The Beat goes on at the Holiday today

A crew was on-hand today to film scenes for "Kill Your Darlings" at the dearly departed Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's Place... set in 1944, the drama involves writers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs and Lucien Carr's murder of David Kammerer...

Michael C. Hall, pictured here, plays Kammerer...

The Times has a lot of the backstory about the murder here; the version of the story for this film can be found in "And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks," the 1945 novel by Kerouac and Burroughs.

I'm sorry, I'm too distracted by the photo of the crew member ready to eat that slice to keep going...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

The Holiday continues with the cheesy promotions

What, no Jagerettes?



I'll say this again:

1) I understand the fact that the beloved Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's Place needs to make money to stay open...so why not attract the dreaded free vodka crowd.

2) Stefan never would have gone for this.

Last night at the Holiday

The current incarnation of the Holiday Cocktail Lounge closed for business after last night... Matt LES_Miserable sent along a few photos taken in the early evening... We heard that the place was packed for a good part of the night...

And now, the speculation begins as to what is taking over the space...

"Pure poo"

We were talking about the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's in a post yesterday. I later spotted this user review of the Holiday at Zagat.

Understandable...he probably wants to buy a place at the Theatre Condominiums...

Whatever happened to simple bar names... and concepts?

I'm thinking about some of the bars that I like in the neighborhood... Joe's, Mona's, Lucy's, Sophie's, Manitoba's, 2A, 7B ... all have pretty simple names — and concepts. Some other bars have been around long enough that I don't even think twice about the names anymore ... the International, the Blue & Gold, Mar's Bar, the Phoenix, the Grassroots, the Holiday Cocktail Lounge ...

Apparently, simplicity doesn't work anymore ... simple names, simple concepts... In the Times last week, Frank Bruni noted the three owners of the new Blind Barber on East 10th Street:

"This troika of tricksters is determined to get your attention. That’s no easy feat in the crowded downtown drinkscape, where the competition comes armed with secret entrances, hidden alleys, pharmaceutical paraphernalia, taxidermy. What’s left? A bar with barbers, it turns out."

Given the economics, I suppose you can no longer open a bar called Jim's where people could come and drink and have conversations and be profitable.

No, wait. I suppose you can no longer open a bar called Jim's where people who live in the neighborhood could come and drink and have conversations and be profitable.

So let's take a look at some of the new bars (and restaurants) that just opened or are opening very soon in the neighborhood:

1) The 13th Step



The team behind Down the Hatch is opening the 13th Step at the former Telephone Bar on Second Avenue. I posted this back in February.

The term the 13th Step means: This term is used as a euphemism for inappropriate sexual advances by a member to a newcomer in AA (such as sponsors toward sponsees).

In a post on the new 13th Step sign last week... some readers here weighed in...:

13th step. What the fuck is that, now we're gonna get all quaint and cutesy and ironic about alcoholism? Gawd sometimes I really hate people and their "creative ideas".

And!

Pretty soon we will have more bars with ridiculous flippant alcohol problem-referencing names like "The Drunk Tank", "Drunk and Disorderly's", "Alcohol Poisoning", "The Binge", "DUI"... possibilites are endless.

2) SRO

Theres's a new upscale winery coming to Stanton in the Bowery... at the former annex for the SRO Sunshine Hotel. So. The new owners tastefully decided to name this place... SRO... This name annoyed the CB3/SLA committee last Monday night, as Eater noted. (Read BoweryBoogie's coverage of this place here.)

As Jeremiah wrote about SRO: "another unfortunate appropriation of poverty-related language by caterers to the affluent. Hey, why not call it Flophouse? Or Soup Kitchen? Or Skid Row? Wouldn't that be hip? How about Scabies?"

3) The Ninth Ward



As Fork in the Road reported, the owners of Shoolbred's are taking over the former Thai on Two space on Second Avenue. Per the Fork:

"The new place will have an 1890s' New Orleans feel, with absinthe drips and classic cocktails, much like Laffite's or the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street. Some food — most likely, Cajun standards — will be served."

Fine, but... When I heard that name, I recalled my trip to New Orleans in the fall of 2006 — nearly 14 months after Hurricane Katrina wiped out portions of the city. A friend, who was born and raised in New Orleans, took me for a tour of the devastation in various parts of the city, including the Lower Ninth Ward. Houses had been knocked off foundations. Not much remained except some muck — layers of canal water, sewage and dirt — and mold. Doesn't make me feel like a cocktail.

