Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of the roomy new porta-potties in Tompkins by Derek Berg)...

• EARTHQUAKE (Friday) 

• Lower East Side legend Sammy's Roumanian Steak House announces its reopening dates (Tuesday) 

 

• Essex Card Shop robbed on Avenue A (Saturday) 

• Turn it up: East Village Radio returns this spring (Monday) 

• The porta-potties of Tompkins Square Park now have hours of operation (Saturday)

• Why the International Bar has been closed (Tuesday) 

• On the April CB3-SLA docket: a Rice Thief outpost for the East Village (Monday) ... The Onion Tree Pizza Co. (Wednesday) 

• Vacated 9th Street parking garage fetches $14 million for likely residential conversion (Tuesday) 

• The $24 million renovation of the Nuyorican Poets Café is officially underway (Thursday) 

• At Tabby Twitch's 'Prime' (Wednesday) 

• Weekday lunch service begins at Superiority Burger on Avenue A (Monday) 

• After 8 years in the East Village, Fortnight Institute has closed its doors (Thursday) 

• Mr. Throwback gets a spin-off on 9th Street (Wednesday) 

• The 'Kim's Video' documentary unreels at the Quad; Alamo Drafthouse next (Friday)

• On Avenue B, damaged façade shutters Gruppo (Thursday) 

• A new pizzeria for the former pizzeria at 36 St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• A new awning for East Village classic Veniero's (Thursday)

• Openings: Yokox Omakase on Avenue B (Wednesday) 

• Let's look inside the Five Guys slated for 2nd Avenue and 12th Street (Thursday)

 

• Signage alert: Lilly's Shakes & Crepes on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

...and checking in with the St. Mark's Place Welcome Committee...

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Lower East Side legend Sammy's Roumanian Steak House announces its reopening dates

Get ready to break out the schmaltz: Sammy's Roumanian Steak House has announced its return to the Lower East Side. 

For two nights this month (April 22-23), Sammy's will be at its new home, 112 Stanton St., between Essex and Ludlow ... before service on every Friday and Saturday in May. From June on, Sammy's will be open daily.

Per their return notice:

Exciting announcement! Sammy’s is making a comeback and we couldn’t be happier to return to the Lower East Side. Huge thanks to our loyal customers and fans for keeping the Sammy's spirit alive over the years.

We're kicking things off with a two-night Passover special, followed by weekends in May leading up to our grand reopening in June. Enjoy entertainment featuring the one and only Dani Lev, along with our original menu and staff.

Sammy's closed in early January 2021 after 47 years of serving up ice-encased vodka, smeared pitchers of schmaltz and enormous platters of meat from the lower level at 151 Chrystie St.

The restaurant had been shuttered since the PAUSE of March 2020, and this wasn't a business ready-made for delivery or outdoor dining.

In an Instagram post at the time, owner David Zimmerman left the door open for a return.

We may be closed now, but when all this is over and we feel safe enough to hold hands during the hora, we will be back stronger, louder, and tastier than ever before. We are New York. We will survive this. We will always cherish the memories we shared with all of you.

Last May, as we first reported, Community Board 3 approved an application for 191 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton. 

We're not sure what happened with the Orchard Street space ... as previously mentioned, it had been vacant for nine years and needed a lot of work to bring it into service. Apparently, the Sammy's team needed to move on from the location.

You can make reservations at the new location by calling (646) 410-2427.

Welcome back, Sammy's!

Signage alert: Ben's Deli gains a Grill on Avenue B

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy

The renovations at Ben's Deli on Avenue B, an establishment here for 40-plus years, took a significant step forward yesterday with the arrival of new signage. 

The business name has been expanded to include a "& Grill" in the name, marking a new chapter in its history. (While the signage sentiment in the EVG newsroom was wholly positive, we are waiting for EV Signage and Font Troll to weigh in...)

