EVG Etc.: East Village Queer Film Festival in progress; Café Tabac in memoriam

[Early today on Broadway near Astor Place via Vinny & O]

• The East Village Queer Film Festival continues through Sunday at the Wild Project on 3rd Street (Official site ... feature at B+B)

• The failure of de Blasio's Vision Zero (Jalopnik ... H/T Streetsblog)

• A feature on SSHH, the design studio and creative event space on Sixth Street — "bringing back the weird in a city ruined by wealth" (AIGO Eye on Design ... previously on EVG)

• The fight over the 14th Street busway could determine NYC’s transit future (Curbed ... previously on EVG)

• The Post drops an editorial on the garbage trucks parked on 10th Street. "It’s yet another case of the city failing to do its basic job, while Mayor Bill de Blasio is off playing carnival games at state fairs and giving 'speeches' to near-empty rooms in his fantasy bid for the White House." (The Post ... previously on EVG)

• The oldest home in the East Village (Ephemeral New York)

• "Fashion’s so corporate these days, 'Desperately Seeking Susan' reminds us that clothing is a personal signifier of identity connected to place and time." (Vogue)

• Fong Inn Too makes a comeback in Chinatown (The Lo-Down)

• An oral history of Café Tabac (1992-1997) on 9th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue (The Face)

• A recent evening with Christo (Laura Goggin Photography)

• In celebration of the 500th anniversary of Havana, the Anthology Film Archives joins forces with the Cuban Cultural Center of New York to offer a wide-ranging film series inspired by the city's history and culture (Official site)

• The sad state of Dean & DeLuca’s flagship shop on Broadway and Prince (Eater)

... and if you haven't seen it... Flye Lyfe — formerly a subway vendor — opened late last month at 434 E. 11th St. just west of Avenue A ... and selling T-shirts, hoodies, prints, etc. ...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PJ O'Rourke II (@flyelyfe) on Aug 4, 2019 at 1:43pm PDT

And in Hump Day freebies, you can find the Nutmobile handing out "free food made with delicious Cheez Balls powder" today on Astor Place... Lola Sáenz spotted the Nutmobile en route ...

Veniero's to celebrate 125th anniversary on Sept. 23; free mini cannolis for all!

[Photos by Steven]

In case you want to plan ahead... Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffé, 342 E. 11th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, is now promoting its 125th anniversary, taking place on Sept. 23...





Antonio Veniero founded the bakery at this address in 1894, as I first reported. You can find articles about the history of Veniero's — purveyors of the best cannolis and cheesecake in NYC??? — at this link... and this one.

Robert Zerilli is the fourth-generation current owner and great-nephew of Antonio Veniero.

And thanks to EVG regular Lola Saénz, who shared this photo in Friday morning's light...

The 1st Pangea Jazz Festival starts Friday

Pangea, the restaurant-supper club on Second Avenue (and an EVG favorite), is hosting its first-ever jazz festival starting Friday evening.

Here's a quick overview of what to expect via the EVG inbox...

The shows vary from sophisticated outré cabaret by the Downtown legend Joey Arias, to jazz vets like Joe Giglio and Keith Loftis, all the way to unexpected turns by tapper Felipe Galganni, and indie improvisers Plaster Cramp, and a number of new and newish groups like the David Stern Quartet, The Theory Conspiracy and Marty Isenberg’s The Wes Anderson Project.

Find ticket information and details on the nightly shows at this link. The festival runs through Aug. 31.

Pangea is located at 178 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Ruby's Cafe marks their new 11th Street cafe

OK, so it's difficult to tell from these daytime photos... but the neon signage for Ruby's Cafe recently arrived outside 198 E. 11th St. at Third Avenue ...



As reported here last month, the Australian-inspired all-day cafe will be opening here this fall. CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license for them this month. (As for all day: Their hours on Mulberry Street are 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Not sure what their hours will be on 11th Street.)

