Black Seed bagel plywood report

Several readers noted the arrival today of the plywood outside 176 First Ave., the future home of Black Seed bagels… as the renovations continue here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street…

No word just yet on an official opening date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Black Seed bringing bagels to the former DeRobertis space on 1st Avenue (43 comments)

A last look at De Robertis before its conversion to Black Seed bagels

There's a new MCA in town

On May 4, 2012, Adam Yauch, MCA of the Beastie Boys, died of cancer. He was 47.

On the anniversary of his death, @cramcept created a new mural on East Seventh Street just west of First Avenue ...

The mural replaces the one below that @cramcept created in May 2012...

Rumor: Vegetarian sandwich shop in the works for former Dirt Candy space

Last Tuesday we noted the fake menu for a restaurant called Chickens (Chicken Dip with Chicken Chips!) on the former Dirt Candy space on East Ninth Street.

Now a tipster passes along word what might really be coming here between Avenue A and First Avenue: A quick-serve vegetarian sandwich shop ... with a tentative June opening date.

Dirt Candy closed here at the end of last August to move to a larger space on Allen Street.

Dirt Candy chef Amanda Cohen confirmed to us last week that she had sold the small space that housed her vegetarian restaurant, but couldn't elaborate on the new venture.

Previously on EV Grieve:
What the cluck? Chickens in the works for former vegetarian hotspot Dirt Candy on East 9th Street

Veggie friendly Avant Garden in the works for former Gingersnap's space on East 7th Street

[EVG file photo]

Here's more information about what's being proposed for the former Gingersnap's Organic space at 130 E. Seventh St. just west of Avenue A.

According to materials on file (PDF!) at the CB3 website ahead of this month's SLA committee meeting, the space will house Avant Garden (an homage to Courtney Barnett's "Avant Gardener"?), a restaurant serving vegan cuisine.

Avant Garden is seeking to serve vegan wine and beer to "accompany the seasonal cuisine selections carefully selected by our in house sommelier." 

The proposed hours are 5 p.m. to midnight daily.

If approved, then this will be the latest East Village entry from Ravi DeRossi (the paperwork lists him as Ravi Lalchandani), who owns Death & Co., Cienfuegos and Proletariat, among several other bars/restaurants.

Here are the sample menus included with the CB3 materials…





CB3 watchers are curious about this application. Back in October 2012, "DeRossi and his surrogates got a civic lashing ... for converting the shuttered Jane's Sweet Buns pastry shop into the beer bar Proletariat without providing a 30-day notice to the board," according to Grub Street.

In the fall of 2011, CB3 OK'd a wine-beer license for Jane's Sweet Buns on St. Mark's Place. At the time, DeRossi assured the skeptics about the concept of a bakery serving alcohol. All just to pair wine with the buns and desserts.

"It was never intended to be a bar," he said of Jane's, according to coverage in The Local. "It's completely innocuous and an asset to the community."

Gingersnap's left this space back in January for a new West Village location.

The SLA committee meeting is May 18 at the CB3 office (BYOB), 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Sidewalk bridge arrives at 515 E. 5th St., site of Ben Shaoul's illegal penthouse conversion

Workers arrived late yesterday afternoon to assemble a sidewalk bridge outside 515 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, where, perhaps, the long-contested penthouse will finally be removed.

A quickie recap of our previous recaps: The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) had previously ruled in 2008 that landlord Ben Shaoul needed to remove the 6th and 7th floors. However, his attorneys had requested that the city grant a zoning variance to "permit the constructed enlargement, minus the penthouse, to remain" here.

Last September, the BSA gave Shaoul 60 days to complete demolition. Upon documentation of the removal, the BSA would then consider granting the assorted zoning variances to keep the 6th floor. The work permit to remove the penthouse was filed on Feb. 4 and approved on April 2, according to DOB documents.

According to the Tenants Association of 515 East Fifth Street, the hearing on the zoning and Multiple Dwelling Law variances is next Tuesday, May 12.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] 5 years later, another BSA hearing on illegal rooftop addition at 515 E. Fifth St.

Protest at 515 E. Fifth St. this morning, site of Ben Shaoul's illegal addition

The disappearing illegal penthouse of 514-516 E. 6th St.

Never-ending battle wages on over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St.

Never-ending battle over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St. promises to keep being never-ending

CB3 not into Ben Shaoul's zoning variance for 515 E. 5th St.

Another BSA hearing on Ben Shaoul's illegal rooftop addition; plus, rent 1 of the contested units!

BSA tells Ben Shaoul to remove the illegal penthouse on East 5th Street within 60 days

Virginia's is now open on East 11th Street

[Photo from Sunday]

Virginia's opened last evening at 647 E. 11th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. (The space was formerly the short-lived Sliders.)

Parters in the new venture are Christian Ramos, former sous chef of Per Se, and Reed Adelson, formerly of Locanda Verde.

Here's some of the info that reps for the restaurant sent us yesterday via email:

The duo first met while working at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and now years later have partnered to debut their first restaurant in NYC.

The cozy 38-seat space is named Virginia’s after their mothers’ coincidental shared name, and features a vibrant and accessible American menu rooted in chef Ramos’ classic training at Per Se and other fine dining establishments. Chef Ramos’ market-driven menu features dishes such as:

• Crispy Sweetbreads with apricot, pea Leaves, and charred lemon
• Seppia a la Plancha with asparagus, green garlic, and togarashi mayonnaise
• Roasted Duck Breast with fermented soybean, plum and breakfast radish
• Stuffed Suckling Pig with marinated fennel, strawberries and sherry vinegar
• Atlantic Striped Bass, saffron, Manila clams, and new crop potatoes

While desserts from sous chef Lauren Calhoun, formerly of Roberta’s and Charlie Trotter’s, include Chocolate Beet Cake with beet cream, shaved Oaxaca chocolate and amaretti; and Raw Honey Panna Cotta with rhubarb compote, pickled rhubarb and rye biscotti.

Here's the menu…

Virginia's

New York magazine has photos of some of the dishes here.

Virginia's is open for dinner from 6-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 6-midnight on Friday-Saturday.

'Tompkins Square Park,' now a breakup song by Mumford & Sons

The London-based band Mumford & Sons have a new record out tomorrow ... ahead of that they released a single from Wilder Mind, their third record, called "Tompkins Square Park" ... "a breakup anthem that honors Mumford’s adopted home, New York City."

Presented here now without commentary...

Support for Nepal earthquake victims tomorrow evening at Against the Grain on East 6th Street

Via the EVG inbox…

Date: Tuesday, May 5

Time: During business hours: (5 p.m. - 1 a.m.)

Location: Against the Grain, 620 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C

Event Summary: Local bartender Ashish Giri, who is Nepalese, decided to create a benefit for his neighbors back in Nepal.

Much of his family lives in Nepal and his neighborhood has been deeply affected by the recent earthquakes, so he has decided to invite people to come out and drink some beers, eat some food, and hang out at Against the Grain this Tuesday... his shift pay and tips will all go directly to his family to help out in the villages of Gundu and Bhaktapur, outside Kathmandu.

A percentage of draft sales will also be contributed.

B&H Dairy is close to reopening

[EVG photo from April]

Here's the latest Facebook message from B&H Dairy via their Facebook page this afternoon:

Hello to B&H customers and friends. We are very close to reopening, but still dealing with city permits to do the repairs and upgrades required to open. The office of Councilwoman Rosie Mendez has been helpful.

Just this morning we picked up the permit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission office to allow our plumber to connect the gas. We are waiting for the plumber to return our call. Once the plumber connects the gas we will need to be inspected by ConEd and the DOB. Once they say OK, we can open!

Our customers are like our family. Thank you all for you support over the last month! Watch our Facebook page for the reopening date.

B&H at 127 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street has been closed since the deadly gas explosion on March 26.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How to help 73-year-old East Village mainstay B&H Dairy get up and running again

Tiengarden closes for good tomorrow after 20 years

[Image via Tiengarden]

Word is spreading that vegan mainstay Tiengarden is closing tomorrow after 20 years at 170 Allen St. just south of Stanton.

Very bummed our (twitterless) neighbors at #TienGarden are closing after 20 years. Tomorrow is the last day. @evgrieve @LoDownNY #veganloss

— CAKE SHOP NYC (@CakeShopNYC) May 4, 2015

The Lo-Down got the confirmation from Tiengarden, who noted that "Allen Street just isn’t what it used to be in terms of foot traffic."

The restaurant almost called it quits in 2011. The space was on the market at the time for $6,500 a month.

This also marks the fourth vegan/vegetarian friendly option to close this year around the neighborhood ... joining Pukk, Lan Cafe and B.A.D. Burger.

Common Ground has closed

The bar/restaurant at 206 Avenue A between East 12th Street and East 13th Street closed after service on Saturday.

Here's their official explanation, via Twitter...

Our lease is up, and it's time to move on. It's been a great 10 years. This weekend will be our last, so come on down for a few last rounds.

— Common Ground (@CommonGroundNYC) May 1, 2015

The owners have another location, West 3rd Common, on West Third Street and Broadway.

As for what's next at 206… we're not sure at this time. This past November, the proprietors of The Garret on Bleecker Street went before the CB3/SLA committee for a new liquor license for the address. However, CB3 denied the application, citing concern from neighbors and the applicant's inexperience operating a business, among other reasons, according to the minutes (PDF!) of that month's meeting.

[Updated] New bar reveal at 16 1st Ave.

[EVG photo from November]

Workers have removed the plywood at 16 First Ave. between East First Street and East Second Street ...



