Souvlaki Gr | The Lo-Down : News from the Lower East Side

LES Bites: Brunch at Thelma, the First U.S. Cat Cafe, the Scoop on Ivan Ramen

The caneles with dulce de leche at Azul, where a new team is in charge.

Here’s the mid-week roundup of neighborhood restaurant news:

The Daily News talks to the new culinary team at Azul on Stanton Street, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a revamp of its menu by Argentinian natives.
New York Magazine’s annual “Cheap Eats” issue highlights many local favorites: Cocoron, Souvlaki GR, the turkey sandwich at Stellina and the al fresco options at Hester Street Fair.
Speaking of cheap eats, Serious Eats offers its selections for 10 great meals under $6 in Chinatown, including nods for Vanessa’s Dumplings and Great NY Noodletown.
The NYT’s Diners Journal checks out the new picnic outfitter on Clinton Street.

Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop on Rivington Street just reopened after a renovation.

A midweek roundup of local restaurant and bar happenings:

Fork in the Road talks to CultureFix proprietor Ari Stern about art and drinking, and says the NYPD is still harassing them.
Serious Eats visits Lina Frey on Houston and concludes: Though “the plates never quite taste as good as the place looks, gentle prices make it worth a visit.”
Eater sums up the story of the East Village sushi bar that defied a health department closure and continued serving through the holiday weekend, and then ran a Post photographer off.
The Wall Street Journal likes Souvlaki GR.
EV Grieve has photos of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” staging a scene at John’s of 12th Street today. (Shooting is scheduled for eastern Grand Street tomorrow.)

Photo by SeriousEats.com

The mid-week neighborhood food news:

The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck plans to open a brick-and-mortar shop on East 7th Street next month. The ice cream entrepreneurs also have a recipe book due out next year.
Masala Wala will bring the Indian street-food trend to Essex Street.
Co-op Food & Drink, the new restaurant at The Hotel on Rivington, has “just the right amount of crazy,” according to the Urban Daddy blog.
The NYT does a mini review of Souvlaki GR, accompanied by a slideshow.
The new Bluebird Coffee Shop is (pretty much) the same as the old Bluebird Coffee Shop.
Keith McNally (Pulino’s, Schiller’s) sat down with Martha Stewart on air last night.

In food/restaurant news:

New York Street News has its first big scoop of the year! Souvlaki GR, Vendy Award winner, is going brick-and-mortar on the Lower East Side. The buzz-worthy food truck operators are looking to take over a storefront at 116 Stanton (near Essex). The owners will go before Community Board 3 this month in their quest for a license to sell wine and beer.

DBGB will be hosting beer and cheese tastings the second Tuesday of every month (beginning this month). Cost: $25/person.

Staff shortages mean Sugar Sweet Sunshine will have reduced hours this week: 8am to 7pm through Thursday. Friday 8am – TBD & Saturday 10am – TBD.

Dora, the new coffee shop on East Broadway, holds its first “cupping” Saturday ay 3pm.