Ruby's debuted in 2003 on Mulberry Street between Prince and Spring (they expanded next door in 2014) ... with an additional cafe on Third Avenue between 30th Street and 31st Street arriving in 2016.

This 11th Street space was last home to Martina, the pizzeria from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group that never caught on, closing this past March.

Numero 28 Pizzeria is closed until Aug. 26 for renovations

[Photo by @jeremyblock]

From the EVG inbox: Questions about Numero 28 Pizzeria on Second Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Workers are gutting the space. The restaurant, which serves Neapolitan pizza and a variety of traditional Italian dishes, is in the midst of a two-week closure.



The sign on the gate notes a reopening on Aug. 26...


[Bottom two photos via Harry Weiner]

Numero 28 Pizzeria, which opened in the East Village in late 2009, has multiple locations around NYC as well as one in Miami Beach and Austin, Texas.

Pete Wells visits Foxface

[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Late last year, East Village residents Ori Kushnir and Sivan Lahat opened Foxface, a small sandwich operation inside the William Barnacle Tavern at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place.

And for his latest review at the Times, Pete Wells pays a visit... and he liked what he found.

Lately I have fallen under the spell of an East Village restaurant called Foxface. The cooking there is hard to pin down, geographically. Stopping in a few weeks ago, I ate Low Countryish wild red shrimp on grits, with sweet corn off the cob and a potent saffron-lobster sauce. More recently, I had skinless pork sausage inspired by sai ua, the spicy and tangy specialty identified with the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. The soft tripe I enjoyed the other weekend had been simmered with ’nduja, the fiery and malleable Calabrian sausage, and then covered with a few thin shingles of shaved pecorino.

He also describes the unique (and small!) work environment in which Kushnir and Lahat create their sandwiches...

Like the fox in the logo, Ms. Lahat has coppery hair and wears cat’s-eye glasses. She prepares the orders in the room behind the window, which measures 48 square feet. Inside the building, under the stairs, Foxface has a second room. Mr. Kushnir thinks it could be as large as 14 square feet.

A variety of equipment is stowed in the two rooms, including three induction burners, a roaster, a smoker and a dishwasher. After business hours, some of it comes out as Mr. Kushnir supervises the more time-consuming roasts and stews. He describes the food that he and Ms. Lahat cook as “dishes we like to eat, reimagined as sandwiches.”

In the end, the review reads a lot more positively than you might think for one star (it is a NYT Critic's Pick).

Meanwhile, read our Q-and-A with the owners at the link below...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Longtime East Village residents open Foxface, now serving sandwiches at Theater 80

H/T Steven!

St. Dymphna's opens in new home on Avenue A this Thursday

[Photo from Sunday]

The new location of St. Dymphana's officially opens Thursday (Aug. 22) at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Doors open at 4 p.m.

As we previously reported, this is an encore presentation for the Irish-style pub, which closed on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue last fall after 24 years in service. The new team includes previous owner Eric Baker, Brendan McElroy, proprietor of Dr. Brendan Mac Repair on St. Mark's Place, and a "St. Dymphna's family member."

Baker told me this about SD2 in March:

"I would not say we are trying to replicate the original space into the new one at all. Our goal is to honor the original while letting the new space dictate to us what it should be. Our goal is to recreate the community and cultural atmosphere, which is much more to important to us than architecture. We will be honoring the old space but this is much more of a reincarnation than replication."

Meanwhile, the former location on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue remains for rent... and available for taggers...



The rent is $15,000 per month, according to a listing at LoopNet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's eyeing a return engagement, this time at 117 Avenue A

Reincarnations: St. Dymphna's set to return late spring-early summer on Avenue A

Repair work continues at the former P.S. 64

Work continues at the former P.S. 64 on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

A reader shared these photos from yesterday, showing a crew working on the exterior facade on the western corner of the landmarked building...



Workers were first spotted here last Tuesday.