Coming soon is a new bar/restaurant from the owners of Murray Hill's Mercury Bar and Tonic East. Materials on file (PDF!) at the CB3 website describe the new venture as a a "sports themed restaurant bar and lounge" with daily hours of 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Name is/was to be determined.

The space was previously home to Sutra, owned by former CB3 member Ariel Palitz. That club closed last September after being on the market for several years.

Updated 5/5

BoweryBoogie follows up, noting that the new venture is called Bar Akuda. Per their Facebook pitch, they're a "sports bar in the LES … specials, happy hour, student discounts, NYU & corporate parties."



Previously on EV Grieve:
Sutra has closed; big sports bar on the way

Fourth Street Central has closed

The small cafe at 63 E. Fourth St. recently closed… just after opening this past August. We didn't hear any reason for the closure, which happened about a week to 10 days ago.

Fourth Street Central seemed to be in a good spot so close to La MaMa, the New York Theatre Workshop and other groups part of the East 4th Street Cultural District between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

There's an unconfirmed rumor that a sandwich shop with a retail component is in the works for the space.

Thanks to Bill the Libertarian Anarchist for the photo!

A quick look inside NatureEs, the new organic cafe coming to 21 E. 1st St.

This past Friday, we noted that NatureEs, the new organic cafe at 21 E. First St., will open next Monday, May 11.

Meanwhile, an EVG reader shared these two interior shots with us…





NatureEs is located in Jupiter 21, the newish residential building between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
NatureEs calls: About the organic cafe coming to where Mars Bar 2.0 was in the works

Now playing at the Quad Cinema: Closed for Renovations

[Image via Cinema Treasures]

Last August, Variety reported that the Quad Cinema had been sold to real-estate developer Charles S. Cohen.

Cohen, a well-known film buff, has plans to renovate the 43-year-old theater on East 13th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue.

Anyway, it's now renovation time. The theater closed back on Friday, and will return in the fall, per the Quad's website:



"New York City has perhaps the greatest concentration of serious cinema lovers in the country," said Cohen in a statement published by Indiewire, "but for too long, these great, knowledgeable fans have had few places to see classic and important films on the big screen. The always-vital Quad Cinema will now become an even more important destination for classic films and compelling new ones – and the moviegoers who love them."

The present plan is for the theater to keep its name and to maintain its four-screen configuration.

"The torch has been passed so that the Quad can remain a beacon of opportunity here in New York for the independent film community," Cohen said.

According to Cinema Treasures, the Quad was Manhattan's first four-screen theater when it opened in 1972.

Previously

Fight night

Last night, some longtime residents of Avenue B projected the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight against a building on East Third Street... and people stopped to watch...



... a lot of people. Including some local firefighters...





Gothamist has a video from the scene here.

Thanks to Joon and Shutter-ed for the photos!

Sunday in the Park

Another visit by Marlene/Hot Dog ... photo in Tompkins Square Park via @edenbrower

Week in Grieview

[Photo from Friday on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

Update on the deadly NYPD shooting at 538 E. Sixth St. (Monday)

Posters arrive to memorialize Moises Ismael Locón Yac and Nicholas Figueroa on Second Avenue (Thursday)

Sushi Park chef sues 121 Second Ave. landlord Maria Hrynenko (Tuesday)

A new look for the Joe Strummer (Thursday)

A second Tompkins Square Bagels shop confirmed for the East Village (Monday)

The Stage is now crowdfunding to help in its legal fight with Icon Realty (Friday)

An East Village salon with Nepalese roots (Tuesday)

The Marshal seizes Luca Bar (again) on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

Residents say 125 Second Ave. remains uninhabitable (Tuesday)

"Stomp" is leaving the East Village (Thursday)

Films on the Green return to Tompkins Square Park with 2 Friday nights in June (Friday)

Lan Cafe has closed (Thursday)

Out and About with Mark Mace (Wednesday)

Why Kennedy Fried Chicken is closing on East 14th Street (Monday)

95 Avenue A now free of construction netting and sidewalk bridge (Tuesday)

Filming Krysten Ritter at Sophie's (Wednesday)

Frustration and declining sales at Punjabi Grocery & Deli (Tuesday)

Met Foods checks out of its longtime Third Avenue home (Monday)

What the cluck? Chickens in the works for former vegetarian hotspot Dirt Candy on East Ninth Street (Tuesday)

... and some found artwork the other evening...


[Via @briankubovcik]

E-Nail is back open

The salon at 125 Second Ave. reopened today … for the first time since the deadly gas explosion at 121 Second Ave. on March 26. (E-Nail had temporarily relocated to a space on East Sixth.)

Meanwhile, Enz's remains closed next door… owner Mariann Marlowe is currently selling her vintage clothes from a storefront at 627 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. And at 127 Second Ave., B&H Dairy hopes to reopen in the coming week.

H/T EVG reader Beth

You have until 5 p.m. to hang out in a cemetery

You can visit the New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue until 5 p.m. as the headline explained.

Read more about the cemetery here.