Sarah Darville Construction at 58 Avenue B.

A market and deli is coming to the space where vegetarian standby Kate’s Joint closed in April.

Marcelino Castillo, a manager at Gracefully, told The Local that his store at 58 Avenue B will be called Vella Market and will sell organic fruits, vegetables, and juices, as well as a full deli menu with sandwiches. It should open by October.

“It’s going to be all-natural,” Mr. Castillo said, indicating that Vella will be similar to the Gracefully store on Avenue A, between Second and Third Streets, and its sister location adjacent Stuyvesant Town. Read more…

Melvin Felix The new slice.

What’s more shocking than Michael White’s new pizzeria Nicoletta getting zero stars from The Times? How about 2 Bros. Pizza breaking the dollar barrier?

This week, the celebrated dollar-slice joint unveiled a larger, cheesier “supreme” slice at its 36 St. Marks Place location, where the owners of the original location a few doors down previously experimented with cut-rate Neapolitan pies. The new slice, which goes for a whopping $1.50 after tax, still has the straight-out-of-the-oven taste that draws in the late-night crowds (others, like New York magazine’s Adam Platt, aren’t such big fans.)

If that extra 50 cents is going to break the bank, relax: you can still get the dollar slice at the original location at 32 St. Marks.

Sarah Darville

The designer who outfitted Chloë Sevigny’s apartment as well as her brother’s club, the Beatrice Inn, is moving to bigger digs in the East Village.

According to a Craigslist posting, David Cafiero’s art gallery and home goods store, Cafiero Select, will soon vacate its East Sixth Street location near Cooper Square. The post advertises two side-by-side storefronts, each “325 square feet with painted exposed brick walls and 11′ ceilings”: one is going for $2,800 per month and the other for $2,750.

It won’t be part of the wave of furniture-shop closings in recent months. Mr. Cafiero said the store was moving to a bigger, better space in the neighborhood. He declined to go into detail.

“I want to smoke food, cure food, and be in a place where I can do whatever I want,” said chef Will Horowitz, whose new eclectic barbecue joint Ducks Eatery will officially open early next month.

Judging by the limited menu (the restaurant is still in soft opening mode) and smoky, spicy cocktails, Mr. Horowitz is indeed having fun. A spicy beef jerky is made with squid sauce; cherrystone clams are served with smoked ham, kaffir granita, currants, and cilantro; crispy pig ears come in a lettuce wrap. The spicy trail mix includes bacon and Cocoa Krispies.

The star of the show, of course, is the smoked brisket with apricot and fish sauce.

Mr. Horowitz plans to continue changing up the menu, and mentioned goat feet curry soup and yakamein, a New Orleans noodle soup.
Read more…

Timothy Davis Construction work at Paulaner Brauhaus.

High levels of lead have been found in dust that shot up from the incoming Paulaner Brauhaus and blanketed an upstairs apartment, displacing a family of seven and causing the city to issue a stop work order.

The dust-up occurred last Wednesday at 265-267 Bowery, where the brewhouse and beer hall is being built on the ground floor. On June 25, ceiling work sent a plume of dust through the floorboards of a second-floor loft, forcing its residents to seek shelter elsewhere while testing for toxic materials was conducted.

Today, a health department representative said the levels of lead found in parts of the apartment were six times what the Environmental Protection Agency finds acceptable. According to the testing company’s report (posted below), the highest concentrations were found in the living room, where Mr. Davis said the children’s books and toys are kept.

Blood work taken from at least one of the five children is still out at the lab. Read more…

Photos: Sarah Darville.

At Forbidden Planet’s new location, which opened last Tuesday, the shelves still overflow with comic books, graphic novels, and action figures  – but according to manager Jeff Ayers, there’s one big difference from the old store at the corner of Broadway and 12th Street. “It’s not a cave,” he said, pointing at windows in the front and a skylight in the back. “There’s a sense of actually being able to breathe.”

The new location at 832 Broadway is the store’s third on the block south of Union Square where it first opened in 1981. For those who remember sky-high shelves and bumping into other customers in the aisles, the 40 percent increase in space will likely be a shock to the system.

