Alphabet City Pasta Favorite Closes From Weekend Fire

Fire shutters East Village Italian restaurant

Alphabet City Italian restaurant Fiaschetteria Pistoia is closed until at least next month following a fire on December 23. There were no reports of injuries, but FDNY officials said the cause is still under investigation. Fiaschetteria Pistoia opened in 2017 and serves primarily Tuscan food, renowned for its pastas sometimes made in the dining room. A sign on the door notes that it will reopen in January following renovations.

Update: March 6, 2019, 9:30 a.m.: Fiaschetteria Pistoia’s Alphabet City location reopens tonight.

A restaurant is opening in an expensive new gym and spa

The Restaurant at the Well will be a new accessible-to-the-public restaurant in an upcoming exclusive health and wellness club opening this spring at at 2 East 15th St. in the Greenwich Village. The 52-seat restaurant will be run by Cafe Clover’s David Rabin and Kyle Hotchkiss Carone. In addition to a globally inspired menu that goes hard on vegetables and salad, there will be house cocktails, spritzes on tap, and self-service wine by the bottle.

Closings, openings, and more coming attractions

Sweet Chick’s Ludlow Street location was briefly shuttered last week for the third time this year, this time following a Department of Health inspection that resulted in 86 violation points, including evidence of mice. Chinatown restaurant Shanghai Cafe Deluxe is back as Shanghai Dumpling after closing in April for renovations; its popular soup dumplings have returned along with it. On the Upper West Side, fast-casual chain Joe & the Juice opened a new location, while chocolate shop Chocolate Works is set to close on December 31. Pastry mini-chain Billy’s Bakery has plotted a new location at 410 Columbus Ave. at West 80th Street that will open on January 3.

Holiday celebrity sightings

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal hit up Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito’s West Village Italian restaurant Don Angie over Christmas weekend. LL Cool J meanwhile was spotted throwing up peace signs at fellow diners at Asian fusion eatery Toku in Manhasset, Long Island.