Honey Bakery Has Closed; Now Catering Only

Honey Bakery, the much-loved Russian/Uzbekistan/Korean bakery and cafe, has closed for retail business and will instead be focusing on catering for the time being.

HopsScotch is Closing

After five years in business, HopsScotch is closing its doors permanently next Wednesday, 2/28.

Community News: Liberty House Cocktail Class, Dumplings at Ahri's, and More

Bulgogi Dumplings from Ahri's Kitchen

Jersey City

• Join Hudson Pride Center and Garden State Equality this Tuesday, 1/9, at Atlas, 130 Newark Ave, as they host an Evening with the Mayors of Hoboken and Jersey City and the LGBTQ community. The event starts at 8pm. 
• On Monday 1/8, Dolya Cafe, 128 Newark Avenue, will be celebrating their Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the HDSID and Mayor Fulop at 4pm. 
• Prato Bakery has put together a special trip to Tuscany with a focus on enjoying the food and learning the cooking techniques of the region. The trip will run from 7/7-7/14. 

Rita & Joe's To Close

Photo from Rita & Joe's

This week, long-standing Italian restaurant Rita & Joe's announced they would be closing. 

Park & Sixth Closed

Although no formal announcement has been made, Park & Sixth reportedly closed their doors a few weeks ago after months of whispers it was for sale.

Burger Eatery Closed; Now Vintage Burger

UPDATE:

More information is now available about the changes at the former Burger Eatery. After a disagreement, the partners in Burger Eatery have parted ways and the shop is being reopened under new management as Vintage Burgers. They have put up a new logo and are currently open, although more changes are forthcoming including a different menu. 

It appears Burger Eatery, 1st and Erie, has closed and is under new management.

Community News

Jersey City

• Big Chef, a long time Jersey City staple for Americanized Chinese food, has been replaced by East Village, an Asian bistro and sushi bar. 
• Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is in the initial development stages to open a location at 499 Washington Blvd.
• Basically every pizza place in Jersey City is on this list of Best Pizza nominees. Cast your vote every day until July 2nd to get help get your favorite spot into the semi-finals. 

Lafayette Corner Store Has Closed

Lafