Nev Schulman of ‘Catfish’ Forced to Change Noho Cafe Name for Being a MoMa Ripoff

Tea shop MoMaCha is now MaMaCha following suit from the MoMA

Tiny East Village tea shop MoMaCha — a cafe and art project from Nev Shulman of Catfish fame intended to be a space “promoting a democratized artistic experience” — has been forced to change its name to MaMaCha. That’s because the Museum of Modern Art sued for trademark infringement, and in October, a court found that MoMaCha deliberately used a similar name and logo to the famed art museum and did not act in good faith. (In April, Schulman said that “MoMaCha” name was inspired by his daughter Cleo yelling “Mo” for snacks.) Schulman, his wife, Laura Perlongo, and photographer Eric Cahan still sell the same matcha tea, soft serve, and CBD goodies, and may expand.

New York magazine critic weighs in on Misi divide

Following a one-star review from Eater’s Ryan Suttion and an opposing three-star from the Times’ Pete Wells, New York magazine critic Adam Platt throws his weight into the Misi fight. He finds Missy Robbins’ new Williamsburg waterfront pasta and vegetable restaurant to be a little monotonous, even going so far as to include his companion’s comparison of the Italian restaurant to Olive Garden. While Platt finds some bites he enjoys, such as the “creamy” green spinach-and-mascarpone tortelli, overall the “the familiar, slightly numbing parade of Mediterranean flavors (olive oil, garlic, lemons, capers, balsamic) tended to blend together,” leading to two out of five stars.

Cocktail bar Dear Irving will expand to Midtown hotel in January

Popular Gramercy speakeasy and cocktail bar Dear Irving will be opening a new location on the rooftop of a Midtown hotel next January. The bar, run from the team behind Raines Law Room, includes Yves Jadot and Alberto Benenati and will be called Dear Irving on Hudson here. The duo also has a restaurant called Farm-to-Burger in the Aliz Times Square, located at 310 West 40th St. It is already open, though the cocktail bar is still to come.

Other openings, closings, and coming attractions

Italian restaurant Biga has opened at 293 E. Houston St. in the East Village with a simple menu of pizza, salads, and antipasti. Controversial sushi chef David Bouhadana will open a third outpost of his timed Sushi by Bou experience in a hotel room at Midtown’s Hotel 3232; this one will be 17 pieces in 60 minutes for $100. In closings, the West Village Gourmet Garage will soon close, as will Amy’s Bread on Bleecker Street because of a rent increase. The UES’ Uno Pizzeria on 86th has closed, as has burger restaurant Ummburger in the East Village at 99 First Ave.