“F.P. has always had that cool, grimy — not dirty… but that reputation of being jam-packed,” Mr. Ayers said. “We want it to be the same, and a little classier.” The store’s most recent Yelp reviewer appreciated the upgrades, writing, “So much more room and THE A/C WORKS!!!” Read more…

And now, Sandy Berger continues to document the smells and sounds of the IHOP underneath her window. The restaurant installed a ventilator unit to dial down the bacon odors, but with noise levels up, Ms. Berger’s battle continues.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012
An inspector came to my apartment and told me that since a violation had already been given they couldn’t serve another one until Sept. 10 when IHOP is due in “court” (he didn’t say which court, but did say that those making the complaints could not be present). This is just not right! We shouldn’t have to rely on the Department of Environmental Protection to describe the schizoid life we’re leading between smells and noise (in some cases, both at the same time); we should have the right to speak for ourselves without having to sue a major corporation.

Saturday, July 28
During a meeting of the ad hoc committee that’s been waging a war to regain our pre-IHOP quality of life, we visited each other’s apartments to understand how we each were affected. The people on the first two floors seem to be bothered by the noise more than smells. They can’t see the eyesore that has become the landscape for the upper floors, which seem to be affected by smells more than noise. The middle floors win the trifecta: they get them all, up close and personal. Read more…

Time for another installment of Neighborhood Appeal, where we appeal to East Villagers to share their go-to spots. Today, Kate McGee Reyes salutes some dog-friendly businesses. Leave your own tips in the comments. 

Alberto Reyes

The East Village is a great neighborhood to have a dog: we’ve got the dog run, some great dog rescues, the beloved Puppy Love Kitty Kat, and of course Doggie Dearest. But where do you go for your morning Joe when the health department doesn’t allow dogs inside cafes? Ost Cafe, on corner of 12th Street and Avenue A, has the answer in the form of a walk-up to-go window. Not only can you get your cappuccino and croissant there but the baristas always have some dog treats to dole out.

Veselka will let you and your canine companion share a meal in its outdoor eating area, so long as he or she stays on the other side of the fence. While there, you can get their made-on-premises dog biscuits for just 35 cents or three for $1. And the servers are always happy to fetch a bowl of fresh water.

If you’re the type that prepares for the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade months in advance (and who doesn’t?), stop by Sew Good Cleaners at 337 East Ninth Street, where they’ll make you a custom costume. They’re exceptionally kind and patient while making measurements for the outfit, and they’ll also mend your doggie’s winter coat to last another season.

Have some suggestions of your own? Unleash ’em on us!

Farewell, leather jackets, hello nano puff hoody. The Commercial Observer reports that Patagonia is moving into the two-floor space at 313 Bowery that was once part of CBGB. The outdoor apparel brand reportedly signed a lease in excess of 10 years for the space that was formerly occupied by the Morrison Hotel gallery and Riff. Racked notes that Patagonia is likely the first tenant post-CBGB that “isn’t self-consciously cashing in on the club’s legacy.” John Varvatos will remain next-door at 315 Bowery. Come to think of it, Patagonia’s outdoor gear isn’t that radical a departure from CBGB. Heck, the club’s name is slapped across punked-out cycling jerseys.

Melvin Felix Evelyn McCue.

For every East Village business that’s opening or closing, dozens are quietly making it. Here’s one of them: Doggie Dearest.

Back in college Evelyn McCue’s career plan was to be a veterinarian. When she became pregnant with her son, her career took a different turn. “Instead of becoming a veterinarian, I made one myself,” Ms. McCue joked about about her son’s career as a neurological veterinarian. But after years teaching English as a second language and bartending, she revisited her love of animals and opened Doggie Dearest at 543 East Fifth Street. Ms. McCue said her boutique dog grooming business was the first of its kind in the neighborhood, and for nearly 19 years she’s groomed roughly eight dogs a day, three days a week. The Local spoke with Ms. McCue about the popularity of the pet industry, the weirdest creature she’s ever brushed, and why poodle owners can be so strange.

How did you end up in the dog grooming business?

