Friday, June 14, 2019

Q&A with the director of the short film 'Deborah Harry Does Not Like Interviews'



Meghan Fredrich, a former East Village resident who is currently living in Massachusetts, shared her first short film with me. "Deborah Harry Does Not Like Interviews," created from archival footage, shows how Blondie's Debbie Harry "endures years of superficial, tedious and demeaning questions from journalists until she devises a brilliant way to turn interviews on their head." The short recently made its premiere at the Maryland Film Festival and is now currently online.

Fredrich answered a few questions about the film, which you can watch below...


What was your introduction to Blondie? Do you recall the first time that you heard a Blondie song?

I’m a millennial (so sorry) and was a kid in the 1980s and 1990s. I have vague memories of seeing "Heart of Glass" and "Rapture" music videos on MTV or VH1.

Were you instantly a fan?

I think like so many others I was immediately entranced. My childhood home was a sort of New Wave temple – my parents playing records of the Talking Heads and B-52s. As I got older and developed a more complete understanding of punk, I became deeply involved with Blondie and never looked back.

What are some of the qualities that intrigued you initially about Debbie Harry? Did these perceptions change at all during the making of the film?

Debbie is unequivocally charismatic, so I think that drew my initial interest. But Debbie always appeared to me to be a very substantial person. Despite the ongoing media obsession with her blondeness and appearance, she is not all on the surface or superficial in any way. And she always appealed to me as a truly modern woman — an independent spirit.

I knew these things about her before I began the film, but I think my appreciation of her integrity, cleverness and sense of humor deepened as I worked on it.

Did you start this project with Debbie Harry in mind? Or were you thinking more about exploring the way interviews are structured and how the media complex works?

It was the latter – I was thinking about the power relationship inherent in interviews and how the public accepts certain interview “norms.” From there I thought about who had been in the public eye for a long time, and Debbie came to mind.



Though the montage of clips you found, we see Harry endure an endless number of idiotic and sexist interviews. How did you see her reaction to these interviews evolve as she continued on in her career, both in Blondie and as a solo artist and actress?

As time goes by, we Debbie’s emotional reactions to these questions and interviews change, as well as the strategies or tactics she deploys to manage them. She’s initially surprised, perhaps. Then expectant, evasive, using humor to deflect. She tries presenting a somewhat neutral front. Toward the end, you see flickers of anger, frustration and resignation. Until Minkie appears.

I’m surprised that the introduction of a stuffed animal — in this case Minkie — during interviews hasn’t become standard media-training fare for any public figure.

I know what you mean!

Do you think if she was an emerging artist today that she’d face the same type of questioning in the media?

You can see this clearly happening now with Billie Ellish. In an ad campaign recently for Calvin Klein, Billie says, “That’s why I wear baggy clothes. Nobody can have an opinion because they haven’t seen what’s underneath.” It’s a protective stance for an invasive world that would otherwise eat you alive.

Any idea if Deborah Harry has seen this?

We passed the film along to her people, but I don’t really know one way or another.

What do you want viewers to take away from the film?

How incredible Debbie is, to start! I hope they laugh while the watch it. But perhaps the overriding message of the piece comes from the lyrics of the song "I Want That Man." When Debbie sings “Here comes the 21st century/It’s gonna be much better for a girl like me,” we as the audience now watching in the 21st century have to ask ourselves: Is it?



And here's the full 17-minute film...


Tree Bistro returns, though without the garden space for now



Tree Bistro is back in service this week ... nearly eight months after the six-alarm fire tore through neighboring 188 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.

That fire also wiped out Tree Bistro's garden dining area ... and caused other damage inside the restaurant.

For now, the restaurant's outdoor space remains closed, which causes some space issues. Here's more via the Tree Bistro website:

We miss the garden more than anyone — but the delicious cuisine, charming and eclectic decor, and above all attention to our customers that is the hallmark of Tree Bistro will be in abundance in our inside dining room.

Since our capacity has been reduced by more than a third, we recommend reservations at all times, and we do please ask that you confirm or cancel your reservations should plans change so that we can accommodate all who wish to experience Tree Bistro. We appreciate your understanding as we all adjust to this temporarily smaller format and are excited to see you soon ...



Uogashi, the Japanese restaurant in the retail space at 188 First Ave., is not expected to return. The Uogashi website, now offline, had listed "permanently closed" under their hours of operation.

Officials said they believe the fire, which injured 17 people, including 14 firefighters, began inside Uogashi. An exact cause has not been made public.

Last weekend for Miscelanea NY


[Priscilla Leon and Guillaume Guevara in January]

As we first reported on June 5, Guillaume Guevara announced that he was closing Miscelanea NY, his 4-year-old quick-serve Mexican cafe and shop at 63 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Sunday is the shop's last day in business. As he shared on Instagram...


On Wednesday, I asked Guevara for more on why he's decided to close up shop.

"I am moving to Mexico for my son to learn Spanish — that is the main reason. But of course, there are other secondary reasons such as the high operating costs, as usual, in NYC."

Miscelanea NY drew praise for not only its tasty Mexican food, but also Guevara's commitment to helping educating customers about the country.

"To me, Miscelanea is not just a Mexican store, it's an all-inclusive trip to Mexico. You can learn about the culture through our books, about the fashion through our clothes, and about the cuisine through our food," he told EVG contributor Stacie Joy in January. "People in NYC know that there’s more to Mexico than mariachi and tequila, but unfortunately the Mexican stigma is still there for some Americans who have not visited Mexico in recent years. I always encourage our customers to visit Mexico; in fact, many of them come to me to ask for recommendations of places to visit, stay and eat while in Mexico. I love it!"



Photos by Stacie Joy

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Miscelanea NY on 4th Street

The Lower 'Eats' Side festival returns to the Lower East Side



The annual Lower 'Eats' Side festival takes place tomorrow (Saturday) from 1 to 4 p.m. at PS 110, 285 Delancey St. at Lewis Street.

Here are details via the EVG inbox (or above on the flyer) ...

The Lower East Side’s historic Public School 110 (Florence Nightingale School) will hold an international food festival, Lower 'Eats' Side, featuring home-cooked food from more than 20 countries, prepared by the school’s own parent chefs.

The food festival will represent the different cultures and nationalities that make up the school today, and will be held at the school’s 1905 building at the eastern end of Delancey Street, rain or shine.

There's live music featuring global sounds from guest performers as well as the stylings of PS 110's own parent band — The Nightingales.

The food festival will also feature a tag sale and organized games for children.

Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

The school first held this festival in 2015 to commemorate 110 years of PS 110.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Thursday's parting shot



Adrian Wilson created this work today outside the New York Sports Club on Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street... part of a commemoration marking the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising...

Taking a seat for social change in Tompkins Square Park



Tompkins Square Park didn't get a Sing for Hope piano this summer ... however, the Park will be home in the next few months to "CEI Benchmarks: Youth Setting the Standard for Social Change," a campaign spearheaded by the nonprofit Center for Educational Innovation.

The three benches, which arrived yesterday over in the middle of the Park by the ping-pong table, were created by local public school students to "confront major social issues." (Thanks to Steven for the photos!)













So far, people seem to like them... and they haven't been vandalized...

Reader report: 'marauding drunks' kill young tree on 7th Street



Here's a dispatch from Seventh Street (No. 39 to be exact) between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, where EVG reader Dinky reports:

Alas, the beautiful red bud planted by the Parks Department on Oct. 25, 2017, was torn down during the night [this past weekend] by some marauding drunks.

Parks came Monday and removed the tree down to the stump.

Hoping for a replacement, but the first one took two years to get, so am not holding my breath.



No one witnessed the tree attack, though "someone heard a lot of yelling and running in the wee hours of Saturday-Sunday," per Dinky.

183 Avenue B will be demolished for a new 8-story residential building



Reps for the owner of 183 Avenue B have filed plans for a new 8-floor residential building.

According to the permit filed with the city on Tuesday, the building will have 12 residential units with ground-floor retail.

New York Yimby, who first reported on the filing, note that the units will "most likely [be] rentals based on the average scope of 689 square feet."

First, however, the current four-story building must be demolished. Those demo permits were filed with the city in April.

In January 2017, we reported that Corcoran listed the property with a $4.75 million ask. The building — with air rights intact — sold for that exact amount in April 2017, per public records. The DOB permit lists Richard Pino via the Tompkins 183 LLC as the owner.

As previously reported, there were reports of damage to No. 183 in early 2013 during the never-ending construction next door at what became the luxury rentals known as The Hub.


[EVG photo from June 2014]

Ray's Candy Store the setting for one of these 'East Side Stories' at the Metropolitan Playhouse



The 14th edition of "East Side Stories," a new collection of one-act plays, premieres tonight at the Metropolitan Playhouse.

The works are "based on the rich history and eclectic character of [the] East Village and Lower East Side."

Here's a quick overview of what you'll find in "East Side Stories, Back Again" ... including one very well-known business on Avenue A...

• "Counting Pedestals" by Carlos Jerome

A community college student, focused on survival after a bid in prison, finds an unlikely bond with his mathematics professor.

• "Iriomote" by Arlene Jaffe

Greed and ego threaten the survival of two irreplaceable communities; one in lower Manhattan, the other more than 7,000 miles away.

• "The Poor Door" by Leonard Goodisman

Two women meet in an apartment building's entrance hall, each affronted by the other, and find they have more in common than they expected.

• "Ray's Candy Store" by Rachael Carnes

An aspiring actress, finding life in the city more difficult than she expected, meets a candy store owner who offers her a new perspective and an egg cream.

The run ends on June 23. You can find ticket info at this link. The Metropolitan Playhouse is at 220 E. Fourth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

'Sayonara, Bitches' — about the last show at Art on A Gallery


[Art by Reiko Lauper]

The Art on A Gallery concludes its seven-run run with its final exhibit, "Sayonara, Bitches," which opens tonight.

Here are some details:

These two female Japanese artists, Kumiko Yamada and Reiko Lauper, who have been friends for two decades, are having a collaborative art exhibition. This is a two-series exhibition, showcasing in two different countries starting in Tokyo in 2018.

These exhibition series are themed by "female" and “Wa” (Japanese culture) that are very straightforward. They are showing their new pieces, which were inspired by each other’s artwork ...

Both of the artists will be at the opening reception, and this is going to be the LAST art show at Art on A Gallery.

The opening is tonight from 6-8 at the gallery, 24 Avenue A at Second Street. The show ends July 11.

Also, Reiko Lauper is donating all the proceeds from the sale of her Cyndi Lauper original drawing (or prints) from the show to The True Colors United, a nonprofit that provides help for LGBTQ homeless youth.

As previously reported, the folks at Wendigo decided to give up their lease. As they stated: "One of the reasons, of course, is that like everywhere else in NYC the rent is too high ... beyond that we are ready to place more focus on the music end of the business, Wendigo Productions, LLC."

Jin Kitchen and Bar closes on 3rd Avenue



A for-rent sign now hangs in the window at 58 Third Ave., marking an end to Jin Kitchen and Bar's short existence here between 10th Street and 11th Street.

The Chinese restaurant debuted in January, taking over the space from Shu Han Ju II. This marks the third restaurant at the address in the past four years — Shu Han Ju II replaced Mulan East.

From 2009 to 2015, we had the Thai restaurant Bodhi Tree here... and previously? Anyone? Taco Bell!

Thank you to EVG reader Sheila Meyer for the photo!

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Wednesday's parting shot



A moment with Giblet on Avenue A early this evening. Photo by Derek Berg.

