Malai Marke, the Indian restaurant that promised to bring “the ultimate dollop of ethereal joy” to Curry Row, is now open for lunch and dinner.

As mentioned last month, the restaurant comes from the owner of Curry Hill spots Singapura, Chote Nawab, and Dhaba, and it has an interesting connection to its neighbor, Brick Lane Curry House, as well. Roshan Balan, the general manager at Malai Marke, went to school in India with Brick Lane’s owner; they emigrated to the United States around the same time in the early 2000s, and briefly worked at Carnival Cruises together, said Mr. Balan.

Brick Lane’s success didn’t dissuade owner Shiva Natarajan from setting up shop on the same block, in the former Taj Mahal space. “We’ve been targeting this spot since 2008,” Mr. Balan said. “We thought we’d bring in real, authentic Indian cuisine.”

Sure, you can get a chicken tikka masala for cheaper at other joints on the block, but Mr. Balan believes there’s a difference: “It’s the quality.” Which comes from chef Karti Pant, previously at Michelin-starred Junoon. The menu he’s now serving from the open kitchen is below, complete with a selection of Goan specialties and shout-outs to spiritual guru Swami Sivananda Saraswait.
Read more…

Daniel Maurer

First Subway closed on Second Avenue (its replacement, Good Guys, is now open) and now a sign on the papered-over door of the three-in-one joint that houses Pudgie’s, Nathan’s Famous, and Arthur Treacher’s is asking customers to “pardon our appearance during renovation.”

Though it only opened this summer, there’s reason to believe the threesome at 57 First Avenue might’ve dunked its last bird: back in November, we noticed a listing indicating the business was for sale because the “owner is relocating.” The Local was unable to reach the owner or agent back then and the agent didn’t respond to another request for comment yesterday.

We’ll let you know if we find out more.

Daniel MaurerOne Twenty-Two

More changes on the First Avenue restaurant strip. South Brooklyn Pizza, which filed for bankruptcy protection last August, is still slinging pies. It had once planned to expand into the former Rubens Empanada space next door. Instead, we have a new contender, One Twenty-Two First Avenue.

Daniel MaurerEfendi

Meanwhile, the unusual taco-gyro-falafel haven, Mediterranean Grill and Tapas has morphed into Efendi. It looks like a reasonable bet that the space has resolved its identity crisis by plumping conclusively for the Middle East: “efendi,” of course, is Turkish for lord and master, and the eagle-eyed will notice that hookahs have entered the equation.

We caught up with the Palenque food truck on East 14th Street before the holidays. The crew is taking a break through mid-January, but follow their schedule to find out when you can next get organic arepas in the East Village.

Some activity observed around the neighborhood over the holiday.

Kim Davis131 St Mark’s Place.

Nino’s, the fixture pizzeria at the corner of St Mark’s Place and Avenue A, was shuttered by the Health Department last month, then seemed briefly to re-emerge as a Lebanese takeaway. A more substantial refurbishment was underway over the weekend: scrawled notices suggested it would become a pizzeria called The Spot. “New menu come 2013.”

Kim DavisBoulton & Watt

Boulton & Watt, the industrial revolution-styled gastropub at the bottom of Avenue A looks closer to opening with each passing day.

Kim DavisThe Burger Shop–or is it The Village Joker?.

Meanwhile, also on St Mark’s, the strange Burger Shop stand-off continues. It’s open, the Burger Shop sign still hangs, the menu and beer selection remain the same–but the garish Village Joker signage also glares. An identity crisis? The burgers are good, anyway, so shield your eyes and step inside.

Kim DavisEvelyn Drinkery, Avenue C

When I moved to the Avenue C neighborhood more than a decade ago, cocktail choices were pretty much limited to a mojito at Esposito’s, or a cosmopolitan at the world music lounge Lava Gina. Now that the city has bartenders muddling, and measuring, and chipping blocks of designer ice, from Chelsea to the Lower East Side, and from Bushwick to the Bronx, Alphabet City (as nobody calls it any more) hasn’t been left behind.

The East Village’s most vaunted drinks may be made at Death & Co. on East 6th Street, but with The Third Man finally open, in the former Lava Gina (and Vibrations) space, Avenue C now boasts an impressive battery of cocktail bars.

