Ichibantei vying for 20 St. Mark's Place, and an update on the former Grassroots Tavern space

Applicants for Ichibantei are on tonight's CB3-SLA agenda for a liquor license for a new restaurant in the former Sounds space at 20 St Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The questionnaire (find the PDF at this link) for the Japanese restaurant shows 28 tables seating 56 guests as well as a bar for eight. The proposed hours are 11:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, with a 2 a.m. closure on Friday and Saturday.


[Click on image for more detail]

An application for the space from the same principal(s) has been on the CB3-SLA agenda several times dating to 2017, though it has been withdrawn in each instance for unspecified reasons. The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website does not mention if this would be a second outpost for Ichibantei, the eight-year-old Japanese comfort-food spot on 13th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, or a spin-off location.

Sounds closed in October 2015 after 36 years in business selling records, tapes and CDs.

Tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting starts at 6:30 in the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

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While on the topic of 20 St. Mark's Place... in August, I exchanged emails with Bob Precious, who's planning on opening a bar in this semi-subterranean space with a working title of Subterranean. (Precious operates the mini chain of Irish-style pubs called the Ginger Man, including the one on 36th Street. CB3 OK'd his new liquor license back in December.)

In August, he hoped to be up and running this fall. He noted at the time that the bar space was in bad shape — including structural damage — when he received the keys. The newish landlord needed to get the approvals for the renovations in this landmarked building. This process has proven to be slow going.

I asked Precious for an update last week. He said that the landlord claims to be starting their structural work "soon."

"If so, we'll finally be able to start our work ... and could have an early spring opening," he said in an email. "That would be about 15 months since we took over; ridiculous and frustrating, since we're not really doing that much."

For comparison, the 36th Street outpost of the Ginger Man, which is 2.5 times as big as the No. 20 space, was built from scratch in six months before it opened early 1996, he said.

The Grassroots Tavern closed after service on New Year's Eve after 42 years here.

Jim Stratton, the longtime principal owner, decided to sell the business last year. In January 2016, Stratton sold the building to Klosed Properties for a reported $5.6 million.

20 St. Mark's Place, known as the Daniel LeRoy House, was built in 1832. It received landmark status in 1971, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New owner lined up for the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

20 St. Mark's Place, home of the Grassroots Tavern, has been sold

Your chance to live in this historic home above the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

Last call at the Grassroots Tavern

This is what's happening with the former Grassroots Tavern space on St. Mark's Place

New ventures proposed for 85 Avenue A, 50 Avenue B

[EVG file photo of the downstairs space at 85 Avenue A]

In August, applicants who are family members of the previous Webster Hall ownership were to appear before CB3's SLA committee for a new liquor license for 50 Avenue B and 238 E. Fourth St., the former spaces of Lovecraft and Johnny Favorite's pizzeria.

However, the applicants, including Stephen and Adam Ballinger, ended up not leasing the space. Now, the same group is eyeing the downstairs storefront at 85 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street, which last housed Elvis Guesthouse.

The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website doesn't have a lot of details, such as the proposed name of the establishment. The paperwork shows that the unnamed restaurant will be serving "American comfort tapas" with daily hours of 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Elvis Guesthouse opened in early 2015 with a slate of bands and DJs ... and by November 2015 had drawn complaints from neighbors who say the owners didn't do enough to mitigate the noise from the space. At that time they were said to cut back on the number of shows in the space. Elvis left the building at the end of 2016.


[EVG file photo of 50 Avenue B]

Meanwhile, the space that the Ballingers passed on at 50 Avenue B and 238 E. Fourth St. has a new suitor. The applicants of the unnamed operation are seeking to open a bar-lounge serving "American fare and pizza," with proposed hours of 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends.

The questionnaire (PDF at this link) also notes that "there will be monthly performances, such as music, art, poetry."

Lovecraft, which was inspired by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, closed in early 2018 after three-and-a-half years in business. Johnny Favorite's shuttered in August 2017 after debuting in April 2015.

CB3's SLA committee meeting starts at 6:30 tonight at the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Elvis Guesthouse officially ready for occupancy tonight

Report: Live music ends for now at Elvis Underground

Elvis Guesthouse space for rent at 85 Avenue A

Webster Hall alum proposing new venture for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

Space Mabi closes 1 year in on 1st Avenue

That's apparently it for Space Mabi on First Avenue at Fourth Street... the Korean cafe-restaurant quietly closed earlier this month. There isn't any message on their social media properties about a closure, though Google and Yelp both list it as permanently closed. The signs have been removed and paper covers the windows.

Space Mabi opened on Nov. 3, 2017, with a shifting focus depending on the time of day. Per their Facebook description:

Space Mabi is a new gastropub with cozy atmosphere in East Village that specializes in New Korean cuisine, plus creative Korean alcoholic beverages.

Under the sun, we operate as ‘Cafe Space Mabi,’ under the moon, we serve as ‘Restaurant Space Mabi’, and under the stars, we turn into ‘Bar Space Mabi’.

[Photo from November 2017]

They eventually discontinued the daytime service, opening then at 5:30 p.m.

The space was previously Guayoyo, the low-key, family-owned Venezuelan restaurant, which never reopened after a basement fire in the Icon Realty-owned building in January 2015.

This marks the second self-described gastropub to close within two blocks this month on First Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Guayoyo has been closed now for 1 year

Gastropub — 'Your new playground' — slated for former Guayoyo space on 1st Avenue

Biga NYC debuts on Clinton and Houston

Several EVG readers passed along word that a new pizzeria/Italian restaurant called Biga NYC opened last week on the southwest corner of Clinton and Houston. (H/T Stacie Joy and Nick!)



I don't recall seeing this address (293 E. Houston St.) on any recent CB3-SLA committee dockets for a new liquor license ... and the sidewalk signage currently notes BYOB...



Don't know too much about the operators at the moment ... they have an Instagram account, where you can see their style of pies...

View this post on Instagram

Giovanni and his favourite creation: buffalo mozzarella, caramelised onion and Cetara anchovies. Sweet, salty and creamy! #pizza #biganyc #foodies #nyfoodies #nycpizza #foodporn #nyfoodporn #foodblogger

A post shared by biganyc (@biganyc) on Nov 15, 2018 at 4:58pm PST

Until early this year the space was home — since 2014 — to Ariel’s Latin Bistro.

Three Seat Espresso increases the seats for espresso on Avenue A

After two-plus years of life as a cafe-barber combo at 137 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, Three Seat Espresso [and previously & Barber] has expanded its seating for food and drinks and discontinued the hair cuts.

This is their message via Instagram:

Three Seat Espresso is expanding the cafe in place of the barber. Thank you to those who have come in for a chop over the last two years. Please bare with us through the brief refurb. We are super excited to offer more cafe seating, plus more, starting Monday Nov. 19.

The barber shop was in the back in a separate area away from the food and beverage operation. Aside from Australian-style coffee drinks and tea, Three Seat serves several varieties and bagels and light breakfast fare.

Ummburger has closed on 1st Avenue

After a little more than a year in business at 99 First Ave. at Sixth Street, Ummburger has closed... the gates had been down of late during announced business hours... then a for rent sign arrived late last week...



Ummburger seemed doomed from the get-go, to be honest, with cutesy names for their burgers (the Good Morning Vietnam, for instance) ... and, well, the name for the restaurant. The drinks menu included the "Ummazing Chalices," 38-ounce fish bowl cocktails on dry ice for $25.

NYU's Washington Square News featured Ummburger in an article from February on restaurants suffering from a drop in business after the New Year.

[Co-owner Salil Mathew] put out a 40 percent discount coupon for students in Campus Clipper magazine after the holidays, aiming to attract local college students in the hope they would return later, paying full price.

Because of the dip, Mathew has been forced to lay off employees, and by his estimation, has had to cut work hours by as much as 50 percent. Balancing a new restaurant, a second job as a nurse manager and a family, Mathew hopes his steep discounts will bring him a much-needed break.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ummburger makes it official on 1st Avenue

Ummburger vying for the Mancora space on 1st Avenue

At Leah Tinari's book signing for 'Limitless' at an.mé on 9th Street

East Village-based artist Leah Tinari signed copies of her new illustrated book, "Limitless: 24 Remarkable American Women of Vision, Grit, and Guts," this afternoon at an.mé on Ninth Street.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by and shared these photos of Tinari...



