Neon still burns brightly at the Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone, an EV Grieve favorite down on Fulton Street, closed nearly one year ago... And the neon still has it going back on the former bar's Ann Street entrance...

"For lease" signs still adorn the front gate.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A fond farewell to the Blarney Stone

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

L.E.S. Jewels will be sentenced on June 1 (The Villager, third item)

Goodbye to the OTB on Delancey? (BoweryBoogie)

Looking at Ray's new ice cream machine (Neither More Nor Less)

Update on the Lora Deli wall (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A lonely wall on St. Mark's Place (The Gog Log)

An amazing photo from Hell's Kitchen circa 1989 (Flickr via NYC Taxi Photo)

Astor Place Mud Truck hit by DOH (Eater)

A random fiber interlude....




Go see the group exhibit Structured (details via Nathan Kensinger Photography)

Pizza bloggers have their say on Pulino's (Grub Street)

The East Village Idiot signs off (East Village Idiot)

And three great posts this week at Blah Blog Blah:

Where Beth Israel is

The history of trolley cars on Avenue A

A post on diarrhea and a real-estate broker

And Eater reported this earlier... and I just saw the sign for myself... my beloved Blarney Stone on Fulton Street is really gone...



Which means these signs must be updated...

T-shirt for tourists proof that bad old days are back?

And are they the bad old days of the 1970s or the 1980s? On Fulton Street near the South Street Seaport.

(Jumping ahead to) Day 7: The Blarney Stone is still closed

The fellows at the shoe repair shop next door are equally mystified as to why the Blarney Stone isn't open...and they said it closed last Friday, not Monday as I previously thought. Commenter Stewie at Eater mentioned yesterday that several businesses along this stretch of Fulton Street have had problems with water pipes of late. True...a very likely cause for a closing. However, looking in the BS's back entrance on Ann Street, nothing looks out of place. No signs of construction...or work of any kind. One minor thing: The five pieces of tape on the front gate -- from which a sign had been telling us what was what? -- are now gone...

One of those days

On Fulton Street near Water Street.

A fond farewell to the Blarney Stone

Sigh. It looks as if EV Grieve favorite the Blarney Stone on Fulton Street is done. As Eater reported, the bar has been closed by a court order. It was one of the few places that opened at 8 a.m. around there...

Perhaps it will all be worked out... and, one day soon, I'll be able to see the row of ketchup bottles that you're not supposed to take...



I leave with this memory from a few weeks ago...



He put about $50 in the jukebox and danced and danced and danced. And this isn't really the kind of bar that people dance in, mind you. The fellow then went outside and smoked a funny smelling cigarette and yelled something about Sinatra.

Always had an interesting crowd here

And I still think switching signs did this place in....

That's it for the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport

This is outside our usual coverage zone. However, we know several East Village residents who used to frequent the market at the South Street Seaport. The following letter is via the EVG inbox...

I am sorry to announce that New Amsterdam Market has ended, and will no longer take place on South Street.

Founded in 2005, New Amsterdam Market was first staged at the site of the Old Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan on December 16, 2007. Over the ensuing seven years, the market grew in frequency and scope while nurturing an evolving community of small businesses dedicated to sustainable food production, regional economies, and fair trade.

Through our steadfast presence under every adversity, we also championed the preservation of New York City's oldest commons, where public trade has been conducted since 1642. We held a total 88 markets and numerous innovative celebrations of our region's bounty; supported nearly 500 food entrepreneurs; and contributed to the creation of more than 350 jobs.

However, I was never able to raise the funding or attract the influential backers needed for our organization to thrive. Furthermore, we were dealt a mortal blow in 2013 when Council Member Chin, who had long professed to support our cause, betrayed the community in favor of a suburban shopping mall developer, Howard Hughes.

As a result, Lower Manhattan has already lost more than one acre of beloved and irreplaceable public space and is now seeing its most precious public asset ruined by inappropriate programming and terrible waterfront design.

Our last market at this location was held on Saturday, June 21, 2014.

I thank all of you who supported this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Robert LaValva, Founder
New Amsterdam Market

Very bad things: Blarney Stone still closed on Fulton Street

No sign of any activity. If my math is correct, they've been closed now for 18 days.

Previously.

Fulton Street construction at a glance

Sure, I don't know much in the way of construction equipment, but this thing looks like a prop from, say, There Will Be Blood.

Bait & Hook opens today on 14th Street and Second Avenue

Signs went up for Bait & Hook here at East 14th Street and Second Avenue back on Aug. 29, as we first noted. ... taking over for the short-lived Meatball Factory ... (which took over from the Pizza Hut-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's combo).

Anyway, Bait & Hook opens today... and here is the official news release, cut-and-paste for your pleasure and my laziness...

On Wednesday, September 12th, the East Village will welcome its newest eatery in the form of Bait & Hook, located at 231 2nd avenue on the corner of 14th street. Bait & Hook will serve comfort seafood classics including: the signature Lobster Roll, smokey New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Mac & Cheese as well as original dishes like the Crab Chorizo Corn Pizza, Chicken Waffle Sandwich, bacon-topped Scallop Roll, White Clam Pizza and Shrimp Scampi Pizza, along with a fresh Raw Bar selection. Executive Chef Joe Bachman developed the no-nonsense menu for Bait & Hook, incorporating fresh, local ingredients to dish.

Bait & Hook offers a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere where seafood is the star. Diners can enjoy a reasonably priced meal without compromising high-end, quality cuisine and service. Bait & Hook provides the perfect destination for a quick bite, affordable date or a group gathering, with something on the menu to please everyone in your party. Including non-seafood items as well as vegetarian options.

"We wanted to open a place that offered New Yorkers an affordable, casual dining experience, with the feel of a seafood shack but the taste of an ocean-side eatery," said Executive Chef Joe Bachman.

With Labor Day behind us, Bait & Hook gives New Yorkers a chance to experience a summer treat all year long. The nautical-themed restaurant will transform the corner of 14th and 2nd into a New England hang out with a 23-foot bar serving 10-12 local craft beers and wines.

After stints at Park Avenue Café, Fulton and Neuman's Catering, where he created menus for high-profile clients like Angelina Jolie, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson, Executive Chef Joe Bachman was brought on to head the kitchen at Bait & Hook. Bachman brings his knack for creative dishes and high quality cuisine to the restaurant.

Bait & Hook will be both a neighborhood classic as well as popular New York City destination. Open seven days a week, serving lunch from 12PM-4PM and dinner from 5PM until late, Bait & Hook is an ideal spot to grab lunch on the go or a bite to eat after a long day of work with daily lunch and happy hour specials. The East Village location seats over 50 guests, allowing guests to enjoy the luxury of comfort-style seafood.

You can find the menu via the Bait & Hook website here.

A little reminder of Fulton Street's past

[Oops! Sorry...this has already been noted elsewhere.]

The Blarney Stone is closed (again)

Uh-oh. Thanks to a tipster who points out that FiDi fave the Blarney Stone on Fulton Street has been closed now for five days. As you may recall, the bar was mysteriously closed for seven days or so this past February.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Blarney Stone is back in business

Chipotle's FiDi psych out

Well, the sign hanging in the window said the new Chipotle on Fulton Street in District was opening today.... and the people walked up for lunch and....



Heh!



Will need to walk over a few blocks to Maiden and Pearl for your saturated fat and sodium!

The Blarney Stone is back in business

A lovely sight. No word yet on why they were closed on Fulton Street for seven-plus days...

Good news: The Blarney Stone has reopened

Yesterday, in fact, after being closed for nearly three weeks...



...with a few modifications...



On Fulton Street in the Financial District.

Previously.

A Win Won situation

I continued my walk around the construction-filled Fulton Street area in search of small shops surviving (or not) in the shadow of development hell.

I came across the Win Won Chinese restaurant that sits on Liberty Place just off of Maiden Lane. At least I think it's the Win Won. Hard to tell with Liberty Place closed for construction.

To access the Win Won, you simply need to mosey down this inviting-looking passageway.


I stopped by a little before noon. No one was dining inside, where you're treated to a view of darkness and construction debris. The place seems to do a healthier delivery business.


For the record, I ventured further down the sidewalk to check out this other store front. Not much going on. The front door was open that led to a small hallway. I didn't stick around.



In any event, sure, the Win Won isn't the greatest Chinese restaurant that ever existed, but it's certainly serviceable. More important, though, it's an inexpensive alternative to an area now catering to a more upscale market. With more and more condos going up, this area caters to the yunnies. Witness the openings in the last year of more familiar white-bread chains on Maiden Lane, including yet another Subway, Papa John's, Chipotle and one of those expensive custom salad places. Meanwhile, the mom-and-pop places for non-executive-type workers are seemingly becoming scarce.

For now, the Win Won continues to operate while the 20-story Wyndham Garden Hotel at 20 Maiden Lane inches skyward. This one is a doozy: The hotel is L-shaped and wraps around three low-rise buildings that sit on the corner of Maiden and Nassau.

These shots by Lofter1 on Wired New York provide a better look.

Practicing safe swiping

Entering the 4/5 the other day at Fulton Street downtown ...

More signs of the recession: At the Blarney Stone

On Fulton Street in the Financial District.

Fulton Street construction update

Hmm. We'll check back around 2010.

Why was the venerable Blarney Stone on Fulton Street closed last night?

They're an 8 a.m.-4 a.m. place.



No sign on the door...and no one answered their phone. This on the heels of getting a sterile new sign.