Here's more about Picnic, now open on Second Avenue

We noted the new-look exterior at 117 Second Ave. yesterday ... the restaurant space here at East Seventh Street (home to the Kiev, some time ago) is now apparently out of soft-open mode ... we received the official news release about Picnic yesterday afternoon.

To the release!

Partner Kamran Malekan and Executive Chef Nicholas Nostadt debut Picnic, offering a contemporary take on homespun classics inspired by Nostadt's Midwestern roots. The lofty, 70-seat restaurant is located on a sunny corner in the heart of the East Village, inviting nostalgia with a nod to picnic fare with a creative spin.

Chef Nostadt, formerly of Williamsburg's Berry Park, offers a menu of modern riffs on American classics, from small bites including the Cheese Ball with Roquefort, Bresaola, Dill, Braised Bosc Pear, Pickled Red Onions and Grilled Bread (cheese selections will rotate) and Mussels with Hard Cider, Apricot Nectar, Dijon Cream, Soft Herbs and Spices, to salads such as the Celery with Celery Leaves, Celery Root, Tarragon, New York State Apples, Capers, and Meyer Lemon Dressing. Sides and snacks include Scratch-Baked Beans, Boiled Peanuts and a riff on a Roll-Up made with Mortadella and Roquefort.

Entrees range from "Between the Bun" options such as the Pulled Pork Sandwich with Rootbeer BBQ and Roasted Corn & Cabbage Slaw, to a bucket of Fried Chicken with House-made Ranch Dressing, and a Whole Roasted Fish with Lemon, Garlic and Herbs. An assortment of house-made donuts, a rotating selection of pies and chef Nostadt's take on the beloved Midwestern Puppy Chow round out the menu. The beverage program consists of American beers on tap, bottled and canned brews, all-American wines and Counter Culture coffee.

Picnic is open seven days a week for dinner and late-night dining: Sunday through Thursday from 5 pm to 11 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 12 am.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Storefront renovation for 117 Second Ave.; last call for Song 7.2?

A Picnic for Second Avenue

Tompkins Square Bagels turns 1

This weekend, Tompkins Square Bagels celebrates its one-year anniversary at 165 Avenue A. On the eve of the occasion, we asked proprietor Christopher Pugliese to reflect on the past year.

On the local community:

"I'd really like people to know how thankful I am for their support. I've met so many amazing people at Tompkins Square Bagels this past year, you could not imagine. Every type of person. What a great great community we have. Anyone who says the spirit of the East Village is gone or done is absolutely wrong. The people are here."

On what he's most proud of:

"One of the things I'm most proud of, and maybe something that landlords should pay attention to, is that I made it without a liquor license. They were dangling that in front of me like a carrot if i agreed to pay a little more in rent. I made a decision early on — no liquor, no cigarettes, no targeting the school kids around the block by filling my place with junk food and candy. No lotto tickets. I was going to either live or die being a responsible member of the community. And I lived."

On the future:

"I'd love to put an old-fashioned Italian-style pork store/market type of place in the Diablo Royale Este space next door. [The bar temporarily closed late in August; it is not expected to return. The space is on the market.] I want to knock down a wall in TSB and connect the two. I want to have meats, fish, cheeses, coffee, bread, groceries, pre-made food, pasta, etc.

I'm interested in doing this because I live here and, personally, I'm tired of having to walk blocks and blocks for a decent piece of fish or some good pasta. Where I grew up in Brooklyn, we had places like Pastosa Ravioli. Have you ever been to one? It's like an Italian pork store, pasta shop and gourmet food place all rolled into one. There's a real neighborhood here on Avenue A. The people are here. Yet, they don't have basic needs met like a good market."

Previously.

Concern for 32 Avenue C

The southeast corner of Avenue C and East Third Street (aka 32 Avenue C) has been on my endangered list for some time... in March, when I took the photos below, the sidewalk bridge arrived along with a scary DOB message: "THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING IS CAVING IN; COMMERCIAL BUILDING; BUILDING NEEDS TO BE VACATED"

Yesterday, the city hit the building with a full vacate order... EVG reader Bobby L., and a neighbor of No. 32, said that the city made everyone here leave ("thrown out" was his term) yesterday morning at 10... a group that included the upstairs tenants, the East Village Deli and the Perfection Barber Shop...

... among other things, this vacate order means the closure of Maria's, the tiny streetside stand with delicious, inexpensive food and homemade signs...

