Hakata Zen is (almost) back on St. Mark's Place

After nearly a year-long closure for undisclosed renovations, Hakata Zen is set to return here at 31 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

A hiring sign is up...



A reader said back at the start of the New Year that a broken pipe was to blame for the temporary closure.

Anyway, to recap the whirlwind of concept switcheroo-ing here, the restaurant at No. 31 was a Hakata Hot Pot/Zen 6/Sushi Lounge combo starting in March 2016. A year later, it became Noodle Cafe Zen presents Sushi Lounge & Hakata Hot Pot. Eventually the space just became Hakata Zen.

The Smith reopens for evening bar service after last week's fire

The Smith reopened this past Friday night for bar service featuring a limited six-item menu and $2 oysters.





The main dining room will remain closed for now. This follows the kitchen fire last Monday night that temporarily closed the bistro here at 55 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.

The FDNY had the fire under control in less than 40 minutes. The @FDNYalerts account stated that the fire was in a kitchen duct.

The Smith started in the East Village in 2007, later expanding to seven locations total in NYC (4), Washington, D.C. (2) and Chicago (1).

Joe's Steam Rice Roll back open on St. Mark's Place

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

After a mysterious closure these past seven weeks, Joe's Steam Rice Roll was back open this past weekend at 36 St. Mark's Place.

During this time, there wasn't any note for patrons or message on the restaurant's website or social media properties about any kind of closure for renovations. No one ever responded to an email query or Instagram message about this location's status. One source on the block said that this outpost is under new management.

Joe's debuted back in June here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, making this the third NYC outpost of the popular quick-serve establishment, which got its start in Flushing.

Kavasutra opens 2nd East Village location

[Photo via EVG reader JG]

Kavasutra opened a new kava bar Saturday evening at 45 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



This marks the South Florida-based chain's second East Village location. The one at 261 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue arrived in July 2015. Kavasutra, which also has outposts in Colorado and Arizona, has been accused of sexism and transphobia in the past.

As for kava, you can read this Eater primer about the beverage.

No. 45 previously housed the vegan cafe pop up Skinny Buddha.

SantaCon came to town. Again.

Here are a few scenes from the latest SantaCon invasion on Saturday afternoon... the first batch of photos are by Derek Berg...





















Readers/residents in general felt as if there were more participants this year. (I also heard from people who thought the crowds thinned out earlier than in previous Cons.) Complaints about this alleged charity event included the usual sightings of Santas throwing up and using the sidewalks as a toilet ... as well as a general obnoxious indifference about blocking sidewalks, forcing residents — ones who didn't feel like plowing through the crowds — into walking on the streets.

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EVG correspondent Steven took these photos from Second Avenue and Ninth Street, always a SantaCon stronghold ...



Once again, Solas on Ninth Street served as a "Special Santa Venue" ...



While the 13th Step and the Copper Still were not official "SantaCon Charity Venues," they each drew large crowds ...



... with the 13th Step charging a $5 entry fee...

Week in Grieview

[The window display at Veniero's on 11th Street]

Posts from this past week included...

A visit to Obscura Antiques and Oddities, closing soon on Avenue A (Thursday)

At the 28th annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting (Monday)

San Loco opens on Avenue C (Friday)

Making the case to landmark this unique church on 4th Street (Monday)

Fire in the kitchen at the Smith (Monday)

Ravi Derossi has Soda Club in the works for Avenue B (Monday)

Behold this festive DIY Christmas wreath on 7th Street made from parking tickets (Thursday)

Celebrating 40 years of the Pyramid Club (Thursday)

Netflix issues Winter Weather Advisory for Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

'Tis the package theft season (Wednesday)

CB3 hearing about the air-rights transfer for new office building on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Maharlika closes after 8 years of serving Filipino cuisine on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

A call to cancel SantaCon (Wednesday)

Ama Raw Bar debuts tonight on Avenue B (Monday)

The McTrump Value Meal at the McDonald's on 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

Michael Jackson mural defaced on 11th Street (Monday)

Tree stump art (Sunday ... Wednesday)

The new Bean opens on Broadway (Tuesday)

Red Gate Bakery shapes up on 1st Street (Monday)

Rumors: Barstool Sports and Williamsburg Pizza teaming up for a bar-pie concept at the former Percy's Tavern (Tuesday)

... and EVG correspondent Steven spotted this Cooper's Hawk in the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



... whatever you do, avoid eye contact...



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Day 1 of the Cookie Walk

This weekend marks the 11th Annual Cookie Walk at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A and 10th Street.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by for Day 1 of the festivities. They'll be more cookie action today (Sunday!) from noon to 3 p.m. Find more details at this link.

Saturday's parting shot

How was your SantaCon? ... photo today by Derek Berg...

This weekend in holiday fairs and fundraisers

Apologies for the late notice on this... you can still take part in day two, though, over at the Sirovich Center on 12th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... (h/t elvis666!)



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[Photo by Steven]

The 9th Precinct's annual Santa party is this morning from 9 to noon on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

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Via the EVG inbox...

Today is the Lower Eastside Girls Club's holiday fundraiser — Coquito for Puerto Rico!

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 from 4 - 7 p.m.
Where: 402 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D

Join us for homemade Coquito (traditional Puerto Rican egg nog), Latin noshes (rice and beans and empanadas) and your own take-home tin of cookies and jar of Sofrito!

Your $35 donation will support our upcoming trip this Spring to visit women-run farms and learn about food sustainability practices in Puerto Rico.

AND...get out your dancing shoes: we have Loisaida Legend Pepe Flores spinning vinyl all evening!

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Via the EVG inbox...

The Neighborhood School’s Holiday Fair returns on Sunday, Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join us to support a local public school and have a blast. Bring friends and family. There will be arts & crafts, face-painting, henna tattooing, a huge kid-built cardboard maze, and great food from neighborhood vendors.

And check out the Artisan Fest where vendors will sell jewerly, artwork, clothes and more. This is a great (and cheap) way to have fun indoors with your kids on a chilly winter’s day. Admission to the Holiday Fair is free, activities are low-cost, and it is open to the public.

All proceeds from the Holiday Fair support the Neighborhood School PTA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that pays for the school’s art and music education, field trips, classroom supplies, special programs, and teacher support.

The Neighborhood School is located at 121 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Avenue A.

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Also Sunday... over at the Double Down Saloon, 14 Avenue A...



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Friday's parting shot

Afternoon view of the Empire State Building from an EV rooftop...

Just another day at the 'Office'

The Philadelphia-based trio Control Top's debut release showed up on a few year-end best-of lists — such as at Pitchfork. The video here is for the song "Office Rage."

The East Village bars officially participating in SantaCon tomorrow

SantaCon unleashes its annual drunken sprawl tomorrow morning at 10 at Father Duffy Square, a section of Times Square on Seventh Avenue between 46th Street and 47th Street.

From there, the Santas will fan out to bars across the city, from Times Square and Chelsea to Gramercy Park and Union Square. The East Village will once again have a front-row seat for the red wave of store-bought Santa suits. Nearly a dozen EV bars are listed on the SantaCon website as "SantaCon Charity Venues." Meanwhile, Solas on Ninth Street receives official designation as a "Special Santa Venue."

Other local bars will likely be taking part aside from those listed, including the 13th Step on Second Avenue, which seems to always have the longest line of Santas waiting to enter.

SantaCon was reportedly going to happen aboard several party boats in the Skyport Marina off of 23rd Street on the East River. However, NY Waterway canceled the gig after local elected officials raised concerns.

In a letter signed by City Councilmember Keith Powers, State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Harvey Epstein: "we have serious concerns about the disruption it is likely to create for those who live in and travel through the area."

Instead, the rest of the city will now bear the brunt of this disruption.

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Here are a few Santa-free bars that I know about so far in the East Village ... please let me know of others... (to repeat: these are bars that are NOT letting in people in Santa costumes)...

-Double Down Saloon, 14 Avenue A
-dba, 41 First Ave.
-Sophie's, 507 E. Fifth St.
-Josie's, 520 E. Sixth St.
-Mona's, 224 Avenue B
-11th Street Bar, 510 E. 11th St.
-The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.
-B-Side, 204 Avenue B
-Lucky, 168 Avenue B
-Drexler's, 9 Avenue A