Another reader shared these photos... offering a rare glimpse inside the long-vacant property...





Workers at the scene offered that they'd be here for about 10 days to restore the building's corners to maintain their structural integrity.

On Feb. 6, the city evacuated adjacent buildings after discovering cracks at the old P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center ... and later issued a Full Vacate Order.

City inspectors eventually determined that the building was safe, but did issue a violation to landlord Gregg Singer for failure to maintain the exterior facade, per Curbed.

Singer told Curbed at the time: "It’s all political. This is part of a concerted effort to put pressure on us. I was just at the building. There's definitely cracks — that we were already aware of — that will be pointed and repaired, but there’s no immediate danger."

Singer, who bought the property from the city during an auction in 1998, has wanted to turn the building into a dorm called University Square. The DOB continues to maintain a Stop Work Order — dating to August 2015 — on the building.

A DOB rep told The Wall Street Journal in January 2018 that the agency twice denied the developer’s application because he “failed to submit sufficient proof that the building would be used as a student dormitory."

Singer is in the midst of a lawsuit with the city.

Night Music signage arrives on 7th Street

The Night Music signage has arrived at 111 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue ... where Ravi DeRossi is opening a vegan Indian restaurant, as we noted back in June.



In an email, DeRossi said that they were still a few weeks away from an opening date.

Night Music takes the place of his Fire & Water, where the vegan sushi and dim sum concept didn't catch on. The restaurant is next door to Ladybird, another vegetable-friendly DeRossi establishment.

This Unique business on Avenue C has apparently closed

Looks as if the Unique Antique & Estate Sales ... and Unique Yoga & Spiritual Rejuvination shop is out of business. The storefront is now vacant.

The signage arrived in late January here on Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street... given the odd combination of specialities (Antiques! Yoga!) it was originally thought to be dressed for a film/TV shoot...


[Photo from February]

Monday's parting shots

Spotted on the door at Sixth Street Specials on Sixth Street east of Avenue C... a note about a free kitten (motorcycle kitten?) to a good home ...



Thanks to EVG reader Phil Brown for the photos.

And read our feature on Sixth Street Specials at this link.

Have they tried downloading and installing the uninstall support tool?

--

Updated 8/24: This location reopened today, Saturday.

--

From the tipline today... reports that the Starbucks on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place is TEMPORARILY closed. (Word is a problem with the AC.)

On the door is the familiar sign that has greeted potential patrons previously this summer: "Something went wrong..."



EVG reader Simon Dumenco has a theory about this now-familiar existential note in the window. "Maybe it’s a feature, not a bug? Starbucks is just trying to tell its resident laptop jockeys to take a break and get some fresh air and sunshine now and then?"

Thanks to Steven for these photos!

Riding the 404?

A Monday glitch at the SBS ticketing machines on the eastbound M14D stop today along Avenue A ... Vinny & O captured the moment...

Waste land: Local elected officials tell the city to move the garbage trucks from 10th Street

[EVG file photo]

After nearly a year of meetings and direct pleas from residents of 10th Street, the city has yet to take any action to relocate the fleet of garbage trucks that park on the block west of First Avenue.

Yesterday, local elected officials joined block residents in urging an immediate solution and requesting that the sanitation trucks be removed.

Garbage trucks on East 10th St stink!

🤮They’re hurting small businesses & ruining the quality of life.

🤮I joined @RepMaloney @CarlinaRivera @DeborahJGlick to demand @NYCSanitation remove these trucks.