[Via]

A neighborhood place for neighborhood people not interested in standing in line for heritage pork and craft beer at buzzy places ...

[EVG reader Andrew]

[EVG reader Andrew]

I'd be surprised to think that the landlord (listed at the DOB as "Fairfax Management Corp.") would pay for any extensive repairs here ... the land is far too valuable to allow for neighborhood places like this to exist... Still, no official word from the city, just, as the sign says, "reentry is prohibited until such conditions have been eliminated to the satisfaction of the department."

[Google]

Thanks to EVG reader Andrew for passing along the tip that the city had issued the vacate orders...

East Village Social is now open on St. Mark's Place

We've been meaning to stop by East Village Social, the new bar-saloon that opened last week at 126 St. Mark's Place near Avenue A. (In the space previously occupied by Lychee and Why Curry?)

Anyway, looks like a good, low-key neighborhood bar.

We tracked down proprietor Dee Dee Patton on Facebook. She has been bartending in the City for 12 years now, the last four split between Niagara and the Bowery Electric. This is her first place.

"I really want East Village Social to be a locals spot that I want to hang out in," she said.

There are 10 beers on tap as well as seasonal sangrias. They also serve "comfort food with a southern spin," such as pulled pork on a biscuit with applesauce.

And they have a cool ceiling.


[Via Facebook]

Next thing you know, there's a pork bun in the oven

Boooo!

And a Missed Connection, which you never know are for real...

You had me at "Can I get just one pork bun?" - m4w - 30 (East Village)
Date: 2012-05-30, 5:10PM EDT

My first Ippudo, you were so generous with the cucumber.

Let's try Alta next?

Who says that the East Village is no longer a bohemian mecca?

Item: Recent New York Times article on the St. Mark's Bookshop, which opened in 1977...

[Co-owner Bob] Contant acknowledged that the East Village was no longer the bohemian mecca where he and four partners ... had chosen to open their business, in a 600-square-foot storefront at 13 St. Mark’s Place that rented for $375. At the time, Mr. Conant’s apartment was $63 a month. When he moved a few years later to nicer digs with a fireplace, his rent soared to $120.

Item: Forwarded by an EV Grieve reader...via Thrillist...

Scoff at ordinary serving sizes and gird yourself for glorious gluttony from Avenue C’s flatscreen-’n-football fortress East Village Tavern.

Anytime Feast for 1: Individually assault a 90 min barrage of all the under-$7 craft brews you can slug from an ever-rotating tap selection, plus unlimited grub in the form of 5 types of sliders, or mac ‘n cheese flecked with bacon, sausage, beef, or vegetables, just like you'll be after such a heart-stopping meal.

Game Day Party for 4: Normally $184, you and 3 amigos will crush 90 min of your choice of drafts plus endless buffalo wings & fries, kicked off with a plate of Tavern’s lip-smacking pulled pork, Philly cheese, and beef sliders.

Oh.

Are you ready for some Monday Night ... Steakhouse at Casimir?

Back in April, our friends at East Village Eats pointed at that Casimir on Avenue B had new owners. What kind of changes can you expect there? This news release that arrived yesterday should give you some insight...

Who wouldn’t want to treat themselves to a decadent steakhouse dinner? However, steakhouse prices have put this luxury out of reach for more and more diners. But not anymore! East Village French bistro Casimir has introduced Monday Night Steakhouse – a weekly special featuring every steak on its menu for only $9.95!

Starting Monday, July 25, 2011 Monday Night Steakhouse is set to tempt your taste buds without sacrificing your budget. Indulge in 12 ounces of favorites such as ribeye and skirt steak, filet mignon, steak tartare, the juicy Casimir hamburger and even a grilled pork chop – all for the wallet-friendly price of $9.95.

This new and exciting special is the brainchild of new management that is poised to reinvigorate the restaurant, an early pioneer of the East Village dining renaissance. Mario Carta formerly of Chazal and Lea Midtown has amassed over a decade of expertise managing and developing restaurant concepts which he plans to utilize in this his latest endeavor. Monday Night Steakhouse is one of many new initiatives that Carta plans to roll out during the upcoming months. Although the management may be new, Carta plans to retain the inviting atmosphere, attentive service and uncomplicated cuisine that has made Casimir popular among destination diners and neighborhood locals.

Monday Night Steakhouse is available on Mondays from 5:30 pm to 12 am. Casimir is located at 103 Ave. B, between 6th & 7th Streets.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Changes in store for Casimir on Avenue B?

