Papa John's unleashes its new delivery car for the East Village

Good news from Otto's Shrunken Head

Co-owner Nell Mellon dropped us a note last night with an update on the progress at Otto's Shrunken Head, the 14th Street mainstay that suffered a fire early on Oct. 24...

"Last week we worked really long days/nights to get the front open on Saturday (Oct 30). Lots of support and hard work from staff and regulars helped tremendously! We are back to normal operating hours in the front. And we are hustling in the back. We hope to have the backroom ready for the weekend November 19th. Keep your fingers crossed!"

Previously on EV Grieve:
Assessing the damage at Otto's Shrunken Head

Breaking: Early-morning fire at Otto's Shrunken Head

Now that the 'underground' grilled cheese guy has retired

The news came down yesterday that the "underground" grilled cheese guy had retired... heading off to the wilds of Midtown at an "American restaurant." (I still don't believe that this guy actually existed...)

In any event, this is all terribly subjective of course, but I'd still take a grilled cheese on Challah from Odessa any day...

A haunted house on 13th Street?

The Post had a "Haunted New York" feature on Halloween on well, haunted haunts around town... Per the article: "'We live in the 'most haunted city in America,' according to CUNY history professor and 'Ghosts of Manhattan' author Phil Schoenberg." Among the listed haunted locales: McSorley's and St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. All fine urban legends.

Meanwhile, speaking of haunted... a few months back a reader asked me what the deal was with 222 E. 13th Street... right across the street from the Mystery Lot... The reader mentioned that he or she heard the long-abandoned house was haunted. And if I knew anything about its history.



I don't know much about this address... the DOB lists "Esglad Housing Development Corp." as the owners. A complaint to the DOB dated May 1, 1989 notes that the "recent firebombing of building damaged front hallways and possibly first floor beams."



Anyway, I'm throwing this one open ... Anyone know more about this address? Seems as if it has sat empty for about 20 years...

The DBGB outdoor dining diary

A few weeks ago, I wondered why DBGB hadn't been putting out its sidewalk cafe on the Bowery since debuting it on Sept. 29.... while places like Pulino's and Gemma continued to draw crowds outside... on the evening of my post, the tables and chairs appeared outside!

So, for some reason, I started keeping tabs whenever I walked by DBGB in the early evening...

Oct. 22


Oct. 25


Oct. 26


Oct. 27


Oct. 28


Oct. 29


Nov. 1


Nov. 2


Nov. 3 — oops!

Now it seems as if the restaurant will keep the tables out no matter what the weather is like...

Nov. 4


And while the inside looks to have a healthy bar-dining room crowd, I only ever saw two people outside while walking by...

How Dunkin' Donuts could ruin your morning

Sausage pancake bites at Dunkin' Donuts, photographed on Sixth Street and First Avenue.

The Ninth Street Bread N Cake Bakery was great until they applied for a liquor license

Thanks to Goggla's comment the other day, we've all been spending far too much time looking at photos from the New York Public Library archives ... EV Grieve reader Pinhead came across this shot..

It's taken from the old Cooper Union building, looking at Stuyvesant Street to the east toward St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, 1856.



As Pinhead says: "Be sure to zoom the amazing detail, like the Ninth Street Bread N Cake Bakery at 172 E 9th (an address that doesn't exist anymore because of the NYU dorm)."

Reader report: Attempted ATM holdup on Avenue A doesn't go so well for would-be thief

A reader notes that there was an attempted robbery last evening (some time around 8:30 p.m. or so) at the Chase branch on Avenue A at Second Street. As the story goes, a woman, the intended victim, "beat the shit out of the guy and he left on a stretcher in handcuffs." There was also a very strong police response.

Anyone else have any information?

Speaking of Chase...

Goggla took this shot at the Chase branch on the Bowery and First Street.

Not sure just yet if he was:

1) going to a Halloween party
2) reporting to work at Chase
3 heading to Peels

New owner of the former Aces and Eights space speaks out; "the beer pong is gone"

There's an excellent piece this afternoon on The Lo-Down by Jennifer Strom that delves into the behind-the-scenes legal wrangling that eventually shuttered Aces and Eights at 34 Avenue A.

