The Lo-Down Magazine: March 2015 by The Lo-Down

News from the Lower East Side

LO-DOWN

THE

MAR. 2015

www.TheLoDownNY.com

Ferry Service is Coming to

Grand Street

Also Inside: The Soup Club Cookbook

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LO-DOWN Ed Litvak Editor-in-Chief

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Traven Rice Publisher/Arts Editor

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THE

LO-DOWN March 2015

in this issue

letter from the Editor: Like most website publishers, we keep a pretty close eye on what interests our readers. While it’s a bit of a guessing game what people want to see in our monthly magazine, there are no such mysteries online. You only need to follow the clicks. What people were clicking on last month was a bit of welcome news from the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio—his decision to expand the city’s ferry network. Lots of people on the Lower East Side were elated to learn about his plans to add East River service at Grand Street, beginning in 2018. In this month’s cover story, we gather together all of the pertinent details about a new amenity that could make travel to and from the LES a whole lot easier in the years to come. Also this month, we meet the four friends behind The Soup Club Cookbook, acknowledge the success of an indie film set on the Lower East Side and introduce you to Michael Little, a local entrepreneur who’s making his mark on Orchard Street. We hope you enjoy our latest issue. As always, you can keep up with the latest community news as it happens at thelodownny.com.

Cover Story

Ferry service comes to Grand Street

10 Neighborhood News

Sheldon Silver indicted, crime roundup, community garden proposal

12 Real Estate Repor t

Design for 196 Orchard Street revealed

16 New Arrivals

Chapter NY, Bridget Donahue, Lindsey Thornburg

18 Calendar/Feat ured Events

The Armory Art Show, Cush Jumbo and Richard Price

20 The Lo-Dine

The Soup Club Cookbook

22 Restaurant Roundup

Essex Street Market closures, Dirt Candy opens, La Contenta opens

24 Ar ts Watch

The Wolfpack wows Sundance

Ed Litvak

My LES

Lost Weekend’s Michael Little

On the Cover:

East River ferry service coming to NYC on Grand Street

Photo courtesy of East River Ferry

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March 2015

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Mayor Announces Ferry Expansion; Grand Street Landing Planned By Ed Litvak People who live along the East River in the vicinity of Grand Street have long complained about the lack of adequate public transit options. But if the plan outlined by Mayor de Blasio in his State of the City address comes to fruition, some relief could be on the way. He sees a citywide ferry network, linking all five boroughs, including service from a new dock on Grand Street, beginning in the year 2018. “We’re the ultimate coastal city,” said the mayor in his Feb. 3 speech. “But somehow we haven’t had a true ferry system in decades... We need to right this wrong.” In addition to the Lower East Side, the new service is meant to knit together exist6

March 2015

ing East River routes with added landings in Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn and Soundview. A ferry trip will cost the same as the subway or a city bus. The mayor is committing $55 million for new docks and other infrastructure. A public subsidy ranging from $10–$20 million annually is anticipated, to be determined as potential private operators are identified to run the routes. “For years, the conventional wisdom has been that certain neighborhoods are doomed to isolation because of their geography,” said de Blasio. He argued that the service would give low-income residents living in the outer boroughs access to highPhoto: Alex Price

it easier for local residents to commute to quality jobs in Manhattan. Lower East Side service had been Midtown and the Financial District and for pushed by local residents Joseph Hanania people in Brooklyn to visit the neighborand James Keenan, who live in the East hood. A 2013 report from the city’s Economic River Cooperative. An online petition in Development Corp. (EDC) noted the proxim2013 garnered more than 600 signatures and ity between the proposed Grand Street ferry led local elected officials to support the stop and Essex Crossing, the large residential cause. Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, then and retail complex coming to the former speaker, urged the city to consider a Grand Seward Park urban renewal site. The plan assumes that ferry passengers would make Street stop. Following the mayor’s announcement, use of the M21 and M14A bus lines to make City Council member Margaret Chin said, their way westward toward shopping desti“My local elected colleagues and I have ad- nations and other local attractions. While the historic fireboat house is lovocated for a Grand Street ferry stop because we know it will create Map: New York City Mayor’s Office Proposed Ferry Network a much-needed transit connection for Lower East Side residents— BRONX especially the thouSoundview SOUNDVIEW sands in public housing—who have been QUEENS generally underAstoria served when it comes E 90 Legend ASTORIA to public transportaExisting Long Island East River Ferry City North E 62 Roosevelt Staten Island Ferry tion.” State Sen. Daniel Island South Hunters Pt South Planned 2017 MANHATTAN Squadron also praised Greenpoint Rockaway North E 34 South Brooklyn the new program. Williamsburg Astoria EAST RIVER E 23 Schaefer Landing FERRY Portions of the Planned 2018 LOWER (EXISTING) EAST SIDE Soundview Lower East Side ferry network will Grand Fulton/DUMBO Proposed debut in 2017, but the Wall St/Pier 11 Atlantic Ave/Pier 6 Staten/Coney Island Whitehall Governors Lower East Side route Island Red Hook won’t launch until a St George year later. Maps reBROOKLYN Rockaway Stapleton leased by the city Brooklyn Army Terminal ROCKAWAY show additional stops SOUTH BROOKLYN STATEN Bay Ridge at East 23rd and East ISLAND STATEN/CONEY ISLAND 34th streets, as well as Coney Island connections to the Creek ferry at Pier 11 (Wall Street). Officials hope Geography is modified to show service more clearly. the service will make Some landings shown do not yet exist or need upgrades to become operational. th

