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After yesterday's building explosion and subsequent collapse on 2nd Avenue, at least two blocks between St. Mark's Place and 6th Street are still completely closed off, and many business even beyond those boundaries are still closed. For now it looks like Sushi Park and Pommes Frites were the only restaurant victims of this tragedy, but amid all the chaos it's been hard to sort out what other restaurants have been affected and how. Here's what we know so far:
Many expressed concern over popular dive bar Burp Castle and Jimmy's No. 43, which are both on 7th Street, right behind the corner building at 121 2nd Avenue that collapsed this morning. But a photo of the wreckage clearly shows that both are still standing:
What remains of the NW corner of 7th Street & 2nd Ave. via @jdx pic.twitter.com/XaorgvztQ0
— evgrieve (@evgrieve) March 27, 2015
Jimmy Carbone, the owner of Jimmy's, tweets that he's mostly eager to get his beer bar back open:
@IdeasDoneDaily @JimmysNo43 @middlechurch we need to get reopened pic.twitter.com/aAHgu5YCwi
— jimmy carbone (@jimmypotsandpan) March 27, 2015
Given the situation on the block between 7th and St. Mark's, all those restaurants are currently closed. That includes B&H Dairy, Paul's Da Burger Joint, San Loco, Stage Deli, and Virage (none of which are answering their phones). B&H posted to Facebook last night that it's safe, so we can only hope that those on the other side of it from the explosion (and across the street) are also safe.
Meanwhile, on the corner opposite the collapse, it looks like the relative newcomer San Marzano and Jewish bakery old-timer Moishe's are both still closed. They're cordoned off by police barriers, and neither is answering their phone.
On the other end of the block, Mighty Quinn's has also been closed since yesterday afternoon, but tweets that it hopes to reopen tonight:
Because of the current situation MQ East Village will be closed for lunch today and reopening at 5pm tonight.
— Mighty Quinn's BBQ (@MightyQuinnsBBQ) March 27, 2015
Across the street from Mighty Quinn's, the East Village outpost of Szechaun restaurant Hot Kitchen is already back open, a phone call confirms.
Farther north, between St. Mark's and 9th Street, Otto's Tacos is still closed. Veselka, which is on the opposite (east) side of the street, is open. A manager there tells Eater that all the gas lines on the west side of the street between 9th and 6th are currently shut off, which is why Otto's and everything else on that side has yet to reopen. Those on the east side, however, seem to be getting back to business.
Unexpected closures like this are always hard on restaurants, so think about showing some extra love to these places once they do get back up and running. For those closest to the collapse, it might be a while. Stay tuned for updates.
Update: As EV Grieve learns, lunch counter classic Stage Deli has reopened, even though it's immediately across the street from the collapse, and well within the area barricaded off by the police. But here are some Instagrams from one diner who made it in, and reports that "The NYPD has blocked off the street but will let diners in if they mention The Stage Diner."
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