The market between Second Street and Third Street temporarily closed this past September for renovations, including new shelving and lighting  ... an expected move after longtime owner and Avenue B legend Ben Gibran sold the business earlier last year to a cousin, Sammy Ksem. (Don't worry — Ben still hangs out here. See below.)

Ben's Deli, which played a pivotal role in season one of "Russian Doll" on Netflix not to mention a Kim Petras video, is expected to be back open in the weeks ahead, which is rather vague, though you try to get Con Ed and the Department of Buildings scheduled for the necessary approvals. 

Last evening, the sign was lit, so to speak... 

Ben was outside in The Office (aka his Astro van). When I asked him if he liked it, he said, "Yes, looks good, right? Nice. Very nice." Then, he fired up a cigarette and continued watching a nature video on his iPad.

A look at the under-renovation Ben's Deli on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Interior renovations are progressing at Ben's Deli, 32 Avenue B, between Second Street and Third Street.

The market temporarily closed in September for the work... an expected move after longtime owner and Avenue B folk hero Ben Gibran sold the business earlier last year to a cousin, Sammy Ksem. 

Here's a look ... upgrades include new shelving and light fixtures...

Ben's Deli, which played a pivotal role in season one of "Russian Doll" on Netflix, is expected to be back open in another month (or so).

Even with the renovations, Ben's regulars can still be found outside the shop, commiserating on the day's events. And despite his retirement, Ben still pops by a few times a week. We've spotted him watching lions of the Serengeti videos on an iPad from his office, aka his Astro van parked on B.

This past fall, before the renovations really kicked in, the gang used the space in the evening to play dominos ... and to finish drinking the leftover Bud and Coors Light from the cold but denuded store shelves...

Week in Grieview

Posts this week included (with a PediCab Santa photo by Derek Berg) ... 

• Up in the under-restoration belltower at Most Holy Redeemer (Thursday) 

• Paulie Gee's Slice Shop in the works for the former Huertas space on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

• RIP Phil Klein (Friday) 

• A memorial for Bill Dean (Thursday) 

• Landmarks Preservation Commission approves hotel project that could potentially damage the city's oldest residential landmark (Wednesday) 

• A new CO at the 9th (Monday) 

• Sammy's Roumanian Steak House now looking at a new Lower East Side space for its return (Monday) 

• Local elected officials call out landlords renting to unlicensed cannabis shops (Wednesday) 

• A bad sign at Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana (Tuesday)

• On the sales market: 180 1st Ave., home of the dual Michael Jackson murals (Tuesday) 

• Construction watch: 183 Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• Calamari with fries at Ray's (Wednesday) 

• Kung Fu Tea closes on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• Dates released for Mulchchella 2024, where the headliners are your Christmas trees (Tuesday) 

• A Total by Verizon for Avenue A (Monday) 

... and if you won the door prize, don't worry, it's on its way... (photo by Derek Berg)...

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Sammy's Roumanian Steak House now looking at a new Lower East Side space for its return

When Sammy's Roumanian Steak House returns to the Lower East Side, Stanton Street will now likely be the location for the new home. 

Owner David Zimmerman will appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight to license 112 Stanton St. between Essex and Ludlow...

In May, as we first reported, Community Board 3 approved an application for 191 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton. 

We're not sure what happened with the Orchard Street space ... as previously mentioned, it had been vacant for nine years and needed a lot of work to bring it into service. Apparently, Zimmerman and Sammy's team needed to move on from the location.

The method of operation (questionnaire here) will be similar on Stanton Street as it was proposed on Orchard Street ... and the same as when Sammy's reigned on Chrystie Street. The proposal calls for six tables to accommodate 66 guests... and a "Sammy's Dinner Show" twice-nightly (6 and 9).

Sammy's closed in early January 2021 after 45-plus years of serving up ice-encased vodka, smeared pitchers of schmaltz and enormous platters of meat from the lower level at 151 Chrystie St. between Delancey and Rivington.

