varie will debut No. 95 on Thursday (4/20) with the ninth annual Pot Shop and Potluck from 6-9 p.m. here between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.
And coming to Ed. Varie on weekends in May...
The "Stomp" sign's 29-year run continues on 2nd Avenue
Photos by Steven
Workers yesterday were fixing the wiring on the Orpheum Theatre's marquee... which required the removal of the (iconic? maybe?) "Stomp" signage.
We thought they might be tossing the panels... as the energetic percussion-based show closed here on Jan. 8 after a 29-year run... (we've seen other discarded "Stomp" goods around here on Second Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street)...
At the end of the day, the workers returned the "Stomp" sign, albeit backward...
... and a little later...
As previously reported, a burlesque version of "Star Wars" is next for the Orpheum Theatre. Starting on May 10, "The Empire Strips Back" begins a limited run at the venue.
In the 1980s, the Orpheum was well-known for Off-Broadway productions such as "Little Shop of Horrors" in 1982, Sandra Bernhard's "Without You I'm Nothing" in 1988, Eric Bogosian's "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" in 1990, John Leguizamo's "Mambo Mouth" in 1991, and David Mamet's "Oleanna" in 1992.
Openings: Honey Crepes on 13th Street
The woman-owned (Olga!) business offers a variety of crepes (including vegan and gluten-free options) as well as other breakfast items (omelets, bagels) and coffee/espresso drinks.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (closed on Wednesdays).
You can check out the shop's Instagram account here.
Image via @honey.crepes
Monday, April 17, 2023
Monday's parting shot
Photo by Stacie Joy
Coming soon: jackets of the East Village... as seen on Third Street near Avenue C...
A look at Poetica Coffee, opening soon on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Poetica Coffee is set to officially open next Monday, April 24, on the SW corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place (don't be surprised if the doors open a few days earlier for a sneak preview).
Owner Parviz Mukhamadkulov and his two-and-a-half-year-old son Noor invited me inside to look at the latest location for the Brooklyn-based coffee shop...
As previously reported, Parviz said he was unaware of the previous tenant (there wasn't any mention of the last tenant in the marketing materials) when he signed the lease. Since then, he has studied up on Gem Spa and seemed to be in awe of its long history.
Parviz said he's contacted Parul several times and will try again when they open. His offer to sell Gem Spa merchandise for the family remains open. And he's currently working on selling a Gem Spa-inspired egg cream, which he admitted is a challenge to perfect. He said that he wanted to honor the location's legacy.
Poetica currently has a few photos of Gem Spa on display...
Follow Poetica Coffee on Instagram for updates.
Collapsed portion of sidewalk whole again on 7th Street
The work took two days and forced the closure of the businesses here — Studio Duarte, a jewelry brand, and AuH20 Thriftique, a vintage shop — on the summery spring days of last Wednesday and Thursday. (Photo below by Steven)...
On the CB3-SLA docket: A Pig & Butter sibling on Avenue B
• Pig & Butter Ave B (The SohoPig Collective LLC), 42 Ave B (op)
Pig & Butter, which serves breakfast-inspired dishes all day long from 134 Ludlow St., has plans for a sibling at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.
Chef-owner Sherry Grimes, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, will be serving comfort food and cocktails from the small space with six tables and a bar with nine seats.
The proposed hours: Wednesday (2-10 p.m.), Thursday (2-11 p.m.), Friday (2 p.m.-1.am.), Saturday (10 a.m.-2 a.m.), and Sunday (10 a.m.-10 p.m.) You can find the application here.
Looker, which served vegan bar food and cocktails, closed here early last year after nine months in business.
The Pig & Butter outpost would break up five consecutive storefronts that are for lease...
As previously reported, Ricardo Arias and Patricia Valencia, the husband-and-wife owners of the now-closed Café Cortadito on Third Street near Avenue B, plan to open a similar concept here in the former home of the Cornerstone Cafe.
While there won't be a bar on the premises for patrons, Arias and Valencia are applying for a liquor license for their mojitos and other drink specials.
You can read the application here.
• Shiso (Shiso LLC), 214 E 9th St (op)
The owners of Moko on Second Avenue are behind Shiso, a high-end concept featuring a tasting menu of French and Japanese cuisine.
According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, they plan on a daily service from 5-10 p.m. The space on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was previously the Dumpling Lab, which closed last fall after receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Signage alert: Deli Convenience on 1st Avenue; Partea on 14th Street
Given the lack of marijuana leaves or weed puns on the sign, it looks like it will be a market-type shop instead of a smoke shop.
Tony's Famous Pizza closed here (No. 231) at the start of the year after 18 months in business. Tony's took over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April 2021 after 18 years of service.
As previously noted, this will be the second location for Partea, which started in Flushing. The concept: "Street eats, bubble tea and games in an energetic restaurant inspired by Taiwanese night markets."
As such, the sign highlights claw machines, bubble tea and fried chicken.
The renovated storefront here previously housed Kent's Dumpling House, which went dark last summer.
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