Gonna be a long winter: The Penistrator strikes first snow

As I first reported, we had just a dusting of snow Monday night hereabouts — a dusting ... but that didn't stop you know who from making his or her first appearance of the young 2010-11 winter season...



Thanks to a tipster for this photo, taken on Bleecker and Jane Street in Marc JacobsVille. Uh-oh ... a little off the beaten path for this icy pork sword, don't you think? ... During the first snowfall of the 2009-10 season, the Snow Shaft Bandit stuck to his or her usual East Village confines. Now a migration to the West Village? Or — shudder — has the penistrator spawned copycats in other neighborhoods?

Oh, boy... it's gonna be a long winter with this "snowfitti" vandal on the loose... Eyes open, people. Eyes open.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An EV Grieve investigative report: In search of the Penistrator

A stunning development: Is Haley Joel Osment the Penistrator?

Snow is in the forecast tonight, which means....

More on the Gaelic gastro pub coming to Avenue A; Forbidden City's renewal denied

So, as I was saying, the CB3/SLA committee granted the transfer of Al Diwan's liquor license to Percy's Tavern on Avenue A and 13th Street Monday night...

The Percy's folks were turned down last month...However, they returned with a stronger concept and better community outreach. The owner, Larry Watson, has lived in the East Village for 25 years, arriving here in 1986 to work as a building super on 11th Street and Second Avenue...

Watson handed out packets to those sitting around him... inside was all the background information a blogger neighbor would want... According to his bio, he moved here as a single father and raised four children, all of whom attended PS 19 on 11th Street... Per the bio: "I love this neighborhood and would never do anything to compromise all the years and continued effort that was put into our neighborhood. I have supported Father Pat Moloney and St. Brigid's with cleaning up and maintaining this area."

His mission for Percy's, which is named for 19th-century entertainer William Percy French: "To become such a vital part of the community that Percy's will be the standard."

The chef was on hand, and he said that he aspires to be like Northern Spy around the corner on 12th Street. And he mysteriously wouldn't name the Michelin-starred restaurant where he currently works out of fear of losing that job. (Watson said everyone will be suitably impressed when they hear where he worked.)

In a letter to the CB3, the president of the 13th Street Block Association gave Percy's a rousing endorsement, citing his community outreach and promise to be a good neighbor. Among other things, he vows to close the sidewalk doors at 10 p.m. nightly while the sidewalk tables will be removed at 11 p.m.

Looking at the menu now... bar snacks include pork skins...smoked mackerel on rye... pork cheeks on toast for lunch...they'll also be open for brunch on weekends...

-----

Meanwhile on Monday night... Forbidden City, right next door to Al Diwan on Avenue A, was up for a renewal of their liquor license ... Committee chair Alexandra Militano mentioned that CB3 had just received more than 20 additional complaints about Forbidden City, ranging from patrons making noise, obstructing the sidewalk, drinking outside, vomiting, peeing, etc., etc.

Plenty of nearby neighbors were there to speak out against Forbidden City, which is on the ground level of a multi-use building. Said one 22-year resident: "It has totally destroyed the quality of life in the neighborhood." She said that she made it a point to be in by 10 p.m. on a Saturday to avoid the crowds along that stretch of Avenue A... One resident said the patrons were "sketchy characters" and the place was, overall, "really unbearable."

One of Forbidden City's upstair's neighbors recalled the night last summer in which the bar's off-duty bouncer, Eric "Taz" Pagan was murdered... The resident recalled the horrific imagery of seeing paramedics trying to revive Pagan on the sidewalk. "The scene was just horrible. My daughter asked me what happened. I couldn't tell her. I lied and said that it was some roadside repairs."

(Committee members and the Forbidden City reps said the shooting had noting to do with the bar.)

During all this, three representatives from Forbidden City stood there rather awkwardly, waiting for their turn to speak. And when it came time to talk, well, they seemed a little disorganized and defensive. Several of the neighbors talked about the bar's recent DJ competitions, which have drawn huge crowds. The bar reps foolishly tired to describe exactly what this is ... "It's not a competition ... it's a DJ showcase." Ah, well!

The bar manager said that this was his first managerial experience... the owner asked the committee for their advice on how to keep the sidewalks clear... everyone got a lecture from Militano, from the residents who waited until right before the meeting to register complaints... to the Forbidden City management for failing to be proactive.

After nearly of an hour of all this, the committee denied Forbidden City's request for a renewal... it now goes to the full CB3 board on June 22...

-----

I bailed after nearly four hours and four items... there were nearly 30 more on the agenda... Eater correspondent Gabe Ulla gamely stayed until the wee hours...

As he reported for Eater:

* There was plenty debate for SRO... the grotesquely named new eatery proposed for the former SRO at the Bowery and Stanton... "the board wasn't exactly fond of Olsen naming a swank wine bar in an actual SRO building -- SRO ... But like the board concluded in the end, it's a changing neighborhood and there's little they can do to stop that." Approved! (Read BoweryBoogie's coverage of this place here.)

* A new eatery was approved for 40 Avenue B, the short-lived Dominican restaurant Chabela's. The place will be called Little Printz Cafe, a "global Jewish" restaurant that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

* In other items from Eater, One and One and Spina were approved for sidewalk cafes while TKettle on St. Mark's Place was denied their beer/wine upgrade.

Previously on EV Grieve:
CB3 deadlocked over new "fast-food Italian" at former Graceland space; 7-Eleven next?

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

Miss Heather finds another tourists/New Yorkers line in the EV (New York Shitty)

Trouble at the A Building (Curbed .... and The Real Deal)

Tah-Poozie has closed (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

BaHa finds more than brunch at the Knickerbocker (Daily News)

Slum Goddess is an "East Fifth Bliss" extra (Slum Goddess)

An actual "Sex and the City 2" promo pic (Nonetheless)

Plan B for 185 Orchard (BoweryBoogie)

EV Grieve regular Mykola (Mick) Dementiuk giving a reading tonight at the LGBT Center on West 13th Street (Elisa Rolle Live journal)

Catching up with the Specials (Flaming Pablum)

Who was watching Goggla? (The Gog Log)

Herald Square now and then (Ephemeral New York)

The classic Joe's Pork Shop in Astoria (Lost City)

Uncovering old ads in the West Village (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

Truth in leads via Matt Harvey in NYPress:

The East Village is 100 square blocks of NYU-dominated real estate. On a Saturday night, its bars are all packed with out-of-towners.

And get to the 99-cent store on 14th Street near B now!

What becomes of Pork Village during the swine flu pandemic?

Back in December, the Times noted the following:

In the East Village, local cuisine is quickly whittling down to a single food: pig. With new pork-bun outlets and ramen shops, porchetta and hot dog specialists, plus bacon peanut brittle as a local bar snack (at The Redhead), the area is all bellied up.

On Tuesday, the Times had the following article titled "Pork Industry Fights Concerns Over Swine Flu." The lead: "The swine flu is producing global hesitation over eating pork."

The same article goes on the say:

Medical authorities say that people cannot contract the swine flu from eating properly cooked pork. There is no evidence so far that the people who are becoming sick were in contact with pigs. In fact, authorities are not even sure how susceptible pigs are to infection with the new flu.

Still, does pork sound good right now? One writer had this on his mind. At BlackBook.com, Ben Barna wrote a piece titled "Will Swine Flu Fears Affect New York’s Banh Mi Boom?"

He wrote:

Yesterday, amid fears of a global pandemic, I checked out the new East Village rendition of Baoguette — yet another entry in New York’s out-of-nowhere (but understandable) banh mi hysteria. But while normally I’d order their signature sandwich — a baguette stuffed with pork terrine, pate, and pulled pork, among other things — fears of sore throat, fever, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and possibly death overcame me. So I ordered the BBQ chicken. If swine flu paranoia is already stopping one New Yorker from porking out on a traditional banh mi, how long before the entire Saigon Sub industry feels the side effects of a possible pandemic?

Although he did go back the next day for the signature sandwich, he admitted.

Donning a mask, this intrepid reporter walked by Porchetta on Seventh Street (pictured, above, in a shot taken on another night) to see what was what. Three people were digging on swine inside. Another person was walking out with some pork to go.

To be continued....possibly.

For further reading:
Will Swine Flu Finally Kill the Pork-Belly Trend? (Grub Street)

P.S.
You no doubt already tested yourself to see whether you have swine flu.

P.S.S.
I'm wondering whether the business at Porky's may suffer too.

Noted

In the East Village, local cuisine is quickly whittling down to a single food: pig. With new pork-bun outlets and ramen shops, porchetta and hot dog specialists, plus bacon peanut brittle as a local bar snack (at The Redhead), the area is all bellied up.

(New York Times)

Speaking of pigs, is Porky's still open? Good times!