🤮If City Hall won’t do it, we’ll pass legislation in Albany to do so pic.twitter.com/8EQ0reFTBg

— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) August 18, 2019

I joined the East 10th Street community to demand @NYCSanitation finally remove their trucks which emit a foul smell & have negatively impacted residents and businesses for nearly a year. We’ve written a letter calling for an immediate solution to this gross problem. pic.twitter.com/TUy7t26chz

— Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) August 18, 2019

Happy to join colleagues & neighborhood folks to Call on ⁦@NYCMayor⁩ to get these city garbage trucks off residential streets. ⁦@bradhoylman⁩ ⁦@RepMaloney⁩ ⁦@CarlinaRivera⁩ We've made many suggestions NOW get it done. pic.twitter.com/vVnvNnaWBP

— (((Deborah Glick))) (@DeborahJGlick) August 18, 2019

As first reported last Sept. 18, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is now using this section of 10th Street to park up to seven garbage trucks or other vehicles. The DSNY no longer has use of their garage on 30th Street, and their solution for the foreseeable future has been to relocate their fleet elsewhere, including overnight on residential blocks.

And why park here? The Theater for the New City complex at 155 First Ave. near 10th Street was previously used by DSNY for storage, and they still maintain space in the facility for crews.

Meanwhile, residents say they continue to have quality-of-life and safety concerns — as expressed in previous posts — over the row of trucks parked on this block.

Last September, shortly after the trucks arrived, Mayor de Blasio promised to "relieve the immediate pressure" on 10th Street. "Do we want garbage trucks parking on residential streets? Of course not," said de Blasio, as CBS 2 reported on Sept. 26. "What we’re trying to do every day is figure out the kind of facilities that will help avoid that in the future."

And now 11 months later residents here are still waiting for the city to do something.

Seth Stein, a spokesperson for the mayor, recently told the Post: "We are actively evaluating parking options for these trucks that keep them near the neighborhood they serve."

You can find a copy of the letter from the local elected officials to the city at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Questions and concerns as the sanitation department begins using 10th Street to park garbage trucks

More trash talk about those garbage trucks parked on 10th Street

Local elected officials continue to press city for alternatives to parking garbage trucks on 10th Street; muggings now a concern

A waste of space: 10th Street still waiting for the garbage trucks to move on

Garbage truck parking situation on 10th Street still stinks, residents say

Cucina di Pesce teases return on Instagram

[EVG photo from September 2018]

Cucina di Pesce, the unpretentious seafood-focused Italian restaurant on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, closed last Sept. 23 after 32 years in business.

The building at 87 E. Fourth St. had a new owner, and there was a rent increase for the restaurant space.

Over the weekend, Cucina di Pesce's Instagram account teased a comeback with a photo of Audrey Hepburn wearing a sleep mask in a scene from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with a caption "that was a nice break...WHO’S HUNGRY?"

View this post on Instagram

that was a nice break...WHO’S HUNGRY? ~~~~~~~~~~ #cucinadipesce #eastvillage #foodie #foodporn #NYCeats #pasta #cucinaitaliana #instafood #italian #foodstagram #mammamia #italianfood #mangia #gymtanpasta #eeeeeats @cucinadipesce #v2.0 #zagat #rebirth #buonappetito #cucina #italianstyle #forkyeah #italianfoodlove #whoshungry

A post shared by Cucina di Pesce (@cucinadipesce) on Aug 16, 2019 at 7:39pm PDT

There weren't any other details except for comments to queries on Instagram like "soon" and "stay tuned...😉"

So there's no word yet on where Cucina di Pesce 2.0 may happen. Its previous home still sits empty. Plant-based celebrity chef Matthew Kenney was looking to take over the Cucina di Pesce space. Those plans seems to be on hold for now.

Meanwhile, if you're new to the restaurant, here's how New York magazine described the place:

Cucina di Pesce is the type of unpretentious, comfortably lived-in Italian restaurant that ruled New York before Mario Batali and his ilk turned the town upside-down. But if Cucina's ambience feels a bit dated, its flavors are absolutely contemporary. This is one of the best places in the city to get good Italian food on a budget.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 32 years on 4th Street, Cucina di Pesce will close after service on Sunday

Excavation commences at the future tech hub; plywood renderings attract commentary

Work is in the early stages in the pit here on 14th Street at Irving Place ... at the future home of the Union Square Tech Training Center (aka tech hub).

The official renderings are now on the plywood...



The project is being developed jointly by the city’s Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services. The Union Square Tech Training Center includes Civic Hall, which will offer digital skills for low-income residents, as well as market-rate retail, office space and a food hall.

The hub, championed by Mayor de Blasio and initially announced in early 2017, passed through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process earlier in 2018, capped off by a unanimous City Council vote — led by local Councilmember Carlina Rivera — in August 2018. A rezoning was required to build the the structure, which is larger than what current commercial zoning allows.

The approval came despite the pleas of some residents, activists, small-business owners and community groups who had long expressed concern that the rezoning necessary for the project would spur out-of-scale development on surrounding blocks.

And the renderings, which arrived last week, have already attracted commentary from someone who is unhappy about the finances of the project...





The new building, on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son, now has a completion date for the spring of 2021, per the plywood rendering. The official groundbreaking occurred on Aug. 5.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Behold Civic Hall, the high-tech future of Union Square — and NYC

Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood

P.C. Richard puts up the moving signs on 14th Street; more Tech Hub debate to come

City Council's lone public hearing on the 14th Street tech hub is tomorrow

City Council unanimously approves tech hub; some disappointment in lack of zoning protections

The conversation continues on the now-approved tech hub for 14th Street

P.C. Richard is gone on 14th Street; preservationists want answers about tech-hub commitments

First rentals arrive on the market at Sioné, the new luxury building at 171 Suffolk (aka 255 E. Houston)

[Photo from Friday]

Rentals are underway at Sioné, Samy Mahfar's new luxury development at 255 E. Houston St./171 Suffolk St.

We received an email about "preliminary VIP tours" beginning yesterday at the 14-floor building. (Per the invite: "As we work to finish the building, we urge that you refrain from bringing children, strollers and or pets on the building tour.")

A new rendering and rental invitation is now on Streeteasy...



Here's what to expect:

Conceived by renowned architect Stephen B. Jacobs the Sioné is an eclectic fusion of the grit of the lower east side realized by a sophisticated partnership of professionals, bringing together a vision of art, culture, architecture, and distinguished living.

Common areas are abundant throughout and seek to satisfy a wide range of ever-growing needs. Upon entering the building, residents are greeted by a lobby lounge complete with game tables and a communal workspace with fireside seating. A double height staircase leads to a residents’ lounge featuring a private screening room, kitchenette, game room with billiards, and foosball.

Perched atop the Sioné sits a 14th floor residents’ lounge with a dynamic combination of indoor and outdoor spaces. Outside, a beautifully appointed landscaped rooftop outfitted with lounge chairs for sunbathing, misting shower, outdoor screening by the fire, private dining, and BBQ stations, ensure residents’ comfort and enjoyment at the Sioné is paramount to all else.

The Sioné also boasts a state-of-the-art gym and fitness facility, outfitted with the latest in techno gym and Peleton equipment for residents to engage in a plethora of the latest programmed classes. The Sioné ensures every opportunity for its residents to pursue a holistic approach to their work, play, and overall quality of life.

There are four rentals listed at Streeteasy, including a studio for $3,528 and a two bedroomer for $6,795.


[Suffolk Street entrance]



As previously noted, there's a lot of backstory with this development, which has been in the works since at least 2011. The links below have more details on the project, which went from 10 to 14 floors.

One questions remains: How many affordable units will be available in this complex? As the Lo-Down reported in December 2017: "Mahfar had already received 421a tax breaks to build some affordable units, but he was also seeking a floor area bonus through the city’s inclusionary housing program."

No. 255 previously housed the day-care center Action for Progress, which was forced to evacuate in 2009 after construction on the condoplex next door destabilized the building.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Next for 255 E. Houston St.: Community facility/school/medical building?

10-story building now in the works for 255 E. Houston St.