Louis 649 is a step or two off the Avenue, on East 9th Street, just past Brix Wine Store. It’s a veteran of some eight years standing, although when it first opened its concentration was on live jazz, and its drink selection limited. Somewhere along the way it reinvented itself as a serious cocktail bar, offering a long list of vintage potions, like the “Last Word” as well as its own creations, all made by bartenders willing to go off-menu and improvise–a cocktail-lover’s dream.

Kim DavisLouis 649

The Summit Bar has been around a few years too. A young crowd hugs the long, curved, black bar; the music pumps; but staff will studiously pour tinctures and infusions to make the “John Lee Hooker” (whisky, lemon and bitters, topped with Lagunitas “Hop Stoopid” ale), or the “Born and Raised” (honey bush tea-infused Scotch, sweet vermouth, agave, and orange bitters).

I recall the last night of Micky’s Blue Room at 171 Avenue C, with Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith band blasting chords in the back room. Micky’s is long gone, and its successor Teneleven closed earlier this year. Haunting the two room space now is Evelyn Drinkery. Smooth jazz has taken over in the back room; rich and potent concoctions up front. I tried a Fort Watson, which–with oloroso sherry as well as Bourbon, Carpano Antica vermouth, and bitters–was a stirring elaboration on a Manhattan. Read more…

Suzanne Rozdeba

The latest addition to the Indian restaurants of Curry Row is Malai Marke, opening at 318 East Sixth Street later this month.

Yesterday, The Local spotted workers putting the finishing touches on the restaurant’s interior, where decorative, copper bowls imported from Northern India lined a cozy, exposed brick wall. The restaurant is steps away from Zen 6, a ramen spot that opened at the end of November.

“We’re planning to open on the 27th of this month. We will be serving kabab, Vindaloo, a lot of dishes from Goa, and also original dishes from Northern India,” owner Shiva Natarajan told The Local. The restaurant’s website promises the place will offer “the ultimate dollop of ethereal joy!”

Mr. Natarajan credits his culinary inspiration to his family and upbringing. “Some of my family lives in Goa, and I was born and raised in Calcutta,” he said. Mr. Natarajan already owns a number of restaurants in the city, including Singapura, Chote Nawab, and Dhaba, all in Curry Hill. Read more…

Credit: Douglas Singleton Porchetta

For the last year, when chef-owner of Porchetta, Porsena and Extra Bar Sara Jenkins wasn’t in the kitchen creating swine-centric plates and cozy pasta dishes for her East Village storefronts, she was working on a cooking app for iPad users.

“I want to encourage and enable people to pick up a zucchini or an eggplant at the farmer’s market on their way home from work and cook it,” said Ms. Jenkins, who launched the New Italian Pantry app this week.

As for encouraging home cooking, she’s not worried it will diminish her business. We’re not worried either — the roasted pork, slow cooked with spices, garlic, rosemary and wild fennel, still seems to run out regularly at Porchetta’s tiny Seventh Street storefront.

“I believe in home cooking. I don’t think I’m in any danger of going out of business if I encourage home cooking,” Ms. Jenkins said, laughing.

Ms. Jenkins partnered with Lazy Susan Media, a company created by Tasting Table’s founding editor Nick Fauchald and app-development company Mizaplas, to create the clever app advising home cooks which pastas and peppers to keep in the cabinet.

As the Italian chef sees it, it’s a “whole-new world” for cookbooks and recipe sharing. The app gave her the opportunity to show home cooks how to prepare delicious food step by step.

“There were some things we thought in particular would be really, really helpful like the shots of what does brown garlic look like and what does it look like when this happens,” Jenkins said.

Credit: Lazy Susan Media Home-Style Porchetta recipe in app

The photo-heavy app is a guide to traditional Italian cooking. The experience entails filling your pantry with 16 staple ingredients — including dried pasta, extra virgin oil, wine vinegar, garlic, onions, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and salt-dried capers. All home cooks have to do is pick up some fresh produce, meat or fish when it comes time to prepare a meal.

There are 75 recipes available, a few of which will be recognizable to regulars to Jenkins’ sandwich and pasta shops. On the app, there’s a recipe for a “home-version” of porchetta, boned pork shoulder slathered with white wine and rubbed with herbs. On the tablet app, there are also recipes for Jenkins’ pastas and sauces.

Sara Jenkins’ New Italian Pantry app is $3.99 on iTunes.