Here are two excerpts with her interview with owner Jevan Damadian:

After a career in his family’s successful chain of MRI centers, where he remains a regional director, Damadian came into some cash when the family sold its centers to a large health corporation. Seeing the stock market falling, he looked around for alternative investment opportunities. He lives on the Upper East Side, upstairs from the original Aces and Eights at First Avenue and East 87th Street, and had watched it grow into a successful bar under the leadership of owner Solomon Eljashev. The two men had become friendly, and eventually struck a deal for Eljashev to open the East Village branch with Damadian’s money.

And!

If he is able to reopen the bar, Damadian says, he would like to establish an upscale tapas lounge in the upstairs space, where business people can meet quietly. The downstairs space, which garnered a reputation as a rambunctious “frathole” during its tenure, is still home to a pool table, but Damadian would like the bar’s critics to know one thing: “The beer pong is gone,” he says.

Read the whole post here.

You can meet Jevan yourself on Wednesday night.

[Photo via The Lo-Down]

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

Sports bar to replace Ruby's on the Coney Island boardwalk (Amusing the Zillion)

No end to the influx of suburbia (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A discussion on community preservation (Save the Lower East Side!)

Looking at the Payless ShoeSource LES collection (BoweryBoogie)

Union Square market offering booths from Momofuku Milk Bar, among others, this season (Eater)

No "Glory" on the subway for Han Solo (Stupefaction)

Apartment immoralized memorialized by NYU-hating, fruit-tossing Jude Law on the market (Curbed)

Something for EV Heave: The $3.99 Lobster Roll at Song 7.2 (Grub Street)

Opening reception tonight for the I Hate Hating exhibit at the Michael Mut Gallery on Avenue C near Seventh Street.

Cooper 35 Asian Pub part of development deal on Cooper Square

After seeing yesterday's news on the sale of the empty lot on Cooper Square at Sixth Street for $8.5 million ... I wondered if this meant the end of 35 Cooper Square too — currently the home of Cooper 35 Asian Pub. (Read the history of 35 Cooper here.) The parcel of land in question is 35-39 Cooper Square. I asked Massey Knakal if the sale included the space that houses the bar, which is adjacent to the Cooper Square Hotel. A Massey Knakal spokesperson confirmed that it does.

Here are a few details from the news release on the sale (PDF):

“We generated over 30 offers in under 45 days,” said First Vice President of Sales, Joe Sitt who exclusively handled this transaction with the assistance of Massey Knakal’s Special Asset Strategy Group. “The buyer is a known and respected developer who performed as expected on a two week T.O.E. close. It just goes to show there is always strong demand when locations are prime,” added Sitt.

[Photo via Massey Knakal]

Blue cheese?

The "underground," secret grilled-cheese delivery guy has retired:

Ronnie," the out-of-work Wall Street banker who last summer started grilling the sandwiches in his East Village apartment and selling them on street corners, parlayed the health-code-violating gig into a real restaurant job.
"It was nice being an outlaw for a while," the secretive cheeseslinger told The Post. "But starting Monday, I will be the manager of a high-end American restaurant in Midtown."

Outlaw? Maybe if he had been delivering another kind of cheese...

New owner of the Aces and Eights space wants to "meet the approval of the community"

The former Aces and Eights is on the CB3/SLA docket for November's meeting...

And the new owner of the space, Jevan Damadian, is hoping to reach out to the neighborhood... You can meet with him at 34 Avenue A next Wednesday evening...



He's off to a promising start by seeking feedback from neighbors...

[Thanks to EV Grieve reader RyanAvenueA for the photo]

Why there wasn't a protest in Tompkins Square Park on Halloween

As we had reported, John Penley had organized a protest/fiesta Halloween night in Tompkins Square. The event was set to last from 7 p.m. to midnight or so... I didn't make it to the Park until 10 p.m. No one was there. I was told only a handful of people turned out. Penley wasn't there.

