Farewell to Holyland Market on St. Mark's Place

Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy 

Holyland Market is now certified closed. 

As we first reported on March 14, the Israeli grocery at 122 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue was closing at the end of this month after 18 years in business. 

Moving forward, owner Eran Hileli (pictured below) will focus his time and attention on his blossoming hummus business — the 4-year-old Holy Hummus, now available at 700-plus stores in the United States, including locally at Westside Market and Union Market. He said he is introducing 12 new products/flavors, including spicy w/red s'chüg, roasted pepper, roasted garlic, za'atar flavored and green s'chüg.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the shuttered shop yesterday ... as Hileli continued to clean out the space...

In a previous interview with Stacie, Hileli said he had challenges finding help and felt burned out after working through the pandemic. He was also unable to find a buyer for the market. 

While we're happy that Hileli has found success with his hummus (and it is delicious), we hate to lose yet another unique shop in the neighborhood — and in NYC. 

As The Times of Israel recently noted: 

Expats could score their favorite products from home at Holyland, down to lavender-scented Pinuk hair conditioner and the Friday edition of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, in a store that felt like it could be located in Tel Aviv or Ashkelon — a Middle Eastern parallel to New York City’s beloved bodegas.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on 2nd Avenue at 6th Street by Derek Berg) ... 

• Holyland Market is closing on St. Mark's Place; owner to focus on hummus biz (Monday) 

• A visit to Archie's Press on 10th Street (Thursday) 

• Gaia Italian Café Shop is coming to the East Village (Thursday) 

• Cooper Union: Longtime Stuyvesant Street businesses "informed us of their decision to vacate the property" (Wednesday) 

• Report: Relief supplies for Ukraine stolen from 2nd Avenue nonprofit (Wednesday) 

• 9th Precinct now issuing tickets to anyone parking in Neighborhood Loading Zones (Tuesday) 

• Gallery Watch: Emily Oliveira at Geary on the Bowery (Friday)

• Longtime East Village artists bring 'Double Trouble' to the Tompkins Square Library branch (Tuesday)

• A broken gate at 89 1st Ave., where permits are still pending for a new building (Wednesday)

• La Fleur Café to set up shop on 9th Street (Monday) 

• The taco cart is BACK on 2nd Street and Avenue A (Thursday) 

• Indoor service is back at Abraço (Sunday) 

• Openings: Nudibranch on 1st Avenue (Wednesday) ... Openings: Essex Squeeze on 5th Street (Tuesday) 

• A new restaurant for the Papilles space on 7th Street (Tuesday) 

• Avenue A Deli and Grill shapes up (Monday) 

 ... and from EVG reader David Sippel from Friday on Second Avenue at 14th Street — a mini-tree discard for the books... 

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Holyland Market is closing on St. Mark's Place; owner to focus on hummus biz

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Holyland Market, the Israeli grocery at 122 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, closes at the end of the month after 18 years in business. 

Moving forward, owner Eran Hileli (pictured above and below) will focus his time and attention on his blossoming hummus business — the 4-year-old Holy Hummus, now available at 700-plus stores in the United States, including locally at Westside Market, Union Market — and Holyland Market. (He said he has 12 new products/flavors on the horizon, including spicy w/red s'chüg, roasted pepper, roasted garlic, za'atar flavored and green s'chüg.)

In an interview with EVG contributor Stacie Joy, Hileli said that he was having challenges finding help and felt burned out after working through the pandemic. (He was also unable to find a buyer for the market.)

From Friday, here's a look around the shop, stocked almost entirely with Israeli products ... 

Hileli first opened a record store — House of Trance — at this location in 1998 before pivoting to the market. 

As he told The Times of Israel in an August 2020 feature: 

"The industry was changing. People weren’t really buying music anymore," he lamented, saying customers would enter the store, listen to music and then go home to purchase it on the computer. "But you can’t download Bamba," he joked, explaining his decision to start selling the peanut butter-flavored puffed corn snack along with the hundreds of other Israeli products that line Holyland's shelves.

Michal Gamily’s 'Mashawsha to go' from an East Village fire escape

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

During the COVID-19 PAUSE this spring, Michal Gamily got creative and launched an old-school "mashawsha to go" business from her fire escape.