Daniel Maurer

Nino’s, the iconic pizzeria that closed and then reopened with a new look, has been shuttered again — this time by the health department.

The pizzeria’s windows were papered over earlier today. Health department records show that it racked up 86 violation points (well above the 28 score that puts an establishment in danger of closing) during an inspection last week. Violations included food temperature issues, evidence of mice, and inadequate personal cleanliness.

When Nino’s reopened with a minimalistic look post-Sandy, a manager said “the place is going to be the same.” But last week a tipster reported evidence of change.
Read more…

Alexa Mae Asperin

After redecorated its dining room and garnering three stars from Bloomberg, Hearth is about to get some competition: East 12th Osteria, a fine-dining eatery serving cuisine inspired by northern Italy, is set to open at 197 First Avenue, directly across from the Italian veteran.

The newcomer at First Avenue and East 12th Street is owned by Roberto Deiaco, previously a chef at Palio and the Rainbow Room, and most recently the executive chef at Armani/Ristorante. Mr. Deiaco, a native of Dolomites, Italy, specializes in “modern interpretations of classic Italian dishes,” according to his Website.

His wife and business partner, Giselle Deiaco, a former journalist and wine educator, said the osteria would house a “green” kitchen utilizing induction heating, a method that eliminates grease and boils water twice as fast as gas or electricity would. She previously teamed up with her husband on a wine label.

The menu at East 12th Osteria will feature luxe touches such as truffles and foie gras, at “gentle prices,” Ms. Deiaco said. The restaurant is set to open Dec. 20.

Suzanne Rozdeba A burger from Aaron’s Grill.

Katz’s isn’t the only restaurant that recently started delivering via Seamless: in recent months, Aaron’s Grill began using the online ordering service to deliver organic Bison burgers, salmon burgers, and fried pickles.

Never heard of it, right?

And yet its Seamless listing said it was located right in the East Village, at 92 Third Avenue.

But go to that address, between East 12th and 13th Streets, and you won’t find Aaron’s Grill: you’ll find Blue 9 Burger, the chowhound favorite known for its classic fast-food-style burgers (and certainly not for fancier fare like the wood-fired turkey burgers at Aaron’s Grill).

We got to wondering: did Blue 9 create Aaron’s just so it could top Seamless’s alphabetical list of delivery joints?
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Dana Varinsky

Plywood has come off the windows of the former Vandaag space on East Sixth Street, where Mighty Quinn’s Slow-Smoked Barbeque will open in about two weeks, according to co-founder Micha Magid.

Pitmaster Hugh Mangum draws his barbecue expertise from his Texas upbringing, and got the fast-casual joint’s name from his son, Quinn. He’ll be smoking naturally raised meats over cherry, oak and apple wood from local farms.
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Daniel Maurer

If you welcomed the news that Mile End is again delivering its smoked meat sandwiches, boy are you going to love this: you can now order lunch and dinner from Katz’s.

Traditionally, if you wanted to get delivery from one of the last of the old-school delis (R.I.P., Stage), you had to get the whole office in on it: there was an order minimum of $80 and a $20 fee for delivery to the East Village. But in recent days, Katz’s joined Seamless, where the order minimum is a mere $15 and the charge for delivering to the East Village is $2.95. (The delivery fee jumps up to $7.95 if you live in the West Village and goes up from there, depending on neighborhood.)

According to an employee, Katz’s quietly joined GrubHub a couple of months ago (the delivery minimum is a mere $10 there) and is now serving Seamless customers as well.

We ordered lunch earlier this week and within half an hour got a pastrami sandwich with a couple of pickles, a wooden spoon for smearing mustard, and, thankfully, a big ol’ stack of napkins.

Now if only Russ & Daughters would deliver?

Care for a Malibu Barbie with that plate of frickles? You can now order just that on St. Marks Place.

Its red-and-gold exterior may be loud, but Saints Tavern opened rather quietly last week, boasting 20 beers on tap, cocktails with names like The Grapeful Dead, and a touch of Americana (a pinup photo of Marilyn Monroe faces a replica of Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees uniform).

Alfonso Londono, who owns the tavern along with partners Richard Romano and Aida Levinshon, comes from a restaurant family. He opened his first place Hoops, a college sports bar, at the age of 21, and went on to operate a Mexican restaurant and an Asian fusion concept as well as The Copper Barrel in the Financial District.