The restaurant had been shuttered since the PAUSE of March 2020, and this wasn't a business ready-made for delivery or outdoor dining.

In an Instagram post at the time, Zimmerman left the door open for a return. 

112 Stanton St. was previously home to Sushumai Asian Fusion.

Tonight's SLA meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link.

This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Ben's Deli is temporarily closed for renovations

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Ben's Deli is now temporarily closed for renovations here at 32 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street. 

This was expected after longtime owner Ben Gibran sold the business earlier this year to a cousin, Sammy Ksem. 

The shop, expected to be closed for two to three months, will still go by Ben's Deli. 

Here's a look at the last night... as the shelves were thinned out ...

You can also expect the return of the excellent in-store vendor Los Tacos Poca Madre...

On the last night, Haas was behind the counter...

... as well as Ben, making a rare return to this spot where he greeted generations of customers...

We still hope to see Ben on the block from time to time...

6 posts from May

A mini-month in review (and belated HBD to Joey Ramone this past May 19)... 

• Inside the East Village 'respite center' for asylum seekers (May 30)

• At the new home of The Joyce, which aims to be a hub for the performing arts in the East Village (May 23) 

• This East Village resident is bringing a classic 82-year-old radio back to broadcasting life (May 18) 

• With Community Board approval, Sammy's Roumanian Steak House takes another step to returning to the Lower East Side (May 16) 

• Mayor Adams visits Tompkins Square Park (May 15) 

• After deadly collapse, city issues vacate order at the Little Man Parking garage on 9th Street (May 2)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a construction shot of 1 St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue)... 

• With Community Board approval, Sammy's Roumanian Steak House takes another step to returning to the Lower East Side (Tuesday) 

• This East Village resident is bringing a classic 82-year-old radio back to broadcasting life (Thursday) 

• Mayor Adams visits Tompkins Square Park (Monday) 

• RIP Andy Rourke (Friday) 

 • Report: 8 months after fire, residents want their landlord to repair their Avenue D building (Monday)

• Workers demolish the south ramp to East River Park at Houston Street (Wednesday)

• Parkgoer escapes injury after a branch falls in the Tompkins Square Park dog run (Wednesday)

• The Cube will return to Astor Place this summer — but not before a spin to the Hamptons (Thursday) 

• A winning bid for Theatre 80; a vow to keep fighting for the building (Friday) 

• Openings: Saint Pizza on Avenue B (Wednesday) 

• Checking in at Jazba, a new Indian restaurant opening this summer on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• A necessary 'eVil' (Tuesday) 

• Packing up the Urban Umbrella scaffolding around Cooper Union (Tuesday) 

• 8 new trees on a truck in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

• Out and about with Rhett the Rhino (Friday)

• The all-new Bleecker Street Bar debuts (Monday) 

• City issues curbside dining structure removal to the shuttered Compilation Coffee (Thursday)

• Scenes from a rain-soaked Dance Parade (Sunday) 

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With Community Board approval, Sammy's Roumanian Steak House takes another step to returning to the Lower East Side

Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse received a critical approval from Community Board 3 last night as the NYC institution continues to move toward a return to service on the Lower East Side.

As previously reported, Sammy's was looking to open in a new home at 191 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton.

CB3's SLA committee signed off on the application, though with some debate on the language in the stipulations. Prior to last night's virtual meeting, owner David Zimmerman met with the local community group L.E.S. Dwellers and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding. The main sticking point: dinner seating in the outdoor garden behind the restaurant. Zimmerman has agreed not to use the outdoor space for any service. 

Neighbors/residents also agreed to the method of operation, which will be similar to its old basement space on Chrystie Street, including the services of a lounge singer on keyboards.

In addition, based on the day of the week, there were different proposed closing times, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The new Sammy's will close nightly at 12:30 a.m.