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cated on the East River at the end of Grand Street, there is no existing dock. The EDC has estimated it would cost $5.84 million to create the infrastructure, including passenger shelters, in the area. Notably, East River Park, including this particular stretch of the waterfront, is poised for a large-scale revamp. The city has begun planning for a massive flood protection barrier at the cost of $335 million. It’s unclear how the ferry service plan might impact the larger levee project. The mayor’s proposal was generally well received, but some transportation policy experts have their doubts. Ferries are expensive to run compared with other modes of transportation, like buses, and in the past, many routes have been hampered by low ridership. Jeff Zupan, a senior fellow at the Regional Plan Association, told the Daily News, “Each of those proposals (for the ferry routes) probably have more reasons why they could fail then be successful... I’d say try it on an experimental basis.” City officials have countered that the new system will be more economical because the routes will be part of a larger network. Meanwhile, a few locals have questioned the designated Lower East Side stop. The Grand Street location would be convenient for the cooperative apartments in the

March 2015

immediate area, as well as public housing developments to the north. But it would still be at least somewhat out of the way for people living in the many large public and other low-income housing developments south of Montgomery Street. In the years to come, a big new park will be constructed at Pier 42, just below East River Park. Some believe that area would be a more central location for the broader community. Trever Holland, tenant leader at Two Bridges Tower, located near the Manhattan Bridge, said, “I'm happy to see a ferry on the Lower East Side, but I just don't see many residents using a ferry at that location. It is also curious that no community outreach meetings were held to discuss this location... Grand Street is probably not the best option.” But Joseph Hanania, one of the instigators of the petition drive in support of the Grand Street ferry, argued that the mayor’s announcement represents a clear win for the neighborhood. “This is excellent news,” he said. “Hopefully, a Grand Street ferry stop will invigorate Grand Street businesses, which could certainly use it. And with three bus lines already stopping at Grand and FDR Drive, this ferry stop certainly makes sense for commuters, and will hopefully add to the frequency of buses serving the neighborhood.”

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neighborhood news

edited by Ed Litvak

politics

After his arrest in January on federal corruption charges, Sheldon Silver was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury Feb. 19.

Sheldon Silver attended Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown Feb. 22.

crime

The longtime Lower East Side state assemblyman faces mail fraud, wire fraud and extortion charges in connection with an alleged $4 million bribery scheme. The prosecutor chose not to go forward with two counts of conspiracy, which were included in the original criminal complaint. Silver resigned as assembly speaker eight days after his arrest, but has vowed to keep his seat in the 65th Assembly District. After voting in favor of Carl Heastie of the Bronx as his replacement, Silver expressed confidence in the new speaker and said it was "time a younger person takes over and does the job." Joel Cohen and Steven Molo, Silver’s lawyers, said in a written statement following the indictment, “Our client is not guilty. We can now begin to fight for his total vindication. We intend to do that fighting where it should be done—in court,” NYPD surveillance image:

Police are searching for a suspect in the Jan. Rivington Street shooting. 26 shooting of a man on Rivington Street. The 22-year-old victim, Dondre Rivera, was shot four times in the back as he walked past 203 Rivington St., near Ridge Street. Surveillance video captured images of the gunman, who was wearing white sneakers, a black jacket and a black ski mask. Rivera was rushed to the hospital and is recovering from his injuries. In another violent incident, police shot a man at the Vladeck Houses (338 Madison St.) after responding to a domestic violence call Jan. 26. Officers said Brian Quattrocchi had barricaded himself in an apartment with Olga Pichardo, a former girlfriend. After forcing the door open, police discovered that Pichardo had been stabbed with a steak knife. They tried using a stun gun, but when that failed to subdue him, police say, they opened fire. Both Quattrocchi and Pichardo were expected to fully recover from their injuries. He has been charged with attempted murder. Finally, police are looking for a suspect who attacked and robbed a woman on Essex Street in the early morning hours of Jan. 24. The incident happened at around NYPD photo: Weapon found at Vladeck Houses. 4:15 a.m. as the 32-year-old victim was walking near Essex and Hester streets. Cops say the suspect came up from behind, pushing her to the ground. The man made off with the woman’s purse and cellphone. The suspect was wearing a green snorkel jacket. Anyone with information about this crime should call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. 10

March 2015

community gardens

Photo courtesy of Siempre Verde Community Garden.

