Doughnut Plant

Good Morning!

The new doors at the expanding Doughnut Plant on Grand Street.

Two words for the weather today and through the weekend: mostly sunny. Today will be the warmest we’ll see for a while, with highs in the mid-50s. Saturday and Sunday will be slightly chillier. Don’t forget this weekend’s shop local events; finish up those holiday chores without leaving the neighborhood.

Former Grand Street Art Peddler Surfaces on Delancey; Doughnut Plant Renovation Work Begins

Vintage prints and framed photos have migrated north from Grand Street to Delancey St. Photo by Mitch Weinstein

The Amity Studio, a photography, framing and shoe and watch repair shop, moved out of its longtime home at 377 Grand St. in May. In the months since, the proprietor has occasionally camped out on the sidewalk in front of his old store on Sundays, selling art propped up against his former windows. But recently, work has begun to transform the space into additional room for its neighbor, the Doughnut Plant, which took over the lease and plans to expand into the space next door.

We noticed this week–as did Lo-Down reader Mitch Weinstein, who sent us the photograph above–that Amity’s proprietor has recently reopened at 64 Delancey St., near Allen Street.

Meanwhile, renovations have begun at 377 Grand St. Crews are there this week, demolishing some interior wall partitions and chipping away at the windowsill shelves, perhaps to prepare for installation of the iconic ceramic doughnut-shaped tiles that line the seating areas in the window next door at 379 Grand, where proprietor Mark Israel first opened his doors 11 years ago.

Mary Queen of Scots, Cheeky’s, Russ & Daughters, THOR

A midweek round-up of neighborhood food news:

Mary Queen of Scots co-owner Donal Brophy explains his decor.
Orchard Street’s Cheeky Sandwiches is expanding, with a new outpost in Brooklyn’s Dekalb Market; meanwhile, Serious Eats reviews its bacon, egg and cheese.
Russ & Daughters got another Hollywood moment this week, hosting a location shoot for a new feature film, Lola Versus, which also filmed some street scenes around Essex and Canal over the weekend.
The debut issue of David Chang’s new magazine features an interview with wd-50’s Wylie Dufresne.
Following up on last month’s opening of Co-op Food & Drink, plans for the other dining spaces at the tony Hotel on Rivington are emerging.
In the wake of the news his Grand Street space is expanding, Doughnut Plant’s Mark Israel tells a D.C. paper he’s still planning to open a store in the nation’s capital.

The Doughnut Plant Plans to Expand on Grand

The Doughnut Plant will expand into the former frame shop next door. Photo © thelodownny.com

The Doughnut Plant, the artisan sweet shop whose international reputation far outweighs the size of its tiny storefront at 379 Grand St., is acquiring some room to stretch.

The 11-year-old bakery and retail operation will take over the former frame shop at 377 Grand St. next door, which until a couple of weeks ago housed an old-fashioned photo and art store that also doubled as a shoe and watch repair shop. The news came tonight from Frank Durant, of Charles H. Greenthal and Co. Greenthal manages the commercial strip along Grand between Essex and Norfolk streets, which is owned by the neighboring Seward Park Cooperative.

Food Wire: El Castillo de Jagua, Doughnuts, Dufresne, Mulberry Street Bar and Bartenders’ Battle

Danny Kim / New York Magazine

In post-weekend food news around the neighborhood:

New York Magazine explains how wd-50’s Wylie Dufresne invented an edible eggshell.
Serious Eats likes the cubano sandwich at El Castillo de Jagua and weighs in on the city’s best doughnuts, including neighborhood faves Falai, Babycakes, The Doughnut Plant and Peels.
The NYT’s Sam Sifton on where to take your teenagers: Katz’s for pastrami and Motorino for pizza.
NYC The Blog reports that the health department closed the century-old Mulberry Street Bar on March 22.
The Third Annual United States Bartenders Guild Cocktail Jam pits 12 of the nation’s mixologists in a competition at The Lounge at The Astor Center tonight, with half the proceeds benefiting Japan tsunami relief. $35 // 6 pm, 399 Lafayette St. (at E. 4^th St.)

Scenes From Apple Day

A nice crowd turned out yesterday on Orchard Street between Broome and Grand for the third annual NYC Apple Day. Although we couldn’t find any apple pie, there were plenty of apples (and apple-themed food) from local restaurants and purveyors – not to mention live music and arts and crafts for the kids. Here are some of our photos from the event.

Food Fusion on the L.E.S. – Tonight at Tenement Talks

What looks to be a mouth-watering panel on “LES Food Fusion” with local chefs/business owners Eddie Huang (BaoHaus, Xiao Ye), Christina Seid (Chinatown Ice Cream Factory) and Mark Israel (The Doughnut Plant) is taking place tonight at the Tenement Museum as part of their Tenement Talks series. Jenny 8. Lee, New York Times writer and author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicle, will moderate. // FREE // 6:30p // 108 Orchard St.

Doughnut Plant Coffee Betrayal Revealed

Photo by Shutter Ferret via Flickr.

Early this morning, a jittery Lo-Down tipster reported:

We’ve just discovered that the coffee served at Doughnut Plant is all DECAF! And it’s not noted as such, so we all believed that we were being served the coffee default — fully caffeinated coffee!

Friday News Links

The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to the public on July 4th.

MTA head Elliot "Lee" Sander steps down. The governor will have the chance to put his stamp on the troubled agency.

The New York Times profiles Abrons Arts Center Director Jay Wegman. The Times says the center is "gaining a reputation as one of the last standing locations for avant garde performance downtown." Wegman, who is a practicing priest, says "People put religious people into a box, and clergy into a smaller box… I don’t even address the box.” There's a bit of news embedded in the profile: Philippe Petit, who gained fame for his high wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974, is considering a one-man show at Abrons.

Serious Eats calls the churros at the Doughnut Plant "beyond lust worthy."

Later today: look for a preview of Community Board 3's alcohol licensing committee meeting on Monday. A community group is mobilizing to oppose a proposed restaurant at the corner of Essex & Canal. We'll look at the state of restaurants & bars below Delancey.

They come from far and wide to sample Mark Israel’s delicious artisinal doughnuts. But how to choose? Creme brulee? Tres leches? The blackout? Oh just order one of each.

379 Grand Street, at Essex

212-505-3700

Hours Tue-Sun, 6:30am-7pm (or when sold out); Mon, closed

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