After the unanimous approval, Zimmerman, who was on the Zoom meeting, flashed a Famous Sammy's T-shirt, stating, "We are all proud."

By the way, the new outpost will sell Sammy's merch.

Sammy's closed in early January 2021 after 45-plus years of serving up ice-encased vodka, smeared pitchers of schmaltz and enormous platters of meat from the lower level at 151 Chrystie St. between Delancey and Rivington.

The restaurant had been shuttered since the PAUSE of March 2020, and this wasn't a business ready-made for delivery or outdoor dining.

In an Instagram post at the time, Zimmerman left the door open for a return.  

And now it's happening, though no word on an opening date. The space has been vacant for nine years, and needs a lot of work to bring it into service.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a new line era underway at the Orpheum on 2nd Avenue via Steven)...

• A new record and lineup for Bush Tetras (Wednesday)

• A new name and (familiar) owners for the currently closed Downtown Bakery (Thursday) 

• Pour one out for the champagne of East Village storefront signs (Monday)

• Porta potties arrive in Tompkins Square Park for use during field house renovations (Tuesday)

 

• On Astor Place, the cube will BRB to spin again (Tuesday) 

• A visit to a Ketamine-assisted therapy practitioner (Friday) 

• Inside Don Ceviche, opening soon on 1st Avenue (Tuesday) 

• More details about the new home for Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse on the Lower East Side (Monday) 

• At Ray's Candy Store, you can now pay for those beignets and deep-fried Oreos via Venmo (Monday) 

• Stand back, here are photos from Night of 1000 Stevies at Irving Plaza (Thursday) 

• Signage alert: Village Works on St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• &Beer is a new pop-up concept on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• The fruit vendor returns to Astor Place (Wednesday) 

• Someone artfully wrapped this drinking fountain in Tompkins Square Park with aluminum foil (Thursday) 

• East Village Pizza and Beron Beron remove its curbside dining structures (Monday)

• Gorin Ramen has closed on 14th Street (Monday) ... Beloved Cafe has closed on the Lower East Side (Thursday)

• Openings: Offside Tavern on Avenue A (Monday) 

• The Laurels takes over for Bait & Hook on 2nd Avenue and 14th Street (Tuesday) 

• The former Mighty Quinn's space is for rent (Tuesday) 

• Gotham — NYC's 'first cannabis concept store' — debuts today on Third Street (Thursday) 

• 'The Legend of Zelda,' bus edition (Wednesday) 

• A J Crew for NoHo (Thursday)

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More details about the new home for Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse on the Lower East Side

Updated 5/17: Sammy's received the OK from Community Board 3.

As we first reported on April 27, NYC classic Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse is looking to reopen in a new location.

Next Monday, ownership will appear before CB3's SLA committee for a new liquor license for 191 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton — space that has been vacant for nine years.

The questionnaire (PDF here) is now online at the CB3 website before that meeting.

According to the public document, Sammy's 2.0 would feature 58 tables for 118 guests. They're also looking for seating in the outdoor garden behind the restaurant.

The paperwork notes that there will be two seatings per evening .... and that an estimated 90% of the seating will be by reservation only. Other highlights: The sale of Sammy's merch (T-shirts are mentioned) and the entertainment will feature "a lounge singer on keyboard." (The application says they'll hire a sound engineer "for comprehensive sound mitigation.")

The proposed hours are Monday-Wednesday from 4-11 p.m., with a midnight close on Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The outdoor space would shut down at 10 p.m. all days.

Sammy's closed in early January 2021 after 45-plus years of serving up ice-encased vodka, smeared pitchers of schmaltz and enormous platters of meat from the lower level at 151 Chrystie St.

The restaurant had been shuttered since the PAUSE of March 2020, and this wasn't a business ready-made for delivery or outdoor dining.

In an Instagram post at the time, owner David Zimmerman left the door open for a return. 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg)...

