We've moved on from the @EVLambo

Via EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams.

Tonda randomly open this past weekend

Tonda on East Fourth Street near Avenue B has been closed the past two weekends... We've asked people associated with the pizza place for comment, though have never received a response... seems a given that the place has closed.

Or not!

This past weekend, Tonda was randomly opened with an all-night happy hour, per their sandwich board. However, I didn't see anyone inside on Friday or Saturday night... and some of the gates were down — not very inviting...

This is all perplexing... I feel badly for anyone who still works here... and why not just be honest with the neighborhood?

Yummy House DOA

Yummy House next to Nevada Smith's on Third Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street has closed...

A candle for Grace on Avenue B

We've received several e-mails since our post this morning about a DOA found on Avenue B between Seventh Street and Eighth Street under the scaffolding at St. Brigid's. Several people have said that the victim's name is a homeless woman named Grace. Police sources have said no foul play was suspected in her death.

Tonight at the scene, someone set up a lone candle to mark the spot where she died...

Updated. 11:05 p.m. Colin Moynihan has more on the story at the Times:

A woman found dead on an East Village sidewalk Sunday morning was known to several people in Tompkins Square Park only by a first name, Grace. She was a regular in and around the park, they added, and often slept outside.

A man who said he had befriended her in the past few days said he had called for an ambulance on Sunday morning when he was unable to wake her.

“She was a very beautiful person,” said the man, who identified himself only as Tony, “and she had a beautiful heart.”

Returning to the scene on Avenue B

This morning, we noted police presence on Avenue B between Seventh Street and Eighth Street... where a police officer told a reader that someone "found a body."

We stopped by the scene this afternoon... and found the following...

A cat vs. dog showdown on Avenue B

From EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams.

Coyote Ugly still not open — and here's why

We were told that Coyote Ugly would reopen on Friday after taking care of their DOH-related issues.

However, look at the DOH website ... it appears the DOH didn't give the OK for the bar to reopen...

Meanwhile, Coyote Ugly founder Liliana Lovell addressed the situation Friday on the CU website:

The real story:
Tuesday we were given a spot health inspection. That is very normal in NY. Normally when you have violations, you are given a 10 day to 14 day window to resolve any issues. We received several violations but were immediately closed for the violation of a ”leaking urinal”. CLOSED. In all my years working in NYC I have only heard of immediate closings from the gross videos you see on TV. Juliana, the most organized person I know, immediately called a licensed plumber and we also notified any other experts for other violations. (A fruit fly by the soda systems and supposed mouse droppings all in the basement).

As law requires, all establishments are required to be in contract with an extermination company for monthly service. We have been in contract for 18 years never missing a month of service. Another violation was that there was not supposed to be any space where the wall contacts the floor. So we called in a specialist to spray foam in the areas that the inspector indicated. OK, so in a one day’s time frame we were able to address every violation. I personally went to the health department where I gave the case worker every certificate we have held for 18 years as well as photographic evidence to all the repairs that were made. The case worker then sent me to another building to await a letter that then gives the first case worker the authority to send another inspector to reinspect our establishment. That was a nightmare day ending in no letter.

This morning Jacqui, Juliana and I waited at 8 am to find my original case worker. I was then able to get another case worker to issue the letter that authorizes a reinspection. A few hours later a new inspector arrived. She spent 3 hours at the bar. Her final words were ”if this was a regular inspection you would of passed easily but because its a “reopen inspection” I can’t pass you. The reason behind this was that the basement floor is sand that has the potential for problems. So now the NY bar is closed the whole weekend and of course Monday is a holiday. So back to the drawing board next week. There are so many issues here. I know the landlord will not help with the costs and to put in a new floor for the basement is going to cost a fortune.

Anyone can go on the NYC health Department website and find out scores of any bars and restaurants. Last night Jacqui, Juliana, and I went on the website and put in about 50 various bars and restaurants that we know and were shocked by the gross difference in our scoring versus theirs. (the higher the score the worse thecase) Our score was a 90. 90! I looked at at least 20 bars in our neighborhood some of them citing the exact same violations as ours but not one of those bars were issued points higher then 20. We started typing in restaurants that we knew had issues of gross negligence and again their scores were lower then ours. I am trying to do the right thing. I am trying to keep my head up but that voice inside of me is screaming ” unfair”. We don’t even serve food. I have been getting texts all day about this person or that person sabotaging us. But I don’t want to believe that either. Its so negative and I would never do that to another bar.

So this is just another roadblock in life. We will keep getting reinspected and then we will open back up to the party of the century! Since the bar is closed this weekend the whole staff is pitching in to repaint the walls. the bar was stained the other day. I am trying to locate some of the wallpaper that the Milwaukee bar has to do a small area. I need to turn this into a positive and know that next week this will be better.

