Monday Plywood? Why yes, it's your lucky day. As always, reports of pre-open restaurants in your neighborhood are encouraged to the tipline, svp.
1) Smith Street: A Brooklyn Life adds more fuel to the Smith Street plywood scene with this report: "New businesses are popping up on Smith Street like weeds in our backyard garden after the rain. One that's yet to flower is Sapodilla (right), in the old Village 247 space. All the information we have is taped up to the window (above), but good to hear that the garden will still be accessible." [PLYWOOD/POST-PLYWOOD]
2) East Village: Speculation by way of a trusted Eater correspondent, "Both Caracas Arepa Bar and Mercadito appear to be expanding. Caracas notes the expansion on its take-out menu and the place is two doors down, looks to at least double the size of the dining room, assuming they’ll have to have a kitchen there as well to handle. Mercadito is a bit of speculation on my behalf, there’s a sign on a storefront across the street directing all deliveries to Mercadito.. windows are covered in paper, etc." [PRE-PLYWOOD/PLYWOOD]
3) Harlem: Lots of chatter swirling regarding Native, with the blog Uptown Flavor going so far as to issue its own Deathwatch on the joint. An email tipster adds some pre-plywood flavor of our own: "A little birdie tells me Melba Wilson (related to Syliva's of course) and owner of Melba's on 114th & 8th Ave in Harlem, a very nice spot is going to take over the spot Native is located at (118th & Lenox) and bring her brand of dining to Lenox Ave & outdoor dining, etc. That's the word inside Harlem." [PRE-PLYWOOD]
4) Lower East Side: Finally, an amusing take on new Plywood regular Sugar Cafe: "I know nothing about Sugar, except it's been under construction for a year, and now that they've pulled down the plywood, I've take to calling it Late Afternoon Heat Gain Cafe. It's four feet deep, doesn't seem to have tinted or treated glazing, and it doesn't matter what kind of shades they install -- by 4 on a July afternoon, they will be picking up so much heat in there, the coffee will brew itself." [POST-PLYWOOD]