Mr. Londono thought the American vibe would help distinguish Saints Tavern from its Asian neighbors. He and his partners scoured flea markets and local shops such as Obscura Antiques to find decor such as a bear head with boxing gloves and a big fish with a soda can. On the ground floor customers can draw all over tables made of chalkboard.
See the menu

Alexa Mae Asperin

St. Marks Places may have lost Natori, but it’s gaining another Japanese spot.

In the next couple of weeks, Kura will begin serving sushi and sashimi at a 10-seat counter in the former home of Mohamed Falfel Star, at 130 St. Marks Place.

Huey Cheng, who is involved in the project, told The Local that Kura (meaning a place to store valuables) will be open daily for lunch and dinner.

An early sample menu submitted to Community Board 3 included items such as tuna with grated mountain yam, clams cooked in a sake broth, grilled duck, fried oysters, and various assorted vegetable dishes.

At the tiny coffee bar that opened on St. Marks Place yesterday, the beans aren’t the only thing that have been imported: the counter, front door, and other fixtures were designed and assembled in Lombardy, Italy by architect Beppe Riboli, and shipped over in boxes.

Giovanni Finotto and Caterina Musajo, the owners of I Am Coffee, wanted the 65-square-foot space that once held Another Wireless Shop to look and feel like an Italian terrazza. Beyond the sliding-glass front door, four people (and no more) can stand comfortably at a counter that resembles a balcony. There are toy birds by the handwritten menu, water pipes holding up shelves, exposed brick walls and Italian stone flooring — just the sort of touches you’d expect from the stylish proprietors of I Am Wine, an online artisanal wine shop.
Read more…

Joann Pan Opening on Friday, Zen 6 will serve New York-style ramen and succulent gyoza dumplings.

The owners of Noodle Cafe Zen on St. Marks Place and Sushi Lounge on Avenue A plan to open a ramen joint on Curry Row by the end of the week.

Hideyuki Okayama said Zen 6, in the former Chiyono space on East Sixth Street, will serve “New York City-style ramen,” meaning steaming bowls of house-made noodles set in a rich broth and topped with unconventional ingredients such as soft-shell crab, oysters and spicy fried calamari.

Traditionalists can order miso ramen with corn, meat, egg and vegetables; shio ramen with chicken broth, salt, meat and egg; or tsukemen ramen with tender meat and baby bamboo.

Next month, the eatery will give away an order of pan-fried gyoza (dumplings stuffed with beef, pork or vegetables) with any order of ramen.

Zen 6, 328 East Sixth Street (between First and Second Avenues); (917) 318-5298

Alexa Mae Asperin

You may have seen photos of 116 Avenue C in our Flickr stream yesterday: the space near East Eighth Street that was formerly Vibrations Lounge is well on its way to becoming The Third Man, the new project from Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban of Edi & the Wolf.

The cocktail bar will soft-open in the next couple of weeks, according to Florian Altenburg, one of the designers. Yesterday he told The Local that it would seat around 70 people and serve small plates. It was expected to open last month, but that has been pushed back: the bar’s basement, said the designer, saw some flooding during Sandy, though it fared better than Edi & the Wolf did, a block away.

In its fall restaurant preview, The Times wrote that The Third Man was “inspired by the noir film of the same name, with décor reminiscent of the Loos Bar in Vienna, including a floating steel bar suspended from the ceiling. There will be Austrian-influenced small plates, wine, beer, Champagne and cocktails created with house-made ingredients.”

Update | 12:17 p.m. Speaking of Edi & the Wolf, the restaurant has sent over its Thanksgiving prix-fixe menu. Check it out here, and see the menus for 28 more Thanksgiving feasts here.

Suzanne Rozdeba

A block and a half from where Nino’s recently got a makeover, Mamani Pizza is up for sale.

The owner of the 99-cent-slice joint at 151 Avenue A, who didn’t want to be named, confirmed it’s on the market for $129,000. “We’d like to keep it private why it’s for sale,” she said, “but you can write about how good our pizza is.”

Earlier this week, we noted the closure of 2 Bros. Plus on St. Marks Place and the opening of another Joey Pepperoni’s on East 14th Street. Nearby on East 14th, Twitter user @THIEVERYCORP72 noted signage going up for yet another cheap-slice joint, Famous 99-Cent Pizza.