Have you found a clear, pretzel-shaped acrylic sculpture?

Also, a record for adjectives in a headline.

Bespoke Chocolates closing Thursday in Extra Place; what next for the former alley?

On Saturday we reported that Bespoke Chocolates — the first retailer to open in Extra Place — will close as of Thursday. Here's the note that's Bespoke sent out to friends...

They opened early in 2009. And we had a spirited (and friendly!) exchange on EV Grieve with Rachel Zoe Insler, Bespoke's owner, about ideal retail and the continued transformation of the neighborhood. (You can read her comments here.)

In April 2009, in Time Out's Eat Out Awards, the magazine's critics bestowed the Best Sweet Revenge award upon Bespoke Chocolates. Why?

As if the seven levels of city-permit hell weren’t enough, chocolatier and former Union Square Cafe pastry staffer Rachel Zoe Insler also had to navigate the wilds of don’t-ruin-my-neighborhood blogosphere resentment before she even opened the doors of her unassuming bonbon shop. Insler placated the haters with patience and warmth — and won over everyone else with her pretzel-covered sea-salted caramels, cardamom-scented Turkish coffee truffles and the rest of her handmade sweets. 6 Extra Pl at E 1st St (212-260-7103)

[Huh?]

Meanwhile, the Tashkent by Cheyenne showroom just around the corner of Extra Place shops closed several months ago.

As we've noted many times, developer AvalonBay has big plans for Extra Place — "a slice of the Left Bank, a pedestrian mall lined with interesting boutiques and cafes."



Perhaps when chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud opens his commissary with a possible retail space, Extra Place will finally get that jolt of life. So what gives here? Is Extra Place too far off the beaten path as EV Grieve reader Lisa suggested Saturday? Or, despite the luxurification of the Bowery, perhaps the neighborhood isn't ready for upscale retail? Or maybe it's the ghosts of the Bowery's past?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Bespoke Chocolates bids farewell from Extra Place

Extra Place gets its first tenant...And it's dessert (shocker!)

The Chocolate Wars (well, not at all, but we needed something that sounds CONTROVERSIAL)

Salt water daffy

The latest from the Pretzel Crisps folks.... And here's a little background on the previous Pretzel Crisps campaigns....

I know what we did last summer

Since Memorial Day, I've posted nearly 750 items... and, for as quickly as the summer seemingly passed by, looking back at some of these things from the summer seems like years ago...

Let's go back to Memorial Day weekend... and work our way to Labor Day... here are a few items from the last three months...

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2 Cooper Square is charing upwards of $20,000 a month for rents... the most ever for the East Village...

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Shrek was put on sale then thrown away on Avenue A...

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People discarded couches and fake fries...

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Someone overturned all the trash cans in Tompkins Square Park...

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We went to Bike Noise 3 in Tompkins Square Park...

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We went to the Loisaida Festival on Avenue C....

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We went to the BP protest on Houston....

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The new fence at the Cooper Square Hotel got tagged... and cleaned...

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You had a chance to become Tom Cruise's neighbor....

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We looked at the changing corners of the Bowery...

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The Post investigated the shocking truth that people under 21 will often try to buy beer and drink it.

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We were told not to shoot heroin during brunch at 7A.

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There was a wild scene in front of Northern Spy.

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L.E.S. Jewels went to jail.

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We debated over the future of Avenue A and Second Street, where Frank Prisinzano wanted to open a fast-food Italian eatery.

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We learned about the Dogs Tied Up site.

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The Mosaic Man returned to his trail with an apprentice.

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Construction started on the new home for the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

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The Shepard Fairey mural got ugly fast.

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Germany 4, England 1.

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More press for the East Village noise wars.

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We saw how fabulous and diverse 2 Cooper Square will be.

JULY

A man was charged for stomping a puppy to death in Tompkins Square Park.

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Germany invades Avenue C.

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It was pretty fucking hot for a long time.

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The fire on Avenue A and Houston.

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Tompkins Square Park lost trees to Dutch Elm disease.

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Tuli Kupferberg passed away.

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Ray got a three-year lease.

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The summer of bedbugs.

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Cooper Union shuts down its skateboarding ramp.

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We discussed the First Avenue bike lanes. Which we're still doing today.

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Summer of Sammy.

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RIP Markey Hayden Bena.

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We continued to protect our community gardens.

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The 13th Step owner talked with us about his new bar.

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Chloe Sevigny is still not on the Community Board.

AUGUST



Another weekend in the neighborhood.

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120 St. Mark's Place still doesn't have a Certificate of Occupancy.

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We looked at stupid pretzel ads.

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Kurve/Rhong Tiam finally closed.

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Tompkins Square Park supervisor Harry Greenberg retires.

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We invented the community board/State Liquor Authority Drinking Game.

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Cheap Shots ditches the truck bombs.

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Luster retired the Mariah Carey armpit-sniffing photo.

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East Village No. 1 for hipsters!

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[Bob Arihood]

Drama at the Key Food recycling center.

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The Shepard Fairey mural was removed.

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NYU returned to classes.

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There was a deadly shooting outside Sin Sin.

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Village Fabrics says goodbye.

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Oops! A reader wondered why we didn't include something about the Smurfs!




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Tell me more, tell me more...

Food cart vs. food truck at Union Square

As EV Grieve reader Blue Glass details in the photos below.... the new Souvlaki GR truck took up a spot on the west side of Union Square just above 14th Street yesterday...




This did not go over well with the hot dog vendors. They moved their carts to partially block the truck... and the carts were positioned in such a way that the hot dog/pretzel smoke would flow into the truck...



Regardless, people were still ordering food from the Souvlaki truck, which angered the hot dog vendor with the red shirt....

Eventually he exchanged angry words with the Souvlaki truck owner...



...and made faces at our photographer....




...despite the circumstances (like the hot dog guy yelling and making noise so people couldn't hear the orders at the Souvlaki truck), Blue Glass says the Souvlaki workers kept their cool....


As Blue Glass notes, "There is room for everybody."