He offered an explanation via Facebook: "Some pretty heavy stuff came down on me the night before Halloween. I got maced and someone else close to me got a baseball bat to the face. I have gone into hiding for awhile. This is why I was not at TSP on Halloween."

Penley did say that filmmaker Vlad Teichberg was there at midnight for a “culture jam” projection. There should be a video soon.

While the protest didn't materialize, I thought there was a healthy discussion about concerts in Tompkins Square Park, a permanent bandshell ... and local politicians ... all leading up to Halloween. (Read the 74 comments here.)

Previous John Penley protest coverage on EV Grieve:

At the Donut Social

At the 47 E. 3rd St. Protest

At the Bowery Wine Co. protest

More on 35 Cooper Square

Just a quick follow-up on our post yesterday about the sale of 35-39 Cooper Square...

First, Goggla passed along this photo from 1909 of Copper Square between Seventh Street and Sixth Street from the New York Public Library database .... on the right, you can make out just a little bit of the building that was on the now-vacant corner...



Also, in July 2008, Jeremiah presented a thorough history of 35 Cooper Square... Here's just a portion of the building's history:

"In the 20th century, it became a home for artists. Painter and photographer J. Forrest Vey lived there after WWII. He rented the upstairs dormer rooms for $5 apiece to people like Joel Grey, star of Cabaret, and Claude Brown, author of Manchild in the Promised Land.

Mr. Vey once broke into the attic, which had been sealed ever since a man hanged himself there. He found Civil War newspapers, a stove-pipe hat, a sign that said '5-cent Hot Whiskey,' and a noose."

Appreciate 35 Cooper Square while you can... soon, it will be swallowed up by more glass and steel.

More on the new First Avenue Papa John's, sort of

[Top photo by First Avenue correspondent Blue Glass]

As I exclusively reported last night.... Papa John's is now open on First Avenue...



I went looking for more info on the opening... like something official from the Papa Johnsters... I did come across this article from last month on PizzaMarketplace.com:

Papa John's to open in crowded East Village space

Popular New York blog EV Grieve [Editor's note: Woo!] has reported that a Papa John's storefront has appeared on First Avenue in an area of New York City's East Village that's especially pizza-dense. Back in March, the blog reported several pizza restaurants — such asLuzzo's, Motorino, Piola, Tonda, and more — having recently opened.

With all the local pizza concentration, Papa John’s may be looking to appeal to tourists looking for something recognizable in the famous New York enclave. Papa John’s spokesperson Tish Muldoon said the company sees the location as "a great growth opportunity for the brand in Manhattan." However, anecdotal commentary on the new storefront did not appear favorable toward the No. 3 pizza chain.

Meanwhile, no word if this is how pizzas will be delivered hereabouts:



Previous coverage here.

On second thought: DOB 111 back open last night

The eatery on St. Mark's Place apparently just took a few nights off... You can't blame us for thinking that Michael "Bao" Huynh's French-Vietnamese place may be closed... As Fork in the Road noted last summer, DOB 111 and Bia Garden were on the market... Per Fork in the Road, Huynh, through his publicist, denied any plans to close the eateries... Bia Garden on Orchard closed last month, as BoweryBoogie reported....Huynh is reopening it as Chinito, a beer garden and taqueria. The space is still on the market, though, BB noted.

Second Avenue, 7:50 p.m., Nov. 3

[Photo courtesy of LiberationNYC]

Breaking! Papa John's now open on First Avenue

And there were a handful of high school students inside... There will be much more on this developing story with our live team coverage the next 96 hours.

Previous coverage here.

Something 28,998 square feet or so coming to Cooper Square (and goodbye Cooper 35 Asian Pub?)

Well, the lot that we've been keeping an eye on at Sixth Street and Cooper Square...



...has been sold. Curbed has the details about the all-cash deal for $8.5 million. "What's to come? We don't know! But here's a hint: 'The combined lot size is approximately 4,833 square feet, in a C6-1 zone, with a total buildable of approximately 28,998 square feet.'"

Anyway, all the best to the new owners. As Chris Flash pointed out in the comments: "That corner lot is a sink hole. The building standing there had to be taken down before it collapsed and every time they pave this lot with new cement, it sinks further. Go take a look -- it's very strange...."