Debate over commercial overlay for 255 E. Houston St. and surrounding blocks continues

Report: Samy Mahfar drops bid for commercial overlay on East Houston and parts of the LES

Sioné is the name of Samy Mahfar's residential building at 255 E. Houston St.


[EVG photo of No. 255 from 2012]

Elvis returns to Great Jones as The Jones readies for an opening

Here's a look at how The Jones is shaping up at 54 Great Jones St. between the Bowery and Lafayette at the former Great Jones Cafe space...



The familiar Jones lettering is above the door ... along with the original neon EAT sign in the window... even the bust of Elvis is back, though in a different window ...



As previously reported, restaurateur Gabriel Stulman is behind The Jones, described as "an all-day bustling cafe and neighborhood joint with a focus on light, fresh and bright menu." (This Instagram post from Stulman explains the how he came up with the name.)

No word on the menu just yet. The opening is expected soon.

The restaurant's Instagram account recently introduced two characters to apparently help tell the story of The Jones...

Dynamic duo. Meet Jones and his pup Baxter: charming, witty and wildly entertaining, this best friend pair is the life of any party.

Baxter is a debonair, well-traveled “Renaissance mutt,” and Jones, a fisherman, is his trusty sidekick.

Follow along to see what adventures these two get into at The Jones and beyond. #jonesing

Stulman, under his Happy Cooking Hospitality, operates a handful of West Village establishments, including Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey's Grocery, Fedora, Fairfax and Bar Sardine. He's been part of the fauxstalgia wave.

Great Jones Cafe never reopened after Jim Moffett, the longtime owner, died in July 2018 at age 59. The Cafe, a popular yet low-key spot, first arrived in 1983.

Updated 8/21

The Jones is now open.

Grub Street has a preview.

It’s more similar in size and scope to his West Village establishments. Like Joseph Leonard, it opens early (at 7:30 a.m.), and once dinner service starts next month, it will close a little after midnight. Like Jeffrey’s Grocery, there’s a raw bar. And like Fairfax, it has a café vibe with small meals — a cheffed-up Filet-O-Fish, shaved-summer-squash salads, tinned sardines served with a hunk of baguette, egg sandwiches, artful pastries, fresh-baked bread, third-wave coffee — and a handful of main dishes.

And...

Stulman also acknowledges that the Jones is, in a way, like his restaurant Fedora, a decades-old neighborhood haunt transformed by him into a sleek destination for the upwardly mobile, much to the consternation of critics like Vanishing New York’s Jeremiah Moss. Stulman’s rebuttal is that “New York is always changing, and each generation should do their own thing.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Keeping up with the Joneses: Gabriel Stulman confirms plans for former Great Jones Cafe

Elvis has left Great Jones; 'seafood focused neighborhood restaurant' coming soon

[Updated] The future of the former Great Jones Cafe

Work happening inside the former Nicoletta space; please mind the carpenter

EVG regulars Vinny & O share these photos, showing work happening inside the former Nicoletta space on 10th Street at Second Avenue.

There aren't any updated work permits on file with the city, so we don't know exactly what's happening here at the moment.

However, there is a homemade sign to "beware of carpenter" ...



The much-heralded pizzeria from Michael White closed last December at this address after six-plus years in business. They are still delivering pizzas from an undisclosed location.

This corner space doesn't appear to be on the retail market. It had been asking nearly $18,000 per month.

14th St. Candy & Grocery returns with a new look; fewer groceries, more bongs

After a month-long closure for a renovation, the 14th St. Candy & Grocery is back in retail action here just east of First Avenue.

As you can see, there are plenty of noticeable changes... the storefront has a cleaner look with the open windows. The aisle of snack products is gone. And where are the variety of Wise products, like the Ridgies?
Also note the large variety of water pipes, bubblers and water filtration systems in which to enjoy non-tobacco products now on display. Other changes include lottery vending machines.