On Friday afternoon, Fork in the Road noted Louisiana-transplant and writer Cajun Boy's reaction via Twitter:

A New Orleans-themed bar in NYC called Ninth Ward has opened. Maybe I'll open a NYC-themed bar in New Orleans and call it World Trade Center

4) Billy Hurricane's



In the former Rehab/Midway space (and Save the Robots) space at 25 Avenue B, an upstairs/downstairs combo is opening soon. Grub Street reported in April that the owners will open the "Bourbon. Beer. Rock'–themed Idle Hands in the basement space while upstairs a group with ties to Thunder Jackson’s and Point Break will open Billy Hurricanes, a Mardi Gras–themed bar trafficking in frozen daiquiris, Cajun food, and a signature drink that will be limited to two per person."



Billy's has a blog. The first post notes:

Once we get the kitchen finalized, among other things... we will be ready to rock!
Watch out for our opening night party... will be off the hook!
Please welcome us to the neighborhood.
Are you ready to rock!?

DNAinfo had a follow-up on Billy's/Idle Hands a few weeks back. Per Patrick Hedlund's story:

But even though its door have yet to open, the space has already been forced to contend with negative criticisms that have cast the bar as a theme-park-style venue that will attract rowdy crowds to the residential area.

"There's always going to be somebody who doesn't like it and doesn't want you there," said co-owner Rob Morton, 37 ...

Morton responded to the snipes by saying his group is simply following a long list of glitzier nightlife establishments that have flocked to the formerly gritty area.

"You can't yearn for a neighborhood that was," he said

.

Or can you?

Updating: What's open in the East Village for takeout and delivery

[Photo by Steven]

First draft as of 9 a.m. on March 17. Here are East Village cafes-restaurants open for takeout and delivery — many with contact-free options. Yes, this is an incomplete list. But it is a start. We'll continue to update throughout the day. Additions are welcome via the comments and email. Find the in-progress list of closures here.

Please call ahead or check the restaurant's website or social media for updates. All this is subject to change. Several of the vendors we talked with we're unsure how long they'd be able to stay open. Thanks to Lola Saénz and Steven for the reporting!

Updated 3/21: Continuing to update. Some of the information below may be outdated. Several restaurant owners told us that they have decided not to continue at this time. One restaurant owner said he had two orders the entire day.

Updated 4/5. Updated the list. Removed the closures and put the restaurants in alphabetical order.

• Abraço, 81 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Alphabet City Beer Co., 96 Avenue C. They've expanded their grocery items, and added fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Open from noon to 7 p.m.

• Artichoke Pizza, 321 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Barnyard Cheese Shop/Brix Wine, 168 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street

• B Cup Cafe, 212 Avenue B at 12th Street is open for picks up deliveries

• The Bean (Third Avenue/Ninth Street and Broadway/Ninth Street) are open for takeout and delivery. They also have touch-free pick up.

• Bin 141, 43 Avenue A at Third Street, is open from 3-7 p.m. They are offering a variety of grab-and-go dinners for $10. See the list here.

• Bite, 211 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Brodo, First Avenue at 12th Street. The to-go Brodo window is open 100 First Ave.

• Brick Lane Curry House, 79 Second Ave. near Fifth Street.

• C&B Cafe, 178 E. Seventh St. near Avenue B. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Caffè Bene, 208 Avenue A at 13th Street

• Calexico, 99 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

• Casa Adela, 66 Avenue C between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is open for takeout.

• Craft + Carry St Marks, 118 Saint Mark’s Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. Only beer to go. 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Dallas BBQ, 132 Second Ave. at St. Mark's Place. Pick up, takeout and delivery.

• Dan and John’s Wings, 135 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Takeout, pick up or delivery via their website or DoorDash.

• Desi Galli, 172 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street, is open for contact-free takeout and delivery. Customers can save 15 percent off all their orders on www.desigalli.com with coupon code DESI15.

• Dim Sum Palace, 59 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street.

• The Dip, 58 Saint Mark’s Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street

• East Village Pizza, First Avenue at Ninth Street

• ElevenB, 174 Avenue B at 11th Street. Takeout and delivery. They are also offering a special to the neighborhood: large pizza for $12, which is $3 off the usual price. Pick up only.

• Eliza's Local, 2 St. Mark's Place, has beer and growlers to go.

• Esperanto, 145 Avenue C at Ninth Street, is offering takeout and curbside pickup (including a to-go happy hour!).

• Fonda, 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Frank and Lil' Frankie's are open for takeout and delivery.

• Fresco, 138 Second Ave., between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, takeout and delivery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Gena's Grill, 210 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street

• Gnocco, 337 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Takeout and delivery.

• Gomi Korean Wine Bar, 186 Avenue A. near 12th Street. Take out only.

