Union Square’s PokéSpot Eyes New Location on Cleveland Place
The otter is coming to Little Italy with more Poke. Indeed, the suddenly-hot, Hawaiian cuisine will soon be on the menu at 25 Cleveland place.
According to SLA paperwork on file with Community Board 2 for January meetings, the PokéSpot, operating in Union Square since summertime, is seemingly identified as the newcomer. The proprietors seek a beer-wine license for the business for this new location.
We reached out for further details, but ownership did not immediately respond to our request.
And what is Poke, you ask (pronounced poh-kay)?
Raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine, and sometimes as an entree. Poke is the Hawaiian verb for “section” or “to slice or cut.” Traditional forms are aku (an oily tuna) and he’e ( or octopus). Increasingly popular ahi poke is generally made with yellowfin tuna. Adaptations may feature raw salmon or various shellfish as a main ingredient served raw with the common “poke” seasonings.
As for 25 Cleveland Place, this particular address has seen plenty of turnover the last few years. The American-style foodie favorite, The Cleveland, closed in November 2014 after a short tenure on the block. There were rumors at the time that the property would eventually fall to accommodate a new ultra luxury hotel. However, nothing of the sort ever materialized, not even building permits. Then a year later, CopVsDrop moved in and maintained a consignment-slash-Bitcoin boutique which lasted until a couple months ago.
Recent Stories
10-Story ODA Condos Amidst Ascent on Chrystie Street
Ten stories of additional upper-crust glitz is on its way for the Chrystie Street midsection… Indeed, the ODA-designed condo at 165 Chrystie Street started its ascent last month, and is progressing upward quite quickly. As of now, the structure is sitting at over six stories. This sudden burst in activity follows more than a year […]
Celebrating 50 Years of ‘A.N. Headwear’ on Orchard Street
A.N. Headwear is throwing its hat into the art exhibit ring. Longtime Greek Jewish community member, Aris Negrin, has peddled hats for fifty years on upper Orchard Street. At the same address, in fact – 145 Orchard. He initially amassed his collection from hat warehouses or hat stores, being particularly drawn to pieces that people brushed […]
CB3 Votes to Co-Sponsor Controversial Rezoning of LES Waterfront in Bid to Thwart Supertall Development
Thanks to a confluence of election year politics and incessant grassroots organizing, development along the Lower East Side waterfront is firmly in the spotlight. It’s a rare moment when the voice of the people is being heard, albeit barely. There is definitely traction, but a race against the clock is afoot. Nevertheless, Community Board 3 […]
‘HiFi’ on Avenue A will Close at the End of the Month
The best jukebox in Alphabet City will be muted. The HiFi Bar, the long-running rock hang on Avenue A, is closing at the end of the month. Its current incarnation lasted since 2002, when the bar morphed from Brownies. Owner Mike Stuto, who began booking shows at Brownies in 1994 and later returned as partner, […]
‘Ginger & Lemongrass’ Eyes Rivington Street Debut this Weekend
After a build-out period of more than five months, including utilities-based delays, a new Vietnamese restaurant is all but ready to open on Rivington Street. The newcomer here is an offshoot of the Queens-based Ginger & Lemongrass, described by owner-chef Petra Rickman as a contemporary Vietnamese fusion restaurant. Having debuted in Whitestone just last year – […]