... shown here with the owners of the boutique for kids and families here between First Avenue and Second Avenue... Melissa Scott (left) and Annie Ju (right)...





Previously

Week in Grieview

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

That 40s show: Get lost in the NYC Municipal Archives's online collection (Monday)

Prime cut: Documentary offers a day in the life of Michael Saviello, longtime manager of the iconic Astor Place Hairstylists (Wednesday)

A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street (Friday)

What's next for 131 1st Ave., the former Foot Gear Plus space? (Thursday)

The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley (Thursday)

The 30th annual New York Cares coat drive is underway (Friday)


[Photo Thursday night by Derek Berg]

It snowed (Thursday) ... and there were many downed limbs (Thursday ... Friday)

More signs of the 14th Street SBS lanes (Tuesday)

This week's NY See panel (Friday)

False alarms: A moment of panic yesterday afternoon on 3rd Avenue (Monday)

Ray gets to see Ray's Candy Store on 'Parts Unknown' (Monday)

That's a wrap for Yonekichi's rice burger spot on 9th Street (Wednesday)

The Wineshop is closing on 9th Street (Wednesday)

Coming soon: Mi Casa Latina on 14th Street (Tuesday)

20 Avenue A is now 3 storefronts (Tuesday)

Future You Café debuts on 7th Street (Thursday)

Jump drama on 9th Street (Monday)

Empire Gyro announces itself on Allen and Houston (Tuesday)

56 E. 1st St. is for sale (Thursday)

Greekito tragedy: The back rent is due at this 12th Street cafe (Wednesday)

A full First Lamb Shabu reveal (Tuesday)

MTA Chairman Joe Lhota resigns; Twitter responds (Monday)

So long to the 13th Step signage (Friday)

... and disposing a refrigerator on St. Mark's Place is always a good idea...





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Off-season training

This morning at the Tompkins Square Park mini pool...

Saturday's parting shot

Photo on 10th Street via EVG regular Lola Sáenz...

A celebration of women tomorrow with Leah Tinari at an.mé on 9th Street

East Village resident and artist Leah Tinari has a new illustrated book out titled "Limitless: 24 Remarkable American Women of Vision, Grit, and Guts."

Here's more about it via publisher Simon & Schuster:

In the spirit of She Persisted, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, and Rad American A-Z, acclaimed artist Leah Tinari offers a spectacular collection of portraits, celebrating iconic, inspirational, and groundbreaking American women.

Fine artist Leah Tinari’s stunning, spellbinding portraits honor the groundbreaking achievements and indelible impact of twenty-four extraordinary American women. These women’s dreams were without boundaries; their accomplishments limitless in their reach and lasting power.

Tinari’s list is comprised of trailblazers, whose vision, grit, and guts paved the way not only for the generations to come, but for Tinari’s own artistic journey. These women include Louisa May Alcott, Rachel Carson, Julia Child, Shirley Chisholm, Ellen Degeneres, Ray Eames, Eve Ensler, Carrie Fisher, Dian Fossey, Aretha Franklin, Betsey Johnson, Carol Kaye, Yuri Kochiyama, Liz Lambert, Lozen, Shirley Muldowney, Tracey Norman, Annie Oakley, Georgia O’Keefe, Dolly Parton, Kimberly Pierce, Gilda Radner, Sojourner Truth, and Abby Wambach.

Tomorrow, Tinari is signing copies at an.mé, the boutique for kids and families at 328 E. Ninth St. (between First Avenue and Second Avenue) from noon to 5 p.m.

Undercover of the sidewalk bridge

Spotted the other day on Second Street... teasing an imminent announcement of a Rolling Stones U.S. tour, reportedly including a June 2019 stop at MetLife Stadium...

[Updated] The First & First Finest Deli is no longer called that

I don't know when this signage switcheroo happened... in any event, the MTA-stop-friendly First & First Finest Deli at 18 First Ave. between First Street and Second Street is now a very noticeable...



...Food U Desiere 3. (Not sure if this is supposed to be Food U Desire 3. There are other Food U Desire locations in NYC, as the 3 would suggest.)

Anyway, if anyone has any Food U Desiere 3 inside information, please leave a detailed comment. (Same phone number, same employees.)

The space was Roger's Garden, which was rehabbed back in 2011...