Community Board 3 voted 28-1 in favor of a proposal to create a community gardens district on the Lower East Side. The board wants to see City Council legislation that would map each of the neighborhood’s 46 gardens and designate them as park land. Over the years, many garden parcels have been seized by the city for real estate development. Mayor de Blasio has put forward a new plan to build affordable housing on up to 17 city-owned sites. Activists say the district would protect the cherished community green spaces, since an act of the State Legislature would be necessary to use the parcels for any other purpose. Local City Council representatives are now studying the proposal.

street art

The Lower East Side Business Improvement District has been awarded a $30,000 grant in support of the “100 Gates Program.” It’s part of the Neighborhood Challenge Initiative, sponsored by the city’s Department of Small Business Services and Economic Development Corp. and is designed to support innovative ideas in local communities. 100 Gates is the inspiration of LES artist and skateboarder Billy Rohan. It was his idea to link up small-business owners with neighborhood artists to enliven the drab gates protecting many storefronts after business hours. Rohan teamed up with the BID to launch the project on a larger scale. Most of the funds being made available by the city will go for paint supplies and $100 artist honorariums. if you are an artist or a business interested in taking part, visit 100gates.nyc.

Cafe Grumpy, 13 Essex St. Artist Jessica Blowers. Photo courtesy 100 Gates.

non-profits

Changes in leadership are taking place at two of the neighborhood’s oldest social service organizations. Margarita Rosa announced she’s stepping down after 20 years as executive director of Grand Street Settlement. A search firm has been hired to identify a new leader for the 100-year-old institution, which serves 10,000 New Yorkers each year. At the Bowery Mission, David Jones has been appointed president and CEO. He replaces Ed Morgan, who’s moving over to run the newly established Bowery Mission Foundation. Jones was previously interim head of the Goodwill Rescue Mission in Newark, New Jersey. Margarita Rosa, Executive Director, Grand Street Settlement

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Real Estate Report:

Design For 196 Orchard St. Revealed, Bower By Ed Litvak Here’s your first glimpse of life after Bereket, the beloved cheap-eats spot that shuttered last year on the southwest corner of Orchard and Houston streets. The real estate website New York Yimby published the first rendering of a 10-story luxury building envisioned for the site. Late last year, initial building permits emerged for 196 Orchard St., showing that developer Ben Shaoul’s Magnum Real Estate Group planned a 113,000-square-foot building, including 83 apartments and ground-floor retail space. Shaoul assembled the development parcel partly, in part, by purchasing air rights from Katz’s Deli, which is located on the opposite end of the block on Ludlow Street. The project is being designed by Ismael Leyva Architects. In contrast with much of the firm’s previous work, the Orchard Street building is not very glassy, but features ample brickwork and a more traditional style. The looming construction project has forced out several businesses besides Bereket, with more to come in the weeks ahead.

March 2015

Grand Street Loft Building Changes Hands The building housing Zarin Fabrics, one of the Lower East Side’s oldest businesses, has been sold for $25.6 million. The four-story loft building at 314 Grand St. had been held by Amster Family Investments for many years. The Malachite Zarin Building Shot Group, which recently re-entered the Manhattan market after selling off most of its residential properties, is the new owner. TD Bank is building out a branch on the ground floor of 314 Grand, joining Bank of America, which occupies a space on the Orchard Street side of the property. Zarin’s, in business since 1936, gave up most of the ground floor. It still has a long-term lease for the second floor, as well as the basement and a small showroom on Orchard Photo: Alex Price Street. In the past, there has been speculation that the new owners would seek a residential conversion of at least part of the property. Local activists have urged the city to protect the building, but the Landmarks Commission has rejected that idea.

ery Graffiti Mansion Fetches $55 Million Graffiti Bank Sold Neighborhood history buffs have always been fascinated with the graffiti-adorned former Germania Bank Building at 190 Bowery. Photographer Jay Maisel purchased it in 1966 for $102,000. Last fall, word started to get around that he’d finally agreed to sell the mysterious property, which has been a city landmark since 2005. In February, we learned the purchase price. Public records show that Aby Rosen’s RFR Realty picked up the 1898 beauty for $55 million. Almost immediately, the developer put 190 Bowery back on the market, saying it would be an ideal candidate for a condo conversion. The building features 11-foot ceilings and 18-foot ceilings on the first two floors, making it “ideal for retail use,” as the listing on Rosen’s site suggests.

Photo: Alex Price

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13 13

L+M Picks Up Another Waterfront Property L+M Development Partners, one of the firms building the big Essex Crossing project, is once again expanding its Lower East Side profile. Along with Nelson Management Group, the firm has purchased 257-271 South St., a 19-story, federally subsidized residential building. The purchase price was not disclosed. The property, known as Lands End I, is a 260unit development built in 1977 as part of the Two Bridges Urban Renewal Area. In 2013, L+M was part of an ownership group that paid $279 million for Lands End II, a 490-unit complex at 265-275 Cherry St. The new acquisition was made in partnership with Citi Community Capital. According to a news release, the new owners “plan to make significant capital improvements to the property to reposition the building through common area upgrades, enhanced amenities and apartment renovations, while preserving it as a source of high-quality mixed-income housing in the Lower East Side.” Today, there’s a mix of market-rate and subsidized apartments at Lands End 1. Residents have been told that the new owners intend to extend affordability to 50 percent of the apartments through a federal tax incentive program.

Rivington Street Nursing Home Sold Rivington House, the nursing home for AIDS patients, shut down in November of last year. Now a new owner has taken over the building at 45 Rivington St. and is preparing to reopen the facility as a nursing home for the general population. The Allure Group, a for-profit company with locations in Brooklyn, Queens and Harlem, will soon debut the Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation. Rivington House’s former owner, VillageCare, decided to end operations at the Lower East Side facility after 20 years because the nursing home had been half empty for some time. Officials with the organization said that advances in AIDS treatments made Rivington House obsolete. All of the patients were relocated late last year. Community Board 3 and City Council member Margaret Chin had advocated for a new nursing facility at the location. Some feared that the 1898 former school building alongside Sara D. Roosevelt Park could fall into the hands of a luxury real estate developer. The Lower East Side home has 200+ beds. 14

March 2015

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new arrivals Chapter NY

(127 Henry St. - at Rutgers Street, chapter-ny.com) An art gallery that was only open weekends has moved to a fulltime schedule. Nicole Russo had been splitting her time between the Henry Street space and the Madison Avenue gallery, Mitchell-Innes & Nash. Now she’s striking out on her own with plans to expand the gallery’s artist roster slowly over time. The space is open Wednesday–Sunday from 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

East Village Wine & Liquors

(80 Clinton St. - at Rivington Street, eastvillagewineliquors.com) The long-established liquor store relocated from a space on Stanton Street to a stretch of Clinton likely to draw more foot traffic. The new store is smaller, but it’s freshly renovated. The shop stocks most popular liquor brands, as well as an affordable selection of domestic and foreign wines. They offer free delivery.

Lindsey Thornburg

(21 Orchard St. - at Canal Street, lindseythornburg.com) The bohemian-chic fashion designer has opened a new boutique on the Lower East Side. Back in 2006, Thornburg launched a collection of witchy cloaks from surplus Pendleton blankets. Today she offers a full line of ready-to-wear apparel. She is no stranger to the neighborhood. Thornburg was previously located on Stanton Street before a rent increase forced the closure of her original shop.

Lindsey Thornburg Boutique

Bridget Donahue

(99 Bowery - at Hester Street, bridgetdonahue.nyc) The former director of Gavin Brown’s Enterprise has opened a large second-floor space overlooking the Bowery. The debut exhibition, which opened Feb. 19, features 73-year-old Lynn Hershman Leeson, a well-known mixed-media artist who explores the relationship between humans and technology. The show will be open until April 5. As The New York Times reported, Donahue “will champion artists of all kinds—older, under-the-radar, anti-establishment—who might otherwise get sidelined in Chinatown’s trend-heavy scene.” 16

March 2015

Former Living Room space, 154 Orchard St.

Taittinger Gallery

(154 Ludlow St., richardtaittinger.com) Richard Taittinger, whose great grandfather founded the Taittinger champagne empire, has opened an art gallery in the former Living Room space on Ludlow Street. It was scheduled to open March 3 with an exhibition featuring artists from China and Ukraine. The 5,000-square-foot space will be dedicated to mid-career contemporary artists who are under-represented in this country. Taittinger told The New York Times that he chose the Lower East Side over Chelsea because he wanted to be “a big fish in a small pond.” The Living Room, the beloved music club, fled to Brooklyn after the building owner jacked up the rent. Bridget Donahue Gallery

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calendar

what to do in

Edited by Traven Rice

Sun.

Fri.

James Lecesne The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey at Dixon Place: Award-winning writer and co-founder of The Trevor Project, Lecesne presents a solo show portraying various characters of a small Jersey shore town as they struggle to understand what happened to 14-year-old Leonard Pelkey. Adapted from his YA novel Absolute Brightness, with music by Duncan Sheik. Through March 28 at 161A Chrystie St., 6 p.m., Fri./Sat. at 7:30 p.m., $18, dixonplace.org.

MARCH

Visit our CALENDAR online at www.thelodownny.com/calendar for more details and to add your own events.

Josephine and I at Joe’s Pub: Don’t miss Olivier-nominated actress and writer (The River, Julius Caesar, "Getting On") Cush Jumbo’s one-woman show and “tour de force” directed by Tony nominee Phyllida Lloyd (Julius Caesar, The Iron Lady, Mamma Mia!). The show interweaves a modern-day story of an ambitious young woman with the fascinating life of the peerless, fearless Josephine Baker. Through April 5 at 425 Lafayette St., 7 p.m., $40, no food/drink min., joespub.com.

Sun.

8 "The Last Mambo King with Orlando Marin" at the Museum at Eldridge Street: You won’t be able to resist tapping your feet as bandleader and drummer Orlando Marin and his band perform classic mambo and salsa music, as well as original music from his 60-year career as a beloved Borscht Belt performer. The concert is part of the museum’s “Lost and Found” music series at 12 Eldridge St., 3 p.m., $20 adults, $15 stu./sen., eldridgestreet.org.

Thurs.

12 18

March 2015

New Zealand Performance Festival at La MaMa: Nine comedy, dance, installation and theater works by eight performance groups grace the performance spaces at La MaMa for a new theater festival from a wacky ensemble of artists from Wellington, New Zealand. Through March 29, showtimes vary, $20, nznewperformance.com.

Call Me Crazy: Diary of a Mad Social Worker at the Nuyorican: If you missed Helena D. Lewis’ awardThurs. winning solo show this past summer, now is your chance to catch her comedic, autobiographical take on life as an inner-city social worker. Lewis recalls her true-life experiences working with prostitutes, drug addicts and prisoners. Through March 7 at 236 East 3rd St. (bet. Ave. B and Ave. C), 7 p.m., $20, nuyorican.org.

Wed.

Featured

EVENT

The Art Show

at Park Avenue Armory:

Wed.

18 The Whites by Richard Price, writing as Harry Brandt, at Tenement Talks: Richard Price (Lush Life, Clockers, The Wire) discusses his new detective story—about cops in New York who are haunted by the cases they couldn’t close—with Henry Chang, author of an acclaimed series of Chinatown-based crime novels. 103 Orchard St., 6:30 p.m., free, tenement.org.

Sun.

Visit the longest running and most esteemed fine-art fair in the country and know that the price of admission is going to a good cause. The show is organized by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) and benefits neighborhood local Henry Street Settlement. Museum-quality displays showcase everything from 19th- and 20thcentury masterpieces to contemporary works, not to mention a donated Matisse that will be part of the silent auction this year. Through Sunday, March 8, 12 p.m.–8 p.m., Sat.: 12 p.m.–7 p.m., Sun.: 12 p.m.– 5 p.m., 643 Park Ave. (at 67th St.) $25, artdealers.org.

Thurs. I’m Looking for Helen Twelvetrees at Abrons Arts Center: Five-time Obie Award recipient actor/playwright David Greenspan presents a world premiere of his latest: the story of a young man’s pursuit of Helen Twelvetrees, a real-life star of the early talkies, during her run as Blanche DuBois at a summer stock theater in 1951. The production features Greenspan and is directed by Mr. Greenspan's longtime collaborator, Leigh Silverman. Through April 4, 466 Grand St. (at Pitt), 8 p.m., $35, abronsartscenter.org.

A Brief History of Beer at Under St. Marks: Drink along at this monthly performance—part sketch, part lecture, part drinking game—in which audiences travel back in time in the “Quantum Pint Machine” with writers/performers Will Glenn and Trish Parry to save the world from a mysterious, nefarious villain. In honor of Women's History Month. This month’s show focuses on the role of women in brewing throughout the ages, at 94 St. Marks Place (bet. 1st Ave. and Ave. A), 6:30 p.m., $18, horsetrade.info.

The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com

THE

LO-DINE

Tina Carr, Courtney Allison, Julie Peacock, Caroline Laskow. Photos courtesy: The Soup Club Cookbook, Annie Schlechter.

FOUR LOWER EAST SIDE FRIENDS SHARE "SOUP CLUB" WISDOM By Ed Litvak The concept of the "sharing economy" is very much back in fashion. From Airbnb to Citi Bike, cooperative models are reshaping the way people live their lives. On the Lower East Side, four friends are getting into the spirit with a particularly grassroots version of the hot trend; they're the authors of The Soup Club Cookbook, which they describe as “a declaration of food sharing." Tina Carr, Courtney Allison, Julie Peacock and Caroline Laskow are all residents of the Seward Park apartments on Grand Street, which, incidentally, was one of the pioneers of the cooperative housing movement in the 1960s. In 2011, they came up with the idea to join forces. Once a month, each club member cooks a large batch of soup, enough for all four families, and delivers the homemade meal to the others. As the women say in the introduction, the cookbook is a way of 20

March 2015

spreading the word and of sharing “recipes for the many meals we have enjoyed.” As Laskow explained in a recent interview, the concept is not only convenient for all involved (the women have 10 kids, four husbands and multiple careers among them). “It’s a way of connecting with people,” she said. “We like to think we’re a part of the sharing economy.” The book offers common sense tips for getting started. “More important than knife skills is a commitment to cooking at home on schedule and sharing the results,” they write. The authors recommend making one quart per adult, meaning a large pot (12–14 quarts) is a must. In 240 pages full of colorful photos and clever illustrations, they walk readers through 51 recipes, all time-tested by the four families over the past several years. There are conventional options, such as

lentil soup, minestrone and chicken noodle soup, as well as more unusual recipes. They include mushroom and cashew cream soup, Senegalese peanut soup and green coconut curry with scallops and fried plantains. Finally, there’s a section offering a selection of salads and snacks to go along with the weekly soup deliveries. The soup club has definitely drawn inspiration from the neighborhood. Laskow was a founder of the Grand Street CSA, another cooperative project that delivers fresh produce to local participants in partnership with a regional farm. Another favorite source of ingredients for the women has been Saxelby Cheesemongers in the Essex Street Market. Their best advice? Carr said the top thing the women have learned over the years is not to make it any more complicated than necessary. “It’s just soup,” she said. “Don’t overthink it.”

The Soup Club Cookbook is available on Amazon. Better yet, keep it local by purchasing the book at the Tenement Museum Gift Shop, 103 Orchard St. (Delancey Street).

The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com

THE

LO-DINE (continued) A Roundup of Restaurant Openings & Closings

now open

Dirt Candy, 86 Allen St. (at Broome Street) dirtcandynyc.com, 212-228-7732

Amanda Cohen’s wildly popular vegetarian restaurant has made the move from East 9th Street. The new space, boasting over 50 seats, is more than twice the size of the original outpost in the East Village. The sleek space features an open kitchen and a 12-seat counter for dining and drinking. Menu items include brussels sprout tacos served on a sizzling stone, kale matzo ball soup with a poached egg and okra, and pulled, pickled and jerked salad served with mole sauce on a carrot waffle. Cohen has dispensed with tipping in the name of paying fair wages to all employees. A 20% administrative charge is added to each bill. “New York is losing cooks to cities that have a better standard of living,” Cohen told the Daily News. “I can’t be part of a system that pays people $12 an hour.” Reservations are already hard to come by at the new Dirt Candy, but Cohen advises locals to persevere. It’s usually a better idea to call directly, rather than booking via OpenTable. For the time being, the restaurant is open Tuesday– Saturday, 5:30–10:30 p.m.

Juicy Spot Cafe

109 Ludlow St. (at Delancey Street) no website, 212-933-0478

The new quick-serve offers freshly pressed juices as well as teas, coffee, healthy sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. The cafe is open daily from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. At press time, the business was still in soft-open mode and had not published a full menu. 22

March 2015

La Contenta

102 Norfolk St. (at Delancey Street) lacontentanyc.com, 212-432-4180

Luis Arce-Mota and Alex Valencia have opened a new restaurant focused on authentic homestyle Mexican cuisine in the former Saro Bistro space. Mota, a resident of the Grand Street co-ops, set out to create a menu drawing from his own Mexican roots but incorporating classic French cooking techniques. Signature dishes include Tostada de Cangrejo (sweet blue crab meat, celery root purée, chile de árbol and crispy kale), Pork Ribeye a la Plancha (New Mexican green chile, pineapple, brussels sprouts, pork, beans and mustard) and Lagosta a la Mantequilla (poached lobster in chile morita butter sauce, parsnip purée, green peas, mango, vanilla). Valencia’s drink menu is built around agave spirits. La Contenta offers a happy hour daily from 4–7 p.m. Weekday lunch is served 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Dinner service starts at 5 p.m., and weekend brunch is 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

revamps, relaunches

Empanada Mama

95 Allen St. (at Delancey Street) empanadamamanyc.com, 212-673-0300

In the coming months, a single-story commercial building at 189 East Houston St. will be demolished to make way for a new luxury condo project. All of the businesses, including Empanada Mama, will be forced to close or move elsewhere. The empanada specialist, featuring a global menu, has found new space at 95 Allen St. That’s the former home of Sorella, the high-end Italian small plates restaurant that closed last May. Paul H. Chen, a representative of the family trust that owns the Allen Street building, tells The Lo-Down that a lease has been signed, renovations will begin immediately and an opening is planned in the spring.

Miller’s Near & Far

65 Rivington St. (at Allen Street) millersnearandfar.com, 646-559-1210

Miller’s Near & Far, the Rivington Street neighborhood spot, closed for a revamp at the beginning of the year. Owner Chris Miller, a Lower East Side resident, decided to make some tweaks in both the decor and the menu. The seasonal menu, open kitchen and futuristic design won over its share of locals upon opening in 2013 and also attracted a contingent from restaurants in Tribeca co-owned by Miller (Smith & Mill’s, Warren 77, The Bar Upstairs). But after more than a year on the Lower East Side, Miller said, it was clear some adjustments were in order. An interior renovation is nearing completion. They’re doing away with the open kitchen, creating more comfortable seating, giving the place a homier feel and adding some new signage. Month after month, Miller explained, customers clamored for the restaurant’s Pat LaFrieda burger, so that will be a signature item on the new menu. There will be riffs on other popular items; they’re experimenting with an uni mac-and-cheese dish. Overall, there will be more affordable options and crowd-pleasers, but the kitchen will continue to focus on seasonal ingredients. They’ll also be bringing back “Reggae & Jerk Chicken Night,” a popular weekly event. Miller is hoping to reopen the restaurant in mid-March.

closed

Antonioni’s

177 Chrystie St.

The Italian restaurant opened by the team behind Cafe Gitane closed after less than a year in business on the Lower East Side. The owners spent two years renovating the space, located at the corner of Chrystie and Rivington streets.

Brooklyn Taco & Heritage Meat Shop, 120 Essex St.

Two vendors at the Essex Street Market—Brooklyn Taco and Heritage Meat Shop—ended operations last month. Both said declining foot traffic and mounting frustrations with the management of the historic facility prompted the decisions. A note scrawled on Brooklyn Taco’s chalkboard read, “We thank our loyal customers for their support. We had a great run and met so many interesting and amazing people ... We will miss you all!” Co-owner Jesse Kramer told us the Economic Development Corp., which runs the market, has been unresponsive to pleas for longer hours and more comfortable seating.. Patrick Martins, founder of Heritage Meats, said there were simply too few customers to justify keeping the shop open. Concerns among vendors have been growing for several months. The merchant association at the Essex Street Market plans to ask Community Board 3 this month to support their proposal to switch management entities to a more nimble non-profit organization. Christopher Carroll, a spokesman for the Economic Development Corp., said in a statement, “It is our goal at the Essex Street Market to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive and balanced market environment for every member of the market community. The Market has been a cornerstone of the Lower East Side for decades, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the local community and all the vendors to help them grow and thrive.” This story was still developing at press time. Updates will be posted at thelodownny.com.

The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com

arts watch

Still from The Wolfpack - the six Angulo brothers watching a movie

An image from The Wolfpack movie poster— a re-creation of Batman

An image from The Wolfpack movie poster

Local Documentary The Wolfpack Becomes a Sundance Darling By Traven Rice

The true story of six brothers kept locked up for most of their lives in a Lower East Side housing project won the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival last month. Directed by East Village resident Crystal Moselle, who met the Angulo brothers walking down First Avenue in 2010, The Wolfpack was quickly acquired by Magnolia Films and is slated to be distributed early this summer. The film, which is Moselle’s first full-length feature, has been garnering press coverage, both local and international, at a frenetic pace. Moselle says she noticed the brothers 24

March 2015

because they all had waist-long black hair and were wearing sunglasses inspired by the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs. She ran after them to learn more about the boys and became instantly obsessed. "'I stalked these kids on the street one day and here I am,'" Moselle told the Sundance audience after collecting her award. The siblings' father, Oscar Angulo, a Peruvian immigrant and a Hare Krishna devotee, was fearful of the outside world and the danger of “contamination” that his family would face. He had the only key and kept the apartment door locked, according to Moselle. "Everything (continued on page 28)

Michael

LITTLE

Photo Credit:

For our regular feature spotlighting the people who live and work on the Lower East Side, we talked with Lost Weekend NYC owner and creative director Michael Little.

How long have you lived on the Lower East Side? I have lived on Norfolk Street at Rivington since 2006. Why did you move here? I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, then lived up and down the West Coast from Alaska to Oregon to Northern California. In 2003 I received a fellowship to graduate school at Syracuse University, so I packed everything I owned in the back of my Land Rover and drove east. After grad school I came to New York City to teach 8th grade in the South Bronx. My first six years in New York were spent between the LES and the South Bronx. I wanted to live in the Lower East Side to be close to the Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge and Pianos. I wanted to live near the venues and galleries I’d heard

about as a kid north of Seattle. I remember the Rancid video for “Time Bomb,” which was filmed on the corner across from Streit’s and remember a younger version of myself thinking, What a cool place to live! This would have been ’95. And I have spent the past ten years a block from that corner. What do you do? I am the owner/creative director of Lost Weekend NYC. I surf a 5’10” Mini Simmons. And I make coffee sometimes. Tell us about your apartment - the good, the bad and the ugly. I love my apartment. I found a rent-stabilized 1-bedroom the summer of ’06 and have been here ever since. I’m on the fifth floor—it’s good for the calves. For the past ten years I’ve lived here with my German shepherd. I got to know the streets and neighborhood through walks with her. First the bar owners and supers of the buildings on my block. Then guys that opened restaurants, the bouncers late-night at the speakeasies, the bodega owners. Very quickly I became aware of a very neighborhood-y vibe on my block. The Lo-Down | TheLoDownNY.com

Favorite cheap eats? I am a creature of habit. Every day I get a kale salad from either El Rey or the Fat Radish. Breakfast is usually a Juice Press juice on the way into Lost Weekend. Classic Coffee Shop has great peanut butter toast. Favorite place for a special night? When Mission Chinese was on Orchard I was there four nights a week, now that they’re even closer to Lost Weekend I go more. Other faves are Barrio Chino, Forgtmenot and Fung Tu. Late nights lately I’ve been spending time at the Leadbelly. I’ve gotten to know the people behind these spots and I love getting to support their projects. How have you seen the neighborhood change? The neighborhood has changed substantially in the decade I’ve been here. I moved to the LES pre-Blue Building, pre-New Museum, pre-Whole Foods. Most of the building where I live was home for small families. Now it’s mostly renovated and young professionals—or whatever they do. When I first moved to the LES I didn’t have much of a reason to come south of Delancey (especially on Orchard). When I opened Lost Weekend in 2011, the neighborhood was just beginning to transition. There was Classic Coffee and Brown, Fat Radish had recently opened. And then Lost Weekend. The fabric of the LES since the 1700s has been built by a culture of people coming from other places to make a life in New York. Businesses opened and closed and employed and sold and bartered and opened and closed. I was part of a Tenement Museum presentation on the legacy of businesses in the LES and was humbled to see what I’m doing at Lost Weekend (surfboards, coffee), albeit original in content, is completely part of an historic tradition dating back to the first Irish, German, Italian and Chinese immigrants to the neighborhood. Which goes something like this: I live here, I want to make a living in my neighborhood and open a business. It’s an honor to be a part of this longstanding trend and to have had the success I’ve had— at the same time I acknowledge the successes are bred into the fabric of this neighborhood in a tradition much bigger than me. Lower East Siders are enterprising. We now have a tie shop, something like 130 art galleries, skateboard shops and in the tradition of the bargain district of past times: a handmade leathergoods store. Much of the transition from a neighbor-