A visit to Zadie's Oyster Room on 12th Street



Photos and interview by Stacie Joy

There’s an early summer thunderstorm brewing as I make my way over to Zadie’s Oyster Room, 413 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, to meet Chef Mike (Campanile) and chef-owner Marco Canora.

The oyster room is warm, romantic, intimate yet friendly and welcoming — a good date-night spot. During the time I was there, Chef Mike, bartender/server Chris Maslowsk, and Marco personally greeted customers, mostly cultivated regulars and neighborhood folks who have the menu memorized and are looking forward to supper and watching the approaching rainstorm through the large glass windows.





I ask Marco about the history of the restaurant: he wanted to mimic old oyster bars from the turn of the century, and highlight oysters served every style, not just raw but cooked, steamed, fried, pickled, smoked, roasted and baked. Originally, he wanted to call the place Saddle Rock (after the East River oyster) but it was trademarked. Also under consideration was Zadie’s Oyster and Seaweed Room, but he settled on Zadie’s Oyster Room.

The two chefs spent a fair amount of time explaining the sustainability of oysters, the farming and care of them, and when to eat and enjoy oysters according to season. Chef Mike, who shucks an average of 3,000 oysters each week, explains “oysters are a gender-fluid food,” before launching into a detailed discussion about bivalve spawning and parthenogenesis. Both chefs are eager to share their knowledge and thoughtfully answer my questions.


[Mike Campanile and Marco Canora]

This month marks the third anniversary for Zadie’s. How has the restaurant evolved since then? In a preview piece in the Times in 2016, Marco said that he almost called Zadie’s “an oyster and seaweed room.” How much does seaweed play a role in today’s recipes?

Marco Canora: My original hope was to have seaweed show up in every dish — we’ve turned that back of late. Turns out our guests don’t love seaweed as much as we do. We do however always have seaweed on hand and it is in a handful of dishes from the opening menu, my favorite being our seaweed-infused take on oysters Rockefeller.

Chef Mike Campanile: When I first got involved in Zadie’s, my philosophy was “how would an oyster open an oyster room?” Hence the emphasis on individuality, sustainability, versatility, environment consciousness, and genderqueer support. Also just treat each oyster dish with the upmost respect. Seaweed is always on my mind but it doesn’t always pair well with everything and it’s not an easy sell to the general public. Sometimes it’s easier to just add seaweed and not advertise it, let the customer try something new.





“Oyster” is in the name, but the menu features other items. Do you encounter diners who think you only serve the one item? For who that don’t eat oysters, what dishes do you recommend?

Canora: The focus is obviously on oysters but we have a section on our menu called “not oysters,” and there are plenty of options. The BLT during the warmer months is a must and I think our Caesar salad is a contender for best in class...

Campanile: Almost everything on the menu had some element of the sea in it, from the briny bottarga on the deviled egg to our take on the Caesar salad, where we don’t skimp out on the anchovies. The summer BLT and the spring cacio e pepe are our only nonfishy treats.


[The summer BLT]


[The Caesar salad]

The space has transitioned from Terroir to Fifty Paces to Zadie’s. How have you been able to successfully navigate these revamps?

Canora: One of the benefits of such a small space is the ability to shake things up at will. Having the Hearth mothership next door has certainly helped our ability to navigate through these changes.

Campanile: It’s such a rare privilege to have a chef of such caliber allow you to pour so much of your own personality/queerness into such a wonderful little brick-and-mortar and allow it to grow and become successful.


[Chef Mike]

You are partnered with the Billion Oyster Project. What can you tell people about their work?

Canora: Chef Mike has really been the point person here but I am hugely supportive. One of the ideas that drove Zadie’s was to harken back to turn of the century NYC when oysters were literally overflowing out of our waters and hundreds of oyster bars, oyster cellars, and oyster rooms were scattered all over the city. Billion Oyster Project has been successfully bringing those oysters back into our waters and that culture back into focus, and we couldn’t be happier to help.