"You will find it a very unique East Village experience," Gamily says. Indeed.

I recently texted her to make an appointment and meet neighbors Roni and Peddy Pery there when they were picking up their mashawsha (hummus in the Israeli and Palestinian style). The homemade vegan treat is sold by weight — a medium-size container (you bring your own) is $10.







She started the side business while temporarily out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is an actor, series director and curator at LaMama.

Gamily makes it fresh every day and sells it from her Avenue C fire escape via basket — a contact-free experience. It’s a traditional Middle-Eastern treat made here with organic chickpeas, garlic, homemade tahini, olive oil, cumin, lemon, parsley, and other spices plus the soaking liquid from the chickpeas. She recommends serving it with pita bread, but says it’s also great with pickles, vegetables, falafel, in a lafa (wrap) or served with hard-boiled egg.





Roni and Peddy, who, like Gamily, originally hail from Israel, tell me that the mashawsha "really respects the bean, that she lets the chickpeas speak and be celebrated." Mashawsha or msabbaha means both to mix and swimming in Arabic, and in this style the whole chickpeas are swimming in the hummus.

Gamily asks for a 24-hour order notice, and you can place your order by text at 646.221.5082 or email at gamilym@icloud.com.

She reminds me that she only sells mashawsha, nothing else. And classic style, "No fava bean or one made with pine nuts. The real deal only."

The last night, for now, at Ben's Deli

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

"Stacie, I promise you, we'll be back," Ben says this past Sunday evening, while gesturing with his cigarette. "We have a long lease. We've been here for 45 years. We will come back. When all this is over."

He tries to finish his smoke before heading back in the deli on Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street to grab some hummus for the road, but forgets that he's wearing a face mask and has to maneuver things around in order for the cigarette to find its target.



Ben's youngest son, Gamal, is packing up some cereal and snacks for Ben's grandkids back home. Meanwhile, store employee Glenn is carting perishables into Ben's "office," his Astro van parked across the street. A few people come in to say goodbye and grab some last-minute supplies. The mood is somber.





There's still some milk and yogurt left on the shelves, which Ben offers to me as I take some final images. I know there is social distancing in place, and I am also wearing a mask, so I don't know if he can see I am moved by the shuttering of the store. I wish I could touch his arm, communicate in some way how sorry I am that this is happening.





"I worry about you and the neighborhood," he says. "There's crime now, much worse that it was before. People have no work, no jobs, and soon, no money for rent. Then what will happen? Not good. Take care, be careful."

His son steps around the figure sleeping on the sidewalk in front of the store in order to pull the gate down. Ben shakes his head, climbs in his van and takes off for home.





Previously on EV Grieve:
On Avenue B, Ben's Deli is closing for now; first time in 45 years

Timna announces April 14 closing date on St. Mark's Place

Timna, the Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant at 109 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, is closing after service on April 14.

Chef Nir Mesika shared the news on the restaurant's Instagram page Friday:

Four years ago, I‘ve had an idea to cook modern Israeli food, to open a small place with a small but dedicated staff.

We have invested all our energy in cooking and hospitality, bringing the Israeli essence and character to the plate, here in NYC. Timna was created out of thin air, built with our own hands. We’ve always kept our modesty and our feet on the ground. I promised myself and my clients that everything will be at the highest standards, to best of my ability (and budget), whether it's the food, our attitude toward the customers, and the employees who work with us.

Unfortunately, after four amazing but undoubtfully challenging years, we are forced to close Timna.

The restaurant will remain open until April 14th — so come and celebrate with us the years that we’ve had, and those that still await all of us.

This is undeniably a very difficult decision, which I did not really want to make but was really forced to make. Financial issues and all sort of disagreements have led me to deal with running the restaurant without support, to such extent that it can no longer be sustained.

I know that many people will miss Timna, I certainly will, but I choose to remember all the good things, embrace and learn from the bad, and realize that there is no choice but to move on to the next big thing.

I would like to thank my beloved staff who accompanied me all these years, each of you have added character and color to this place called Timna, and of course a huge thanks to our customers, coming from afar or from across the street. Each and every one of you who walked into the restaurant in these past four years would make me excited every day that you’ve chosen to dine at Timna.