• NYC institution Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse attempting a Lower East Side comeback (Thursday) 

• No new grocery now for the former Associated space on 14th Street in Stuy Town (Thursday) 

• A familiar face is leaving Key Food (Wednesday)

• Here are the official local Open Streets for 2023 (Tuesday)

• Sign of Summertime: the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival set for Aug. 27 in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• A look at Wicked Heathens, now open on 9th Street (Friday) 

• Here's what's coming to the former Zum Schneider space on 7th Street and Avenue C (Monday) 

• Reminders: Tompkins Square Library branch now closed for renovations (Tuesday) 

• Poetica Coffee debuts on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• The skyward-bound 21-story office building at 360 Bowery reaches the halfway mark (Monday) 

• A career-spanning exhibition of Andy Warhol's work at the Brant Foundation (Wednesday) 

• The Braised Shop closes in the East Village (Monday)

• On St. Mark's Place, office building 1, tree 0 (Friday) 

• Asbestos abatement for the vacant storefronts along Stuyvesant Street (Tuesday)

• One of the neighborhood's more unique apartments is now a storefront (Friday) 

• Signage alert: The restaurant-bar in the works at 309 E. Fifth St. (Tuesday)

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EVG Etc.: the 11-ingredient Fak-Tin at Sunny & Annie's; the 26 best East Village restaurants

Avenue A in the rain this a.m. 

• Roger Clark checks in on Theatre 80 as auction looms (NY1 ... previously on EVG) Ways to help (Village Preservation) 

• Man stabbed in rear on Avenue A near Sixth Street (1010 WINS ... the Post) 

• The Rent Guidelines Board could seek increases of up to 8.5% for rent-regulated units (THE CITY) 

• Enjoying the 11-ingredient sammy Fak-Tin at Sunny & Annie's (Eater) 

• The MTA ends its Twitter service alerts because Elon (THE CITY)

• The 26 best EV restaurants, per TONY (Time Out New York) 

• A long read on Superiority Burger (GQ... previously on EVG)

• The Walkmen reunite at Webster Hall (NME)

• A look at 'Nowhere New York,' in which Julia Gorton captures 'the city's punk and no wave subcultures in all their hedonistic glory' (i-D) 

• May 1 is the next First Mondays reading at Performance Space New York on First Avenue and 9th Street (Official site) 

• Molly Ringwald’s former East Village duplex on 10th Street sells for $7.9 million (Architectural Digest)

• That Fyre Fest-7th Street Burger grilled cheese mashup flopped (Rolling Stone) 

• Mayor Adams bids farewell to NYC's nightlife mayor (Page Six) 

• Works by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat 'are suddenly so L.A.' (Los Angeles Magazine) 

 ... and in Instagram posts...

 

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NYC institution Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse attempting a Lower East Side comeback

Updated 5/17: Sammy's received the OK from Community Board 3.

Break out the jars of schmaltz! NYC classic Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse is on the comeback trail. 

Yesterday, Community Board 3 released its May calendar... and a familiar name is on the SLA & DCA Licensing Committee docket for May 15...

Sammy's ownership is applying for a new liquor license for the long-vacant 191 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton. The questionnaire isn't online just yet, so we'll have to wait and see what Sammy's 2.0 might look like in this 2,500-square-foot space.

Sammy's closed in early January 2021 after 47 years of serving up ice-encased vodka, smeared pitchers of schmaltz and enormous platters of meat from the lower level at 151 Chrystie St.

The restaurant had been shuttered since the PAUSE of March 2020, and this wasn't a business ready-made for delivery or outdoor dining.

In an Instagram post at the time, owner David Zimmerman left the door open for a return.

We may be closed now, but when all this is over and we feel safe enough to hold hands during the hora, we will be back stronger, louder, and tastier than ever before. We are New York. We will survive this. We will always cherish the memories we shared with all of you.

