Restaurant That Sued the City for $615K Over Outdoor Dining Drama Is Up for Rent

Pinky’s Space, an East Village cafe that sued the city for $615,000 earlier this year after officials tore down its elaborate outdoor setup, is on its last legs. The building’s landlord took possession of the space at 70 E. First Street, between First and Second avenues, earlier this spring, according to local blog EV Grieve. A “for rent” sign now hangs in its window. Pinky’s made headlines in January for suing the city, after officials allegedly demolished its outdoor setup, which the owners valued between $25,000 and $90,000 in different interviews, without proper notice. A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation claimed that Pinky’s received multiple warnings about the structure.

A new restaurant from an alum of the Grill

Ashley Rath, a former chef at Major Food Group’s the Grill and influencer hangout Saint Theo’s, will open the doors on a new restaurant next week in the ModernHaus Soho hotel, at 27 Grand Street, near Thompson Street. Opening on May 16, Twenty Three Grand claims to serve the global flavors of New York City — the latest in a string of new restaurants to do so (see also: Major Food Group’s Torrisi, Mischa from the owner of Empellón, and Tatiana at Lincoln Center). The menu lists caviar tater tots, angel hair pasta pomodoro, and a burger made with sliced prime rib.

Harlem Shake to open a third location

Harlem Shake, the decade-old burger restaurant with locations in Harlem and Park Slope, is opening another location. In a larger profile on the Black-owned restaurant, the New York Times reports that the small chain will open its third location in the city in June, a ghost kitchen at Sunnyside Eats, at 40-05 Skillman Avenue, between 40th and 41st streets, in Long Island City. Harlem Shake opened in Manhattan in 2013; it followed up with a second location in Brooklyn in 2021.

Blank Street Coffee is out in Park Slope

Blank Street Coffee has closed one of its Park Slope locations, a 2,000-square-foot space that the chain shared with plant delivery company the Sill. The building at 461 Sixth Avenue, on the corner of 10th Street, entered foreclosure proceedings in February, court records show. The controversial coffee shop opened at this address over a year ago. It’s now listed as permanently closed online.

Update: May 3, 2023, 5:25 p.m.: This article was updated to correct that the building at 461 Sixth Avenue entered foreclosure proceedings in February.