Week in Grieview

All sorts of drama involving 35 Cooper Square (Tuesday)

Coyote Ugly closed and reopened (Friday)

The Bean closed and reopened (Thursday)

A parking lot on Seventh Street will be developed (Wednesday)

Gemma opened its sidewalk cafe (Friday)

Fire causes minor damage to St. Mark's Comics (Thursday)

News Channel 7 watched crews fill potholes on East Second Street (Wednesday)

And it was Valentine's Day.... awwww.....

The Bowery at Great Jones.

Reader: Police on the scene on Avenue B where someone 'found a body'

Earlier this morning, police were on the scene on Avenue B and Seventh Street. According to a reader, the police have taped off an area on Avenue B between St. Brigid's church and school where homeless people often seek shelter during the night...

According to the reader, police would only say that someone had "found a body." So, aside from this comment, we don't have any official confirmation at this time ... or whether this is officially being treated as a crime scene.

Candlelight vigil set for Tuesday evening: Save 35 Cooper Square!

From David Mulkins, Chair, Bowery Alliance of Neighbors...

Candlelight Vigil: Save 35 Cooper Square!

Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm

35 Cooper Square

LETTERS to Landmarks Preservation Commission urging designation of 35 Cooper Square (oldest building
on Cooper Square) as a NYC landmark:

Hon. Robert Tierney, Chair

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

One Centre Street , 9th floor

New York , NY 10007

e-mail: comments@lpc.nyc.gov

fax: (212)669-7960 or (212)669-7955

Find a sample letter at the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors website.

Sign PETITION to Landmark 35 Cooper Square here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Something 28,998 square feet or so coming to Cooper Square (and goodbye Cooper 35 Asian Pub?)

Doom and doomer: More of Cooper Square primed for development

Cooper 35 Asian Pub part of development deal on Cooper Square

[Image via BAN]

Wind knocks out Stuyvesant Grocery plywood on 14th Street and Avenue A

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Tom for these shots yesterday along 14th Street at Avenue A... where the high winds wiped out the plywood outside the fire-damaged buildings along this commercial stretch...

..later in the evening workers put up barriers ...

9:56 p.m., East Fourth Street, Feb. 19

Donohue's Steak House back in business with an A

EV Grieve favorite Donohue's Steak House on Lexington near 64th Street is back open after a bout with the DOH. Jon Hammer sent along the good news. And a phone call to the restaurant confirms it. (Hat tip — Jeremiah...)

Previously on EV Grieve:
The timeless appeal of Donohue's Steak House

Upright Citizens Brigade unveils its 'Hot Chicks Room' on Avenue A

RyanAvenueA passes along this photo of the new Upright Citizens Brigade home on Avenue A and Third Street ... their signage is up now... and you can see there will be a "Hot Chicks Room" (heh), no doubt pandering to the cargo shorts set. (Find the awesome cargo shorts comment thread here.) We'll have more on this next week.

Previously.

A McSorley's post featuring Minnie and the Mayor

In anticipation of McSorley's Day on Thursday, we reached out to Minnie McSorley for a pawment. Unfortunately, we didn't hear back before our deadline. Not that we actually have a deadline.

But, we thought Minnie had publicisted up and wasn't available to the media any longer. Not the case! We did hear back yesterday... We had also asked about the discrepancies in the bar's actual birthday: 1854 or 1862 as one historian claims.

E.V., with all the festivities, I just saw this now. Let's do a recap, perhaps? I have much to say on the "historians." If you think I'm meowing out of my mind over this lady who sued me, it's nothing compared to the way that guy Richard Whatsis pets my fur the wrong way with his 1862 crusade.

There was a rocking party last night, which of course is 80% for ME and 20% for McSorley's. I'm encouraging people who'd like to "give me" something to shoot friends over to my Fan page. The size of my Facebook personal page is getting just too big to manage when you type with two paws. Thank you so much for your well-wishes ...

Speaking of feeding, I think I just heard Pepe open a can in the kitchen. Gotta run!

And here's a piece on McSorley's and Bloomy's tasteless St. Patrick's Day joke from the Daily News yesterday...

Don't put away the 4-wheel drives just yet

East Third Street near First Avenue this morning.

Plus, it's sort of snowing out as of 12:30 or so.

And now, another amazing Mars Bar moment

The new mural went up yesterday afternoon/evening... Bob Arihood has a great shot of it from last night here.

After a fire

Previously.

Second Avenue, 9:59 a.m., Feb. 19

This morning on the Second Avenue bike lane

Despite the wind this morning, don't think that was cause for this... just more shenanigans from the weekend bar crowd... And people were ready to pick these up while I was walking by...