Updated 11/19

The sign now reads Food U Desire 3... got rid of that extra e

Consumer affairs

#FlashbackFriday with X-Ray Spex doing "Art-I-Ficial" from 1978... the band's debut album, Germfree Adolescents, was released this week in 1978.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

[Click on image for more detail]

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

A morning look at the tree damage; 'the East Fifth St. Tree Committee is devastated'

[Photo from 6th and B via @artisanmatters]

Here's a Snowvember-morning-after look at some of the downed limbs and trees that remain on East Village streets... yesterday's wet, heavy snow proved too much for the trees that still had leaves intact...

12th Street west of Second Avenue (thanks Laura)...



St. Mark's Place near Third Avenue (thanks Lola Sáenz) ...





Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue suffered considered limb losses... the East Fifth St. Tree Committee took stock of the damage...









In total on the block, four trees lost limbs. "The East Fifth St. Tree Committee is devastated," a committee member said via email.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updating] Snowvember pain: Multiple reports of trees down

A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

When I meet up with David Prettyman and Jazz P. Souisay, the co-owners of Bali Kitchen, it’s late on a weekday night, an hour or two from closing time.

The two have just arrived back at the restaurant — 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue — from church, and we take advantage of a brief quiet moment to sit and talk about Indonesian food and culture.


[Prettyman and Souisay]

The couple, who have been together for more than 26 years, enjoy offering a primer on Indonesian food. When they first opened in September 2017, their initial customers were mostly people who’d been to Bali or were Dutch (there’s a lot of Indonesian food in the Netherlands), but now it’s repeat customers, those looking for a taste of home, and diners who are curious about Indonesian cuisine.









The most popular dishes here are nasi goreng (a fried rice with egg, tofu or chicken dish made with cabbage, shallots and candlenuts, and served with a mango/pineapple pickle relish) and rendang jamur (beef or mushroom dish with coconut milk and lemongrass over jasmine rice). The house special is nasi campur bali (their version of rijstaffel with sate lilit, betutu chicken/tofu, lawar, sambal matah, tempeh, boiled egg, peanuts, jasmine rice and tempeh crackers and served with sambal, a Balinese hot sauce).




[Nasi Goring]


[Nasi Campur Bali]

Almost everything on the menu can be made vegan or vegetarian, something Souisay says he discovered he’d need to do the month the restaurant opened following customer requests. One popular Balinese dish, suckling pig, is not on the menu. There isn't any pork at Bali Kitchen and all the meat they use is Halal.



There are plans for seasonal changes in the menu. Some heartier meals will replace the salads and a new soup is in the works for the colder months.

Prettyman and Souisay are also committed to environmental causes, using eco-friendly packaging materials that are compostable. Their space doesn't have a microwave and they both spoke about healthy food and alternatives to deep-frying: steaming, broiling and baking items.

They also want to promote Indonesian culture, hospitality and food. They provide a family meal each day during a break, when the space is closed, for the staff to sit together and eat.



Bali Kitchen, 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Eat’s Khao Man Gai on 6th Street

A visit to Yoli Restaurant on 3rd Street

Preparing for Saturday's dinner at Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street

A visit to the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street

A trip to the recently expanded Lancelotti Housewares on Avenue A

The 30th annual New York Cares coat drive is underway

The 30th annual New York Cares Coat Drive got underway yesterday.

At some point this winter, organizers say they will be delivering their 2 millionth coat in the drive's history.

In the East Village, you can drop off coats through the end of the year at the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue and Police Service Area 4 at 130 Avenue C and Eighth Street. Find a full list of distribution centers here.

So long to the 13th Step signage

[Photos by Steven]

Workers yesterday removed the neon 13th Step signage from outside the no-longer-named-13th-Step bar on Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street. (To be clear, the bar remains open.)

In early October, the sports bar/SantaCon hotspot dropped the 13th to become simply The Step.

The temp Step sign then returned last evening...



The bar is still listed as the 13th Step on social media and its website. Perhaps they'll eventually address what may have prompted the dropping of the 13th.

Several readers/residents found the name to be in poor taste upon the bar's arrival eight-plus years ago. The term 13th Step is used as a euphemism for inappropriate sexual advances by a member to a newcomer in AA. It means other things too.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The 13th Step loses the 13th on 2nd Avenue