First, though, Sammy's will need to get approval from CB3. The space has been vacant since the Sixth Ward lost its liquor license in 2015 after eight years in business for reportedly serving burgers and steaks when it had applied for the requisite permits by stating it would sell vegetarian fare. 

The bar had long drawn criticism from locals. In a denial for a new concept at the address in March 2022, the CB3 minutes state that the Sixth Ward "was a known problem... with SLA complaints of operating beyond its stipulations, operating beyond the legal capacity without applying for a certificate of occupancy, and using an illegal back yard that did not meet DOB requirements."

While this has nothing to do with Sammy's, the stigma of previous tenants can make it challenging for new applicants. Community groups and some residents have also spoken out against new applicants looking to open in this area below Houston dubbed Hell Square.  

Ben’s Deli moving on without Ben on Avenue B

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

There’s an upbeat atmosphere at Ben’s Deli on Avenue B this Thursday night. 

Local tall man Bobby is playing a DJ set from atop a stack of milk crates and plywood as curious passersby duck into the store and dance to his synth-driven set of house and disco.

Driving this festive mood: it’s being announced that Ben Gibran has sold his eponymous deli and is retiring after almost 50 years in the business.

At one point, Ben, his wife, and five sons: Mo, Ahmed, Haas, Gamal, and Ali owned six delis (plus a pizza shop) in the East Village. The last of the storefronts at 32 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street is in contract to be sold, and Ben’s keeping it in the family, selling it to a cousin, Sammy Ksem, who is present tonight...

... along with Haas (below) behind the counter ...

... and Mo...

... and Glenn, a longtime employee...

Also on hand: the new in-store vendor Los Tacos Poca Madre, which serves housemade potato chips, a tasty fruit salad with hot sauce — not to mention traditional Mexican food.

Meanwhile, people come into the store to celebrate Ben’s long tenure as a local business owner.

As much as I am happy about Ben’s retirement, I can’t help but also be a bit sad. I’ve known Ben since I was a teenager and knowing I won’t see him and his kids and grandkids here gives me a pang of sadness. 

Ben’s Deli has been a meeting place, a shelter in the storm (literally – Ben fed the neighborhood during the dark aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012), a place to grab a frosty drink, some munchies, a travel-size bottle of mouthwash/toothbrush/toothpaste combo pack, and back in the day: loosies, lotto tix, rolling papers. 

It’s had a starring role in the Netflix series “Russian Doll” and my heart. It always smells faintly of smoke; some products don’t have any business in a bodega — or do they? — and a revolving cast of characters who can explore EBT fraud, middle-of-the-night Maalox purchases, and a mix-and-match 6-pack of beer.

However, best of all is catching Ben “in the office” — his maroon Chevy Astro van parked out front. He’ll most likely be reading an expired Jetro Restaurant Supply Store brochure, chain-smoking and talking on his ancient flip phone.

While Sammy reports he has no plans to change the name, Ben’s kids won’t be working there anymore — and neither will Ben. Another familiar face, Uncle, a longtime employee, recently had a serious medical setback and hasn’t been able to get back behind the register. 

When I ask why now, Ben tells me he’s tired and old and just ready to stop working. “I can’t do it anymore, Stacie; it’s time,” he says, offering a comforting pat on my shoulder. He smiles.

An official retirement party is in the works. Stay tuned for details.

Find previous coverage here.

Coffee shop slated for this retail space in NYU's Third North dorm

A cafe-coffee shop is in the works for 83 Third Ave. at 12th St. in the base of NYU's Third North dorm.

The sign lists the business as Sammy L Coffee, though we've also seen it as Sammylin Coffee in latte art clips on TikTok. 

For now, the shop is in the hiring stages.

Shiina, a women's boutique selling clothing, accessories and makeup, was the last business in this storefront, closing in the spring of 2019. 

Until Shiina arrived in 2017, the space had been empty for nearly two years after Pushcart Coffee vacated the space. The address was previously home to Just Sweet, which sold bubble tea and desserts.