I was on the phone, sitting on hold and flipping through the Yellow Pages when I saw an ad for a grooming school. I called them and somehow it turned out perfectly. At first it would just going to be a cool hobby. But lo and behold, it turned out I am really good at it! Read more…

Photos: Melvin Felix

“I can’t imagine anyone my age wanting to sit in a Pinkberry,” said Ilias Iliopoulos, 34, whose gelateria Fresco opened on Second Avenue yesterday, around the corner from the fro-yo chain’s St. Marks location.

Mr. Iliopoulos, who owned a chain-operated gelateria in Greece for five years, said his first independent venture is meant to be reminiscent of a Greek shack, or “paragka.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Pinkberry and 16 Handles,” he added, “but they cater to a younger demographic because they’re very colorful and very bright. I wanted to create an environment where you can actually get a gelato but you wouldn’t mind hanging out there as well.” Read more…

On Monday The Local heard a rumor that a sushi restaurant would take over the long-vacant storefront next-door to Whole Earth Bakery. That turned out to be partly true. Gary Auslander, the broker who handled the deal, said that a “very exclusive” 15-seat Japanese restaurant would be moving in. Like another newcomer, Bugs, it will indeed serve sushi, among other things. Mr. Auslander added that it won’t be competing with Sushi Lounge a few doors away, rather, it will be “more like Momofuku.” The owners of the restaurant, who will appear at this month’s Community Board 3 meeting, are bringing over a well-regarded chef from Japan, according to the broker.

Vanessa Yurkevich Sho Boo at Bugs.

Vanessa Yurkevich

Sho Boo grew up in Osaka, Japan, a daughter of Korean immigrants. When she was young her mother opened a small ramen shop in their hometown and that’s when she took an interest in cooking. “I would help her out at the shop,” she said, “and I learned from her. “

In Japan, sushi chefs were rarely women. So when Ms. Boo came to the United States 11 years ago she was surprised to find opportunity: for 10 years she worked as a sushi chef, training at Sushi Yasuda in Midtown and Jewel Bako in the East Village. Today she’ll return to her love of cooking, as she opens a shop of her own called Bugs on East 12th Street.

“Bugs tend to gather, especially around a bright light and this restaurant is the bright light that everyone would gather around,” said Ms. Boo. Read more…

Edna Ishayik 265-267 Bowery.

A beer hall bound for 265-276 Bowery has become involved in a dust-up that could hurt its chances of snagging a liquor license.

Last Wednesday, Vanessa Solomon was working in her loft apartment on the second floor of the building between Stanton and Houston Streets when a cloud of brown dust came up from the storefront space where the Paulaner Brauhaus plans to open. Her floors, bed, clothes, and papers were covered in dust, she said. She and her live-in partner, Timothy Davis, spent the rest of the day scrambling to find a clean place for their five school-aged children to sleep that night.

“It looked like Pompeii,” Mr. Davis told The Local.

It was only the latest disruption for Ms. Solomon, who, after 17 years in the loft, had already started looking for a new home in Brooklyn. A week before the dust plume struck, her landlord, Craig Murray, called to tell her that her month-to-month lease would end on Sept. 1 due to construction. “The same day,” said Mr. Davis, “demolition started downstairs without any notice to us and without any precautions although Tony Morali, the architect, had promised repeatedly that he would first put in a dust barrier and soundproofing.”

After dust began coming up from the first floor, Paulaner project representatives sent a cleaning service. But that was nothing compared to the carpet of brown powder that rose up July 25.

According to Rudolf Tauscher, an operator of the beer hall, that incident occurred during pre-construction safety checks, after ceiling panels were removed to reveal an “unsafe condition”: cracked wooden planks and beams. “We were trying to establish what needed to be corrected when dust went upward and when a hostile tenant informed the DOB,” he said. Read more…

Melvin Felix

The Local spoke to Jeremiah Clancy today as he took down the photos of patrons’ mothers that decorate Mama’s Food Shop. He said his own mother happened to be in town, which made the closing of the restaurant bitter-sweet.

“It’s all in the lawyers’ hands at this point,” said Mr. Clancy. “I’m cleaning out the space today and tomorrow, the keys will be handed to my lawyer, he’ll send them to [the landlord’s] lawyer and he’ll take possession.”