• Grape and Grain, 620 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, is now serving sustainable sushi from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday for take out and delivery. For a limited time only. Details here.

• Gruppo, 98 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 9:30 p.m. (No fee delivery when ordered via their website.)

• Hanoi Soup Shop, 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, is offering takeout and delivery from noon to 9 p.m. They are also offering the full beer, cocktail and wine menu available to-go, as well as 20 percent off bottles of wine.

• Holiday Cocktail Lounge, 75 St. Mark's Place, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Hub Thai, 103 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street

• Iggy's Pizza, 173 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street

• IHOP, 235 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Jiang Diner, 309 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Open for to-go or delivery from 5 to 10 p.m.

• John's of 12th Street, 302 E. 12th St. near Second Avenue, is open for delivery and takeout.

• Juicy Lucy, 85 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Katz's, 205 E. Houston St., is open for takeout and delivery.

• Kitchen Sink, 88 Second Ave. at Fifth Street. Open for pick up and delivery.

• Kona Coffee and Company, 57 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street. Open to-go from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Kotobuki, 56 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street, has pickup, delivery and curbside service.

• La Palapa, 77 Saint Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• Le Petit Parisien, 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

• Le Sia, 11 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• Love Mama, 174 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout.

• Lower East Side Coffee Shop, 442 E. 14th St. near Avenue A, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Madame Vo, 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Open for takeout as well as delivery on Caviar

• Makiinny, 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Takeout and delivery

• Mamoun’s, 30 St. Marks Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Mimi Cheng’s, 179 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout. Currently only serving hospitals.

• Misoya, 129 2nd Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Mother of Pearl, 95 Avenue A at Sixth Street, has pickup and delivery options.

• Native Bean, 36 Avenue A. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Nolita Pizza, 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Numero 28 Pizzeria, 176 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout.

• Odessa, 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Takeout and delivery only. 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Weekdays and Sunday. 11 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

• Original Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwich Shop, 209 Avenue A at 13th Street. Open for takeout.

• Paquito’s, 143 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Take out and delivery.

• Paul’s Da Burger Joint, 131 Second Ave. near Saint Mark's Place. Takeout only.

• Pink's, 242 E. 10th St., near First Avenue, is available for takeout and delivery.

• Porto Rico Importing Co., 40 Saint Mark’s Place near Second Avenue

• Post, 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. Takeout and delivery.

• Proto’s Pizza, 50 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street.

• Pylos, 128 Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue (pick up and delivery)

• Rakka Cafe, 81 St Mark's Place near First Avenue

• Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A. To-go window is open. They are also delivering via services like Seamless, Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash.

• Ray’s Pizza, 2 St Mark's Place at Third Avenue.

• Remedy Diner, 245 E. Houston St. at Norfolk Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Royale, 157 Avenue C near 10th Street, which is open for takeout and delivery from 5-10 p.m.

• S'MAC, 197 First Ave. at 12th St. They will continue to offer takeout and delivery during regular operating hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Sammy’s Halal, 109 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Takeout and delivery.

• San Loco's Stanton Street location is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 10 p.m.

• Sauce, 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue [Only open on weekends]

• Shake Shack, 20 Third Ave. at Astor Place. Takeout and delivery.

• Souen, 326 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Starbucks, 125 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A. Open for takeout via the mobile app.

• Stromboli Pizza, 83 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Hours to be determined depending on how business is.

• Sweet Generation, 130 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Seventh Street. Takeout and delivery only.



• TabeTomo, 131 Avenue A. between St Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Pick-up orders.

• Tacos Cuautla Morelos, 438 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. Takeout and delivery

• Taqueria Diana, 129 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Thai Direct, 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (They have contactless takeout and pickup.)

• Thai Terminal, 349 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. [Reopened on 4/20]

• Thailand Cafe, 95 Second Ave. near Sixth Street.

• Tompkins Square Bagels (both locations)

• Village Square Pizza, 147 Avenue A. Take out and delivery.

• Vinny Vincenz Pizza, 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street

• Westville Bakery, 443 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

• Westville East, 173 Avenue A at 11th Street, is open for delivery between 11:15 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

• Whitman's, 406 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, has pick up and delivery from 5 to 10 p.m. daily.

• Zaragoza, 215 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street, is open for food to go. They also have some groceries for sale.