Campanile: It’s one of the most rewarding and progressive charities I’ve ever worked with. They recycle all the shells we go through and use them to build and restore oyster reefs in the New York harbor to filter the water and rebuild an ecosystem. Oysters are basically going to save our planet, so keep eating oysters!

How would you describe the current state of the East Village dining scene? What draws you to the East Village as a chef and chef-owner and how does the neighborhood affect your food and drink decisions?

Canora: I used to live on Sixth Street back in the late 1990s and I have now been operating Hearth for more than 15 years — then and now I’ve thought the East Village has the most vibrant dining scene in all of New York. This certainly makes for a challenging and competitive landscape as an operator, but as a consumer there is no better place to eat than the East Village.

It’s difficult to articulate why I’ve always been drawn to the area, I think as a young punk it was the gritty, anti-establishment vibe that drew me in ... and of all the neighborhoods in this ever-evolving city it still retains a small fraction of that. There’s nowhere else I’d rather have a stake in the ground.

Campanile: What I love about the East Village is that it’s a grimy, gritty, graffiti-covered protective bubble from the modern scenes. No, we don’t have gluten-free vegan cheeseburgers, or sleek iPad surfaces and lighting, and we don’t have to ever feel the pressure to do so. The East Village doesn’t follow trends, it’s too busy creating them. People who come here are going to get unpretentious, unapologetic, eccentric and queer food.

What’s next for Zadie’s?

Canora: That’s for Chef Mike to determine, though one thing’s for sure — we love what Zadie’s has become, so any changes will be food and beverage changes to the menu. Though [Hearth’s] Chef Luigi [Petrocelli] and I have often contemplated doing a once-a-month dinner series where we would serve one set meal with beverage pairings to a dozen or so guests.

Campanile: I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what Zadie’s and oysters can provide for the universe. Going back to the notion of “if an oyster opened an oyster room,” I’m going to continue being proactive and resourceful. We’re still in constant support of BOP and our local Long Island oyster farmers. We are also promoting oysters as a mental health superfood: The meat is so high in B-12 and omega fats, and the shells can be repurposed into bone meal to benefit the wellness of your plants.





---

You can follow the restaurant on Instagram here. Zadie's is open Monday through Saturday 5 to 11 p.m. Walk-ins only, no reservations.

#NoKidsInCages spotted on 2nd Avenue


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Caged installations are appearing around the city this morning, including on Second Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

The cages are reportedly part of a movement by NoKidsInCages.com, which advocates for the immediate end of the separation of children from their families at the border and aims to reunite the children separated.


[Photo via EVG reader Chris]

NBC 4 reports that the NYPD removed the cage left on Sixth Avenue and 48th Street outside the Fox News studios.

And the police were apparently ready to take away the one on Second Avenue too...


[Photo by Mike House]

The 14th Street busway debuts on July 1


[EVG file photo]

The 14th Street busway launches July 1, the DOT said this week.

In April, the city announced that an "experimental new transit improvement" would take place early this summer to help move commuters in Manhattan during the L-train restoration.



Here's more on what to expect. Starting July 1, private through-traffic will be banned between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. on 14th Street between Third Avenue and Ninth Avenue. Buses, trucks and emergency vehicles will be given priority in the center lanes between Third Avenue and Ninth Avenue. Cars will be allowed to make pickups and drop-offs as well as access local garages.

And how will the city patrol all this?

Here's Curbed:

To enforce the busway, new cameras on the buses will issue tickets to those violating the street’s new restrictions. But drivers will be given warnings and tickets will not be issued until at least September...

The busway also harkens the arrival of the new M14 Select Bus Service, which features off-board fare payments and all-door boarding. To also help speed up travel times, the MTA is eliminating 16 stops (down from a proposed 22) along the M14A and M14D routes (but not without a fight from local elected officials and some residents who were upset about the loss of the stops).

Per amNY:

The current M14 A and M14 D routes have an average speed of about 3.8 miles per hours — just a bit faster than the average human walking speed of 3.1 miles per hour and much lower than the citywide bus average of 7.4 miles per hour.

...and...

[T]he MTA and city tout that SBS treatments work, improving travel time between 10% and 30%. Citywide SBS routes are about 27% faster than other local or limited-stop bus routes.

The city continues to install SBS ticking machines along the M14 routes, such as here on Avenue A between Houston and Second Street...


[Photo from June 7]

Tai Thai is back in action



Tai Thai is up and running again at 78 E. First St. near First Avenue after a nearly one-week closure for renovations.

A reader shared that the interior has been painted and the tables reconfigured to accommodate a few more diners.

Ravi DeRossi bringing Indian cuisine to his former Fire & Water space on 7th Street



We noted last month that Fire & Water, East Village restaurateur Ravi DeRossi's attempt to veganize sushi and dim sum, had closed at 111 E. Seventh St.

Looks as if he figured out what he wants to do with the space here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

DeRossi is on CB3's SLA docket tonight for a beer-wine license for a vegan Indian restaurant called Night Music (to pair with his restaurant Ladybird right next door), per the questionnaire posted on the CB3 website. (This item will not be heard this evening, as DeRossi agreed to CB3's stipulations in advance.)

The restaurant, seating 44 guests, will be open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight. No word on an opening date just yet.

Updated 6 p.m.

DeRossi shared a logo for the restaurant. (We also had the name wrong — it's Night Music...)

Squish Marshmallows only taking appointments for the summer


[Photo by Steven]

In case you had plans to pop into Squish Marshmallows in the weeks ahead, the sweets shop at 120 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue is only open by appointment this summer ... as well as via online ordering or delivery.

Here's the word from Squish via Instagram ...


Squish opened here in late November 2016.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

A moment at Mikey Likes It Ice Cream



Late this afternoon EVG regular Lola Saénz caught up with Michael "Mikey" Cole, the proprietor of Mikey Likes It Ice Cream at 198 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street... where the shop today debuted a custom flavor created by hip-hop artist Benny the Butcher, the aptly named The Butcher (a Sour green apple ice cream with green apple gummy bears and a red apple swirl topped with a fondant butcher cleaver).

Farewell to the leaning tree of 3rd Street



A dispatch from Third Street via Felton Davis, who reports that crews were on the scene here to remove the leaning tree on this block between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



Davis reports that the tree was dead — "most likely from last summer's extensive road work."

[Updated] What is happening at Gem Spa?



Several readers were shocked this morning to see that Gem Spa, a 24/7 hub of activity on the southwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place for years, was closed.

Steven took these photos just before 9.



Last week, we heard that Gem Spa was going to reduce its hours, closing from midnight to 7 a.m. Business has been off at the shop since April, when Gem Spa lost its license to sell lottery and tobacco products (with the exception of e-cigs) due to an employee twice selling cigarettes to an undercover underage buyer. The state suspended the store’s license for six months, which apparently also leaves them unable to apply for a license to sell beer.

The Patel family has owned the store since 1986. Mr. Patel has been in declining health, and his daughter Parul is handling the store’s management. EVG contributor Stacie Joy spoke with her outside the shop on Sunday. While she acknowledged some issues with the landlord (he wants a clean look out front, for instance), she didn't give any indication that the shop was in danger of closing. She had ideas on how to help business in the interim, such as offer an "egg cream happy hour."

Meanwhile, the Zoltar machine along with the newspapers were removed from outside the shop in late May. Parul said they don't make a lot of money on newspapers and so the margins are too slim (people also steal them all too often).

Another sign making regulars nervous: The everything-must-go notices outside. According to Parul, they're simply thinning out the back stock of hats, scarves and sunglasses ...




[Photo in April by Stacie Joy]

We'll update this post as soon as we learn more.

Updated 10:40 a.m.



Gem Spa is open, per Steven. Their new hours are 8 a.m. to midnight. And their iced coffee is only $2.

Updated:

Jeremiah Moss has a post on Gem Spa here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Gem Spa