The lot's address is 35-39 Cooper Square. ... The address for the Cooper 35 Asian Pub is, uh, 35 Cooper Square... hard to imagine this parcel staying put between the Cooper Square Hotel and the new development...


[Photo via Yelp]

Helping save Ruby's

A petition is making the rounds to help try to save the venerable Ruby's on the Coney Island boardwalk. You can find the petition here. Many of the boardwalk's remaining longtime businesses have been giving the boot this week...

There's more coverage at Grub Street ... Amusing the Zillion .... Eater ... Jeremiah's Vanishing New York ... Kinetic Carnival ...

[Image via Ruby's]

The Lee expects full occupancy by March 31

Been awhile since we heard any updates on the Lee, the low-income housing development and training center on East Houston and Pitt Street developed by Common Ground, a Manhattan-based nonprofit.

BoweryBoogie had a report back in February on how the 12-story building was shaping up. Staring at it from the street today, it looks awfully close to being completed...





We asked the folks at Common Ground for the latest.

"The Lee is nearing completion and many applications for the low-income units have been received," Lyle Churchill, the senior director for external affairs at Common Ground, told me via e-mail. "The building will 'rent-up' in phases, and we expect full occupancy by March 31, 2011."

He also said that the tenant composition remains as originally stated upon the start of construction in 2008: "In providing stable homes for 263 adults, Common Ground will reserve 104 units for formerly homeless individuals, 105 units for low-income workers, and 54 units for young adults at risk for homelessness."

For more on The Lee:
Morphing on East Houston (The Times)

The original news release on The Lee is here.

All is quiet on the East Houston Street construction front — so far

Speaking of East Houston Street.... Construction crews started their road work on the eastbound lanes on Houston below Essex on Oct. 13. As you'd expect, it's a noisy, messy scene... though I have yet to hear anyone talk about it... Something residents and motorists just have to put up with, so no sense in complaining about it?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon to East Houston: Construction, hell, rodent control stations

Long-threatened East Houston reconstruction starting this month

The empty corners of Fifth Street and Second Avenue

Rhong Tiam on the northwest corner of Second Avenue shuttered back in August... and, on the southwest corner, Saturday night marked Sin Sin's last day in business... Walked by last evening for the first time since both places have been closed... and it seemed, well, dark....

I'm curious how much longer these prime corner spaces will remain vacant.... word is the Sin Sin owners will reboot with a new concept sometime soon. (Sin Sin owner Philip Quilter didn't respond yet to an e-mail asking about future plans.)

dob 111 hasn't been open lately

I haven't seen Michael Huynh's French Vietnamese place on St. Mark's Place open the last few nights... Have you? (I took this photo last evening...)

The eatery opened back in March... they were turned down for a beer-wine license in the spring.... Apparently, it is BYOB here now...

[Updated: Fork in the Road has more on this story...including that this space went on the market during the summer.]

Duane Reade puts out its Christmas decorations

Roni says 'Goodbye St. Mark's!'

Roni, the women's designer clothing boutique, has shuttered its location at 119 St. Mark's Place....



...Sunday was its last day... there are still three other Roni locations in Manhattan...



... on Prince Street, Broadway between Bond and Bleecker and Bleecker near Seventh Avenue... curious why management shuttered the East Village location...

Cynthia Nixon getting her 15 minutes of house fame with former Warhol residence?

This afternoon's Twitter rumor has SATC star Cynthia Nixon buying this East Sixth Street home between Second Avenue and First Avenue... home to Andy Warhol at one point...



We featured it back in June... It's going for $2.4 million. Per the listing:

Built originally as the historic St. Marks Lutheran Church, 321 East 6th Street is uniquely situated affording three exposures including oversized parlor floor windows. Many original details have been retained including the well-shaded high-stoop and second entrance below, wood-burning fireplaces, crown moldings, parquet and hardwood floors, and grandiose 13-foot ceilings. Use these two distinct and handsomely appointed floors as currently configured or join the two to create an expansive and gracious lower duplex. ... Of note, this property was once owned by Andy Warhol in the late 1960’s.

More thoughts on the M15 Select Bus Service

Thanks to a reader for these thoughts...

Still happy with the ride, not so happy with the ticketing process. Seems like too few machines per stop. Understand that two or three is probably fine during non-rush hours, but when there's a rush and people have to line up for the machines, they get frustrated.

This is exacerbated when (1) a machine is broken, (2) you're waiting for the ticket to print--altogether would say that the actual ticketing process from time you press button until when you get the receipt takes >3 times as long as sticking a card in bus Metrocard reader--(3) people get especially frustrated when the bus comes but they are still lined up to get a ticket--old habits die hard, and people feel like they should be able to just walk on the bus and use the reader, and (4) the bus closes its doors and leaves while you're waiting to get a ticket from the sidewalk machine--have only seen this happen when another bus is coming right up, but it sure feels bad.

MTA seems to be dealing with by running extra buses and/or placing empty buses where they can fill in gaps--e.g., if you see a bus at 14th and 1st SE corner with "Next Bus Please", it's probably an SBS bus waiting for a delay, and the dispatcher at 14th Street stop will occassionally call up (seems like they can also get called up to stops farther on the line).

Again, the ride is faster--and probably will get even better as there's more enforcement of the bus lane. But the above is frustrating, and although was once a believer in the sidewalk ticketing, a bit more of a skeptic now. Time will tell.

Afternoon at the Beekman

Near City Hall.

Breaking: It's Election Day!

Remember, if you don't like the results of today's elections, then you can also help develop a new political party... A reader sent along a shot of one of the detailed, tiny-type flyers that seem to be everywhere, such as this one on Houston and First Avenue...



The discussion is Thursday night at the Ukrainian Restaurant on Second Avenue...

[Updated] Destination Bar robbed

Via the bar's Twitter feed...



We just reached out to one of the owners of the bar here on Avenue A and 13th Street for more information.

[Updated] An owner to get back to us this morning... He wants to hold off on releasing any further details for the time being...

Howard O'Brien, 1954-2010

Several Sophie's regulars have passed along word that Howard O'Brien, a longtime bartender at the East Fifth Street bar, passed away early Saturday morning. Howard, who was 56, had been battling cancer. He had worked at Sophie's since 1986.

As one regular described him, he was "wonderfully reserved, incredibly erudite, peculiarly comic, full of bardic tradition and a straight talking, no nonsense scholar and gentleman in the right way." Indeed.

Meanwhile, there is a memorial service for Howard on Friday:

11 a.m. in the Lower Church of St. Francis of Assisi
135 W. 31st St. (between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue)
(212) 736-8500
Friends will be meeting at Sophie's afterwords, roughly around 12:30.

[Photo by Thomas Donal Ward via Facebook]

'Making or breaking dreams' at Community Board 3

Here are excerpts from today's Wall Street Journal article on Community Board 2 and 3....

The owner of a new tea lounge in the East Village wanted a liquor license. After her community board denied the request, she started crying, "shocked by the backlash," according to one board member.

Welcome to Community Board 3. The restaurant and night-life industry may be buzzing downtown, but some of the biggest fireworks take place in dreary meeting rooms where tempers flare, tears are shed and the back and forth can stretch on for up to eight hoTrs. Confrontations have gotten so bad that some businesses have just given up and withdrawn applications.

Now, a group of high-profile restaurateurs are trying to form a trade association. One of their main gripes: Community boards are unfair.

"In a way, we're making or breaking dreams," said Ariel Palitz, who has straddled two roles, as nightclub owner and member of Community Board 3's committee. She said she was speaking as an individual, not for the committee.

And!

Some restaurateurs say community boards can be the biggest obstacle to doing business in the city. "They should call them communist boards instead of community boards," said Keith Masco, whose application for a liquor license for a proposed seafood restaurant and market in the Lower East Side was denied several months ago. "What they're doing is really unfair."

And!

Community Board 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer says a real concern of residents in her district is having a diversity of businesses, not just bars and restaurants. "It's about having services for people who live here," she said.