Elaborating on a statement that he sent to the The Local earlier today, Mr. Clancy pointed to some specific reasons that he decided to call it quits well before the expiration of his lease in October of 2013. During the time that he owned the restaurant, he said, “my property tax went up something ridiculous – like 380 percent.”

In 2007, shortly after he took over the business, he was hit with a back rent and property tax bill of approximately $30,000, he said: “We had to get legal teams involved and come to a good place, and basically ever since then the landlord has been kind of squeezing me with water bills, gas bills, electric bills.” Read more…

Melvin Felix

Mama’s Food Shop, a cheap-eats joint that had been a mainstay of the ever evolving and increasingly upscale East Village dining scene, closed last night after more than 15 years in business. Its proprietor, Jeremiah Clancy, sent The Local a statement addressed to patrons, supporters, and fans that cited “increasing rents and property taxes, and the constant expenses that arise when maintaining an older building.” He wrote, “I now join the ranks of Kate’s Joint, Zaitzeff, Life Café, and Lakeside Lounge; all business that have folded in a neighborhood going through a period of flux,” and went on to complain: “We live in a city where the Health Department has far too much power, the cost of the permits, inspections, and maintenance are so high it is impossible for a Mom & Pop operation to keep up with.”

The move comes just a few months after the shuttering of the restaurant’s short-lived Williamsburg outpost. At that time, Mr. Clancy, who took over for longtime owner Michael Rosenfeld in 2007, said he was open to finding an investor for the East Village location.

In 1999, The Times’ “$25 and Under” critic Eric Asimov, in a $10-and-under roundup, wrote that “this little self-serve restaurant with just a few tables, offers homey American dishes that are the equivalent of white picket fences and shady elm trees.” The menu and the business model – which called for customers to order a meat and a side (or three) at the front counter – never changed much, and the place never did score a liquor license. Brunch was eventually added and the restaurant got a boost from an appearance on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” but it apparently wasn’t enough.

Here’s Mr. Clancy explaining his decision to call it quits. Read more…

Sarah Darville The vacant space at 130 St. Marks Place.

Talk about no rest for the weary. While most Community Board 3 committees are taking the month off, the SLA and DCA Licensing committee will meet on August 20 to consider 45 different businesses seeking approval for new or modified licenses to sell alcohol.

Some of the highlights include a liquor license renewal of UCB East, which has a complaint history, according to the board. The new owners of Lakeside Lounge — soon to be Blackburn — are scheduled to appear before the committee, as expected.

A new business is bound for 130 St. Marks Place; an employee at Whole Earth Bakery next-door told The Local that rumor has it that it will be a sushi joint. (Take this with a grain of salt, Sushi Lounge is only a few doors away at Avenue A). The space had been vacant for close to a year.

And as usual, Nevada Smiths is once again scheduled to appear for approval of a full liquor license. The new location of the soccer bar has appeared on the agenda for months, only to be scratched at the last minute. Here’s the rest of what’s on tap for the Aug. 20 meeting. Read more…

Daniel Maurer

We interrupt your morning for an important announcement: Churreria, the sleek sliver of a Spanish cafe just below Houston Street on Mulberry, is now offering its free-churro deal all day long. Normally the deal would’ve wrapped up right around this time of day, but you can now score two authentic Spanish-style fried dough sticks (skinny, crisp, and lightly dusted with sugar instead of that cinnamon silliness) with every purchase of a cortado or any other coffee drink, any time the place is open (9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and till 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday).

As if that isn’t exciting enough, Churreria has also started serving wine and beer. Check out the lineup here.

De nada.

Melvin Felix

A late-night standby for cheap, heaping helpings of Latin grub has closed its doors in the face of a rent hike, according to an employee.

La Isla, on 14th Street, stopped serving cuchifritos, empanadas, rotisserie chicken and other Caribbean staples this week, and will officially give up its space between Avenues A and B on Monday. Yesterday, it was empty but for a refrigerator, a steam table and a small plant by the front window, which an employee said had been there since La Isla opened a almost decade ago.

The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said the restaurant’s management had decided not to renew the ten-year lease at 542 East 14th Street because its landlord had asked for an additional $3,000 per month, plus additional property tax payments; the one-two punch would’ve meant paying almost $15,000 per month instead of the previous $8,000. Read more…