Decades-Old Tribeca Italian Stalwart Ecco Might Be Closing

Longtime Tribeca Italian restaurant may be replaced by Grey Dog

More than 35-year-old Tribeca Italian restaurant Ecco may not be long for this world. Tribeca Citizen reports that the coffee and cafe chain the Grey Dog has tentative approval on a liquor license for the Chambers Street restaurant’s location, with plans to get the lease later this month and to open in May.

Ecco’s known for showing up in lots of movies and TV shows, including The Sopranos, Law and Order, and Blue Bloods. It’s got an old-school look — tin ceilings, wooden booths, and and striped wallpaper. It’s an “end of an era,” Tribeca Citizen says.

Vegan fast-casual chain Veggie Grill opens in NYC

Popular veggies-only chain Veggie Grill starts serving its burgers, salads, tacos, for the first time in New York today, according to a spokesperson. The new outpost in Flatiron at 12 W. 23rd St., near Fifth Avenue, is the 37th outpost for the company, which only serves dishes made without meat. Options include paleo zucchini noodles with “sausage,” a patty melt, a hot fried “chicken,” and kale salad. All of it is made with vegetarian ingredients.

In other news

— Carroll Gardens brewery Folksbier is hosting butchers J&E Smallgoods on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Hot dogs, shrimp chips, chile cucumbers, and nuts will be available.

— The Times Hungry City column digs the comforting yet meticulous French-West African restaurant Le Succulent in Park Slope, while New Yorker’s Tables for Two column finds joys at Chinatown’s Cantonese newcomer Green Garden Village.

— WeWork’s restaurant co-working start-up Spacious — which allowed people to co-work in empty restaurants in New York and SF — is shutting down amidst the company’s troubles.

— British candy shop Smith & Sinclair is popping up in the West Village, selling edible glitter and vodka-infused gummy bears.

— Esteemed Brazilian chef Manoella Buffara’s first NYC restaurant Ella now has an opening date of next year.

— Gothamist confirms that the new By Chloe in the former Coffee Shop space absolutely does not look anything like the iconic shuttered diner, despite the vegan chain’s insistence that the location’s decor is inspired by it.

— Bodega deli’s don’t fuck around: