(Photo: Daniel Correa)
The team behind Loosie Rouge and Loosie’s Kitchen is opening a café inside of their Williamsburg mini compound, and they’re giving away free Toby’s Estate coffee all summer long. That’s right: Free. Coffee. From 7am to 8am, every day, starting with their opening on Friday.
The latest fast-casual joint to hit NYU’s West 8th Street corridor is also the latest poke bowl spot to hit the city. No, this one doesn’t sell Dole Whip. But it’s got a few things going for it, starting with a mini market selling Japanese goods.
Okay, so the market is more like a few shelves on the wall, and isn’t likely to assuage those still mourning the recent loss of M2M nearby. But still, you can pick up Japanese goodies like Pocky, Hi-Chew, Hello Panda, and wasabi peas, along with condiments like sesame oil and Sriracha.
Ube Kitchen’s halo-halo. (Photos courtesy of Smorgasburg.)
Earlier this month we mentioned that Smorgasburg was set to return outdoors this very weekend, April 1 and 2, with Brooklyn Flea’s Saturday market leaving its longtime home in Fort Greene and taking up residence next to Saturday Smorg in Williamsburg’s East River Park. Team Smorg now tells us there’s another change afoot this season: Their vendors won’t be returning to the South Street Seaport this year, since they’ve been unceremoniously replaced by a permanent resident. Bummer for those who like to pick up a lobster roll on the way to the Rockaway ferry.
(Photos: Daniel Maurer)
Earlier this week we brought word that Gray’s Papaya would be opening a midtown location at 612 Eighth Avenue, between 39th and 40th Streets, making an uptown Papaya pilgrimage just a little easier for those of us who are still mourning the loss, three years ago, of their Greenwich Village spot. (The chain had dwindled down to its original store at 72nd Street.)
(Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Flea)
The Flea’s founders explained the move in an email:
It’s a bittersweet moment for us, as our flagship location in Fort Greene is where this whole trip began. With a brand-new running track laid at the [Bishop Laughlin Memorial High] school over the winter and the chance to expand beckoning at East River State Park, however, it made sense to make this move now. The Flea loved every moment of its nine years at Bishop Loughlin, and we thank everyone at the school for their partnership over the last decade.
The Flea’s Sunday markets are staying put this season: Sunday Smorgasburg will remain at Prospect Park’s Breeze Hill, where it has been since 2015, and the Sunday Flea will remain at DUMBO’s Archway under the Manhattan Bridge. You’ll recall that the Sunday Flea took place in Williamsburg until last season, so the Saturday Flea’s move to the neighborhood is a homecoming of sorts.
It’s all one big game of musical chairs. Speaking of chairs, maybe you can score a nice little Eames number during the Flea’s opening weekend, April 1 and 2.
THURSDAY
(flyer via The Witness / Facebook)
The Witness
Thursday, March 9 at Superchief Gallery, 8 pm: $10
Tonight, witness this fine-tuned evening of powerhouse performance, live music, and installations from an array of artists working in movement, visual, and sound mediums. Curated by multidisciplinary gal Ariele Max (who will also be performing), the evening is comprised of hyper-sexual “inverted gospel” musician/performer Cole, choreographer and installation artist steeped in dystopian imagery Kathleen Dycaico, research and ritual-based artist Autumn Ahn, and musician/choreographer/etc Richard Kennedy.
It’ll cost you $10 to get in, but the price includes a full day of exploring Superchief Gallery, plus wine and the mysterious notion of “edible art.” Why touch the art when you can eat it? Keep Reading »
(Photo: Miachel Breton)
Dos Toros isn’t the only drunk-food chain adding a westside outpost to its downtown and Williamsburg locations. The Meatball Shop, which started on the Lower East Side six years ago, opens its seventh location in Hell’s Kitchen today. This one comes with a brighter, cleaner design and an adjacent bar. The bar as tastefully named as you’d expect from the guys whose mantra is “EAT MY BALLS” and who offer BALLS t-shirts. They’re calling the place Sidepiece.
The Boston location of YO!. (Photos courtesy of YO! Sushi.)
Between London’s Wagamama, which opened on 26th Street in November, and L.A.’s Sugarfish, which opened on 20th Street around the same time, the Flatiron has seen an influx of cult sushi imports. You can add another one to the list: Another UK brand, YO!, is set to bring its conveyor-belt sushi to the suddenly happening hood next month.
(Photo courtesy of Threes Brewing)
The R&B legend now has his face supersized in spray paint on Avenue A, but that’s not all– he’s earned his own flavor. Every month, Mikey Likes It Ice Cream devotes their latest batch to a different icon— everyone from Urkel to LL to Elvis. For February, they’re honoring the season of love by featuring “the OG croonster” (per owner Michael Cole), known for transforming smooth jams into creamy red velvet. They call the concoction Never Too Much, because there’s never too much love, Mikey tells me.
(Photo courtesy of Tørst)
At first glance Luksus– an extension of the bar’s overly-lit, Nordic minimalist setting– inspired a lot of gaggy, knee-jerk, and not so glowing reactions. But like frowny Nordic people themselves and, say, Ikea furniture, the restaurant grew on critics and customers, who seemed to get used to the stiff, hardened outer layer. That is, until chef Daniel Burns peaced out and Luksus abruptly closed, Michelin star and all. But, as of this week, Tørst is back in the restaurant biz, and a new chef seems to have taken notice of the initial criticism.
(Photo: Michael Tulipan)
Jay Nir was chilling in a café in Amsterdam some years ago when he noticed that the person to his right was sipping coffee while the person to his left was quaffing wine. He’s hoping that ever-so-European comingling of caffeine cravers and liquor lovers will be a common sight at River Coyote, which he opened today on the Lower East Side.