Week in Grieview

[Bond Street looking east one recent nice day]

The Marshal seizes Kate's Joint (Tuesday) ... and the "for rent" signs quickly arrive (Wednesday)

Summering in Tompkins Square Park (Friday)

Filming at the Holiday Cocktail Lounge (Wednesday)

A bike rack for East Ninth Street (Wednesday)

CB3/SLA OKs Joe's to Josie's (Monday)

A campaign to save the library at the Neighborhood School (Thursday)

007 moving to East Fourth Street? (Friday)

A bigger Bean for First Avenue (Wednesday)

FDNY rescues resident from a Shaoul-owned building after staircase is removed (Thursday)

Reconnecting with 'Past Lives'

Top image via A24 

"Past Lives," one of 2023's more celebrated films, was recently made available to stream. 

Writer-director Celine Song's generation-spanning film follows two childhood friends from Seoul to the East Village. This neighborhood is the backdrop for the adult characters (played by Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) and former sweethearts as they contemplate what might have been... and maybe could be.

Locations here included First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

... and the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's Place. 

Here's an interview with Song and Steve Buscemi at the Angelika, discussing the climatic last scene on First Street ... and how she found this block (thanks to FocusPulling for this clip)...

   

"Past Lives" received two Oscar nominations: best picture and original screenplay... and likely deserved more.

And you can see it still on a big screen at Cinema Village on 12th Street between University and Fifth Avenue.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[East 7th Street yesterday via Derek Berg]

Suspect charged in shooting death of 33-year-old Shemrod Isaac on Avenue D (DNAinfo)

A look around the new Holiday Cocktail Lounge (Eater)

Scrubbing down 190 Bowery (Gothamist)

Egg Rolls & Egg Creams Festival is expanding this summer (BoweryBoogie)

The landmarked Tammany Hall on Union Square will be topped by a glass tortoise shell-inspired dome (Curbed)

Will the Will Pier 35 Eco-Park ever open? (The Lo-Down)

More about the Horn & Hardart Automat documentary (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Mourning lost bars; early morning at Downtown Beirut

The 6th Floor, the blog of The New York Times Magazine, checked in yesterday afternoon with a piece titled "Manhattan’s Most-Mourned Bars."

The neighborhood is well-represented in the listicle: Mars Bar, Downtown Beirut and The Holiday Cocktail Lounge. (And two nearby: The Cedar Tavern and Good World Bar and Grill.)

A lot of room for debate in that list. Which was probably the point, of course.

But! It's a fine time to revisit this EVG post from Jan. 5, 2009 titled Downtown Beirut, around 1990, about 3 a.m. It included this video...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Downtown Beirut, around 1990, about 3 a.m.

Citi Share docking stations arrive on St. Mark's Place at 1 a.m., quickly tagged

EVG regular Stephen Popkin notes that the Citi Bikes docking stations arrived on the north side of St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue (in front of the former Holiday Cocktail Lounge) ... around 1 a.m. (Per Stephen's estimation, the installers were working quietly...)



Plans called for 31 docks here in a no-parking area of the street.

Updated:

Well, later, someone felt compelled to write RAMEN on the docking station...



...and another angle via Shawn Chittle...



Meanwhile! On East Fifth Street at Avenue C... EVG reader Mish noted that workers installed the docking station here around 11 p.m.



Per Mish: "We're already taxed as it is parking wise, and the street is a dead end. Really failing to see the logic in this choice of location. I'm not sure they realize how much of an adverse effect this is going to have on commuters in the neighborhood."

Reminders tonight: CB3/SLA committee meeting; plus, several scratches

Just a reminder that the CB3/SLA licensing committee meets tonight at 6:30 — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery. (We looked at the items on the agenda here.)

Here's an updated look at the February docket. As you can see there are a few scratches for whatever reasons... most notably, Nublu and Nevada Smith's...

Previously on EV Grieve:
The founder of Pirate's Booty is taking over the Holiday Cocktail Lounge

That sinking feeling

The Post gets into the dive bar spirit today, offering up its listicle of the city's top-10 dives. I can't say there are any surprises on the list. Or let's say shockers. Was glad to see the International get some love. Co-owner Shawn Dahl is also quoted. In any event, I always find such lists pointless, except when I make them. (Joking!)

Uh, here's the list:

MARS BAR, 25 E. First St.

RUDY'S BAR & GRILL, 627 Ninth Ave.

BLARNEY COVE, 510 E. 14th St.

TURKEY'S NEST, 94 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn

HOLIDAY COCKTAIL LOUNGE, 75 St. Mark's Place

MILANO'S BAR, 51 E. Houston St.

SUBWAY INN, 143 E. 60th St.

JOHNNY'S, 90 Greenwich Ave.

O'CONNOR'S, 39 Fifth Ave, Brooklyn

INTERNATIONAL BAR, 120 ½ First Ave.

Guess there are no dive bars in Queens or the Bronx or Staten Island. Anyway! Quibble away.