March 2015

hood based in bars and nightlife, which transitioned into garments and bargain clothing, has shifted to reflect other niche commodities more reflective of the emergent demographics. And what’s to come in the next five years as the SPURA project takes place, these smaller, enterprising business are going to be representative of a new generation of heritage in the LES. When there are pedestrian malls and condos and ultra-modern skyscrapers photosynthetic lighting panels and passive solar heating facades—it is going to be the businesses like the ones now on Orchard and Ludlow—the small businesses— that are going to be responsible for retaining the identity of the Lower East Side. What do you miss from the old LES? Hard to say. As a business owner I know full well there is a push/pull dilemma in neighborhoods and communities as they develop over time. I am bringing something to the LES, the LES is changing and new people are moving in and businesses are opening. However, in the wake of these new businesses, residents have been displaced, priced out. I am part of that. I moved here in 2006. Someone lived in my apartment before me and someone before that dating back to the 1900s, when whomever first moved into 106 Norfolk was part of a neighborhood in the midst

Join the THE

What’s your favorite spot on the LES and why? I love the block of East Broadway between Essex and Grand: tree-lined, red brick, families. I run from Lost Weekend down to the East River Park and always hit this stretch. In a certain light it could be New York 20 years back; a New York in an era of fedoras, trench coats and Checker cabs.

LO-DOWN

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of evolution. Lost Weekend’s customers are people who are relatively new residents to the LES. However recent their tenure, as important to me as their patronage is the rich cultural fabric that helped make the LES the vibrant destination which has attracted new inhabitants for hundreds of years. So what do you do? I attempt to cultivate both. Lost Weekend offers free coffee to teachers in the neighborhood; during Sandy when the neighborhood lost power I brought a grill onto the street and grilled coffee for the neighborhood; other business owners and I began charging peoples’ cellphones in the blackout. And those of us still in the LES banded together to make ourselves available to the people around us. I collaborate with schools and local fundraisers in the LES, and I work with several local nonprofits directly representative of resident interests in the neighborhood. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on the LES? Two days after Sandy, Julian Plyter of Melt Bakery came walking down Orchard with a generator strong enough to power an entire block and asked me if I’d like it. I plugged it in, fired it up and in the midst of an entirely dark and desolate Orchard Street, I had a fully

lit coffee shop with lights and heat. Which isn’t the strangest thing. When the sun went down I wheeled the generator down to Forgtmenot for Paul Sierros to use and I showed up—generator in tow—to a fully lit, running restaurant he’d rigged to run entirely off the power from his van. Lights, music, kitchen, drinks. All from a lone cord running from a Nissan Quest idling in the street. Tell us your best LES memory. Sundays in the summer we’ve had this tradition of BBQ-ing at Lost Weekend. Usually someone will text me Sunday morning and ask if we’re cooking. Then people start coordinating, and by 6 p.m. the neighbors start coming through with hot dogs and hamburgers and Tecates—all coordinated with little effort on my part. Someone will bring wine. Someone else brings ice. Someone brings a football. And what would look like a family picnic anywhere else in the world takes place on Orchard Street until the sun goes down. Then everyone pitches in, doing dishes and pushing in chairs. I get the sense this would happen totally without me being there. But these are the memories I value most: The people I’ve gotten to know through the business and living here have a place where they want to be on Sunday nights. People gather, talk about the waves, eat and commune.

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arts watch (continued from p. 24) About THE

LO-DOWN

was pretty much kept within the household," she said. The kids were allowed an average of six outings a year and very little public interaction. One year, they did not leave the apartment even once. The kids (now 16 to 23 years old) were homeschooled by their mother (who receives compensation for doing so) and provides the only family income. Their father doesn’t work—as a form of political protest. When not “in school,” the boys—Bhagavan, Govinda, Narayana, Mukunda, Krisna and Jagadesh—were allowed to watch movies nonstop, on cheap DVDs or library rentals. In so doing, they learned about the outside world through the thousands of films they viewed growing up. "Their only window to the world was movies," Moselle said in a Sundance video about her film. The film’s press notes state that the brothers spent their childhood re-enacting their favorite movies using elaborate

March 2015

homemade props and costumes. With no friends and living on welfare, they fed their curiosity, creativity and imagination with film, which allowed them to escape from their feelings of isolation and loneliness. But everything changes when one of the brothers escapes, and the power dynamics in the house are transformed. There are hints of abuse from the father, but these dark undertones are not explored in depth. “The thing is, these brothers are some of the most gentle, insightful, curious people I’ve ever met. Something was clearly done right,” Moselle says in an interview with The New York Times. The Angulo brothers and their mother all traveled to Sundance for the screening last month, but they didn’t sit down for any interviews. Reviews of the film have been mixed. There has been criticism of the somewhat superficial treatment of the father’s role. One thing is for sure: This story will keep audiences engaged and wondering about the Angulo family for years to come.

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March 2015