Yakiniku West looking to reopen soon on 9th Street

Workers recently removed the construction plywood from outside the retail space at 218 E. Ninth St. — home of the currently closed Yakiniku West.

It's a good sign for fans of the restaurant, which offered Japanese barbeque here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

A two-alarm fire broke out in the building in April 2018. Fire officials reportedly deemed the blaze an accident due to wiring on the ceiling of the first level.

Yakiniku West posted on Facebook in September that they'll be returning some time next month...



No word on the rest of the building, where three apartments above the restaurant were damaged. Per CBS 2 at the time, five adults and one child were displaced. Fire officials called the residential units "unlivable."

B Bar & Grill is still open

Rumors started circulating yesterday via a tweet that B Bar & Grill had closed, and demolition was underway on the southwest corner of the Bowery and Fourth Street.

In the video that accompanied the tweet, workers can be seen inside the garden area during usual lunch hours. It's not immediately clear what the workers are doing.

However, the restaurant is still open. A sign on the door for patrons yesterday noted that they were closed for lunch, with a 5 p.m. dinner-drinks service. To date, there haven't been any new work or demolition permits filed for the address, per public records.

In any event, it's easy to see why people might think this is the end for the B Bar. It was recently revealed through public records that CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358 Bowery — the current home of the B Bar & Grill.

Hotelier Eric Goode, who owns B Bar, has been assembling air rights to build a larger project on this corner space.

This warehousing of parcels will likely also mean the end of B Bar & Grill, which opened in 1994, some day. News of the B Bar's closure will likely be a Big Media Moment. They will not go quietly into the night without some oral histories and what-it-all-means essays.

Previously on EV Grieve:
CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

So long Dean & Deluca

From over at Broadway and Prince earlier this afternoon ... EVG reader Robert Miner shared this photo showing the auction sign up at the flagship location (circa 1988) of Dean & Deluca.

As we first noted earlier this month, the financially strapped high-end grocer and cafe had put up a "temporarily closed" sign here that no one really believed. The company was up to its green tea truffles in debt.

And this afternoon, the once-grand brand auctioned off all that remained inside the shop.

As of now, only two U.S. locations — both in Hawaii — are believed to be in existence. The Dean & Deluca website has also expired.

Must be the season of the Witches

"A Gathering of Witches" takes place tomorrow (Tuesday) night at Berlin, 25 Avenue A at Second Street...

Per the EVG inbox...

It's Halloween week and the witches are gathering to conjure up some heavy sights and sounds to awaken the ghosts of NYC/LES.

Sabbathwitch
Kembra Pfahler
Steph Paynes
Tracy City
The Buzz & The Hum
Guest DJ: Tony Mann
Celebrating drum goddess Leesa Harrington-Squyres born under the sign Samhain.

Starts at 8 p.m.

Ticket price: "Pay What You Witch"

200 new trees will grow in the East Village

We've received reader reports from around the neighborhood in recent days about city contractors digging up and replacing soil in tree pits.

EVG regular Daniel shared these top two photos from Thursday on 10th Street outside the Tompkins Square Library branch...



Word is nearly 200 trees will be planted in the East Village in the months ahead.

Among the locations receiving new trees — Seventh Street at Avenue A (thanks Paul W.!) ... shade for Joe Strummer...



... and Cooper Square near Seventh Street...



The city has an interactive map that shows you where the new trees will be... and when you can expect them on your block...



The above is just a screengrabs. Find the map at this link.

You can also find the city's current tree map right here.

Kent takes over Vanessa's Dumpling House on 14th Street

Bargain-eats favorite Vanessa's Dumpling House recently closed at 220 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for what the sign on the gate described as a "modernization."

The Dumpling House is back open, though Vanessa's name has been replaced by Kent's on the marquee.

EVG regular Stephen Popkin stopped by on Friday as the Kent's team was prepping to reopen for the weekend...



Here's his field report: "The place was looking mighty clean but not renovated — it was exactly the same inside. The same friendly staff was there to great me ... I’m very happy."





No word at the moment who Kent might be — aside from, presumably, the new owner. (Or it's just a random name.) This location is no longer on the Vanessa's website.

Joseph C. Sauer Park closed now for year-long renovation

The reconstruction of Joseph C. Sauer Park is underway here on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...



We've been reporting on this in recent weeks (see links below)...



To recap: As previously reported, while the $4 million redesign of the Park was welcome, local residents were unhappy with the Parks Department's plan to install a 4-foot fence here upon completion of the rehab. According to a petition that was in circulation, the shorter fence would "make the park less secure and an unsafe place for children to use."

However, on Oct. 18, local Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera announced a deal with the city that would keep the fence at 8 feet.

The renovations — part of Mayor de Blasio’s Community Parks Initiative — have a completion date of October 2020, per the Park's website.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A petition to keep the 8-foot fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street

Year-long renovations expected soon at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street; locals want fence to remain at 8 feet

Pols: Fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street will remain at 8 feet

A look at the incoming Williamsburg Pizza on 14th Street

The Williamsburg Pizza signage/awning is up now at 226 E. 14th St. between Second and Third Avenue. The opening is expected soon. (Don't have an exact date.)

The restaurant, which will have a dine-in option with tables and counter space, combined two storefronts here, including the former Krust pizza ...



This will make the third Williamsburg Pizza location... joining the original out on Union Avenue in Brooklyn and the one on Broome Street on the LES. (Chef/owner Nino Coniglio also makes pizza at 310 Bowery.)

As previously noted, the pizzeria has plenty of fans (one example). And a few years back New York magazine gave them the Best Slice Joint nod.

Fat Buddha reopens after early spring fire upstairs

Fat Buddha is back in business (soft open was on Oct. 18) over at 212 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street.



The bar-lounge had been closed since March 29 when a fire tore through an apartment on the third floor of 505 E. 13th St. at Avenue A.

The fire caused extensive damage to this retail space, as the owners documented on Instagram.

[Updated] Daytripper has not been open lately

Updated 12/4: The bar has returned as Grinchy Tavern, a Dr. Seuss-inspired pop-up for the holiday.

Several readers have pointed out that Daytripper, the bar featuring beer pong, darts and foosball on the southeast corner of Avenue C and 10th Street, has been dark for the past month...



There isn't any mention of a closure — temporary or permanent — on the bar's website or now-private Instagram account. Google lists the place as permanently closed...



The owners of the East Village Tavern (the second iteration) changed the name to Daytripper in the late summer. The name change coincided with CB3's denial of East Village Tavern's application to extend their hours to 4 a.m. and add karaoke, live music and DJs.

According to the State Liquor Authority's database, the liquor license for the owners — St. Vince Group LLC — is active through June 2020.

The lone review of Daytripper on Yelp noted the following along with one star: "Very corny, and very out of place. I don't know why you'd open a college douchehole on Avenue C. Narrowing down your clientele that is the opposite of the culture of the neighborhood. Not enjoyable, and the TVs are annoying."