Timna opened in April 2015 in space that was formerly an outpost of the mini-chain of Hummus Place restaurants.

H/T Vinny & O!

Mandolino Pizzeria has closed on 13th Street

An EVG reader spotted workers cleaning out Mandolino yesterday, bringing an end to the pizzeria that opened in January 2017 here between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

A "for rent" sign is now in the front window. The Mandolino website is "under construction" and there isn't any message about a closure or move on their Instagram account.

Speaking of Instagram, Paris Hilton recently stopped by for some reason...

The heiress and Queen @parishilton and princess of Long Island turned celebrity radio host @chanelomari spotted @mandolinonyc celebrating Paris Hilton’s new single “I NEED YOU”. They Loved the bruschetta and Pizza!!! #celebrity #iheartradio #toptags #instagram #glamourous #instagood #italianrestaurant #newforkcity #foodies #omg #authentic #eatwell #eatfamous #restaurantlife #italianfood #bestplacestogo #eater #eatingnewyork #mandolinonyc #tagsforlikes #unionsquarenyc

A post shared by Mandolino Ristorante (@mandolinonyc) on Feb 18, 2018 at 9:50am PST

EVG readers we spoke with generally liked the place, which offered a variety of salads, pastas and whole Neapolitan pies (no slices). Despite being next door to an NYU dorm, it didn't seem to attract a big student following. Said one reader: "It was 'fancy' pizza, a teeny bit expensive, so maybe not student-y enough."

And as previously noted, this is a tough pizzeria market right in this area ... you have Joe's around the corner on 14th Street, which serves one of the city's best slices ... there's Gotham Pizza on 12th Street and Third Avenue ... Bruno Pizza on 13th Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue ... not to mention Danny Meyer's buzzy Martina, which opened last August on 11th Street at Third Avenue.

The Mandolino space was previously home to Sahara Citi, the hookah/hummus restaurant that closed in August 2016 after four years in business.

Week in Grieview

[Photo on East 1st Street from yesterday]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

The St. Mark’s Church Greenmarket will not be returning this year (Thursday)

David Chang's Momofuku Ko is expanding in Extra Place (Monday)

Nest watch in Tompkins Square Park (Friday ... Saturday)

New 7th Street rental named for artist Louise Nevelson; amenities include a backup generator (Tuesday)

Report: Crews working to clean up the Con Ed oil spill in the East River (Wednesday)

Demolition watch: 3 E. 3rd St. (Wednesday)

Celebrating Hummus Day (Friday)

About the cantilevering condos coming to 4th Avenue and 10th Street (Tuesday)

Report: East Village resident pays fine for renting out city-subsidized home on Airbnb (Tuesday)

A Sean Spicer lawn ornament for the bushes of Tompkins Square Park (Friday)

The 7th Street Village Farm is for rent (Thursday)

Behold the chicken fillet at Ray's (Monday)

Zabb City appears to have closed on 13th Street (Monday)

Looking at the BP-replacing condos coming to 32 E. 1st St. (Wednesday)

Jennifer's Way Bakery reduces store hours to service online orders (Friday)

A help wanted ad on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

New dry cleaners coming to 6th Street between A and B (Monday)

More about Yuan Noodle, coming soon to 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Supporting 249 E. 2nd St. during the construction next door (Friday)

Details on the 17th annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash (Monday)

Taxi Parts Inc. departs the East Village (Wednesday)

Below 7th closes again on 7th Street (Thursday)

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Happy Hummus Day!

Hummus Day is actually tomorrow. And it appears that you will be able to celebrate on Astor Place today. As these early-morning pics by EVG reader Liz S. show, crews are setting up some hummus-related tasting tables on Astor Place...



This is sponsored by Sabra Dipping Company...


[Another reader-submitted pic]

Updated 1 p.m.

Here are a few pics from Steven showing the Hummus Day in action...





There are also Hummus Goody Bags for the taking...

Week in Grieview

[Photo on 1st Avenue yesterday by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Angelica Kitchen closing on April 7; friends raising money to pay off expenses (Friday, 52 comments)

Che Cafe bringing empanada pockets to Seventh Street (Wednesday)

Mimi's Hummus closes on 14th Street (Wednesday)

4 St. Mark's Place prepped for renovations, expansion (Tuesday)

Jason Wang's Biang! closes after 15 months on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

The landmarked Father’s Heart Ministry comes back into view on 11th Street (Friday)

First sign of Fat Cat Kitchen on 14th Street (Monday)

Tableside Italian Cook Shoppe now open on Sixth Street (Saturday)

Out and About with Jennifer Brodsky (Wednesday)

Rock club E.Vil is coming to the East Village (Tuesday)

Retail space in the former Amato Opera House seeking to the tune of $35k monthly (Monday)

There are pigeons trapped inside the former P.S. 64 on Ninth Street (Monday)

Lions BeerStore has closed; Wall 88 Restaurant up next (Tuesday ... Thursday)

Black Market will be going by Sister Midnight on Avenue A (Monday)

A new all-you-can-eat sushi option on Second Avenue (Thursday)

Pizza-master Gino Sorbillo marks his arrival on the Bowery (Wednesday)

Make a bid on 64 Second Ave. (Monday)

Is this studio the East Village at its best? (Thursday)

Spring Spa signage blooms on Fifth Street (Monday)

The randomly placed piano in Tompkins Square Park is no longer randomly there (Monday)

A sign for Nobody Is Perfect on Fourth Street (Friday)

...new outside the Second Avenue F stop ... mural by @pyramidoracle...



...and an EVG readers shared these photos of a new piece via @colp_one outside Spiegel on Second Street at First Avenue...





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Mandolino Pizza coming soon to 13th Street

Signage is up for Mandolino Pizza here on East 13th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...



We don't know a thing about the pizzeria just yet, like will it be more of a slice-to-go place ... or a sit-down-and-order-a-whole-pie establishment... (or both!)

Mandolino takes over the space from Sahara Citi, the hookah/hummus restaurant that closed this past summer after four years in business.

In any event, despite the nearby NYU dorm presence, it has to be a tough pizzeria market right in this area ... you have Joe's around the corner on 14th Street, which serves one of the city's best slices ... Gotham Pizza recently opened on 12th Street and Third Avenue (I finally tried a slice there and really liked it)... and for a sit-down meal, there's Bruno Pizza on 13th Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue that reviewers really seem to like.

Have you tried Timna yet?

Timna is now in soft-open mode at 109 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The space previously housed Hummus Place. However, as Eater first noted, Hummus Place owner Ori Apple decided to upgrade the space and offer more menu choices.

Per Eater:

There are plans for Yemenite kubaneh bread, tacos made with Jerusalem's signature mixed grill of sweetbreads, preserved lemon, and tahini, and sea bass sashimi with tabouli and tzatziki.

To date we've heard several positive comments about the space and food. (Yelp is quiet though — just one review.)

@evgrieve Timna (used to be hummus place) opens tonight at 109 st marks. Menu looks good! pic.twitter.com/5PpZUI9qp3

— Nicholas G. (@TheRealNGA) April 23, 2015

Hummus Place closed for renovations in early February, never to reopen again (at least as Hummus Place).

Here's what's coming to the former Hummus Place space on St. Mark's

Last Thursday, we noted that a new tenant was in line to take over the recently shuttered Hummus Place at 109 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Eater has more details on what's coming soon here: Ori Apple, who owns the Hummus Place mini-chain, is opening a restaurant called Timna NYC in the space.

Amir Nathan, one of the partners in the new venture, described Timna NYC as "a casual but elegant Mediterranean place."

There are plans for Yemenite kubaneh bread, tacos made with Jerusalem's signature mixed grill of sweetbreads, preserved lemon, and tahini, and sea bass sashimi with tabouli and tzatziki. Nathan says the team is a couple of weeks from a soft opening.

Hummus Place closed for renovations in early February, never to reopen (at least as Hummus Place).

Taking the Hummus Place off St.Mark's Place

On Tuesday, workers stripped the signage off the recently shuttered Hummus Place at 109 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. The restaurant closed for renovations in early February, never to reopen.

Perhaps the space won't be vacant for too long. There's an applicant on this month's CB3/SLA committee agenda for a new beer-wine license for the space. CB3 hasn't filed the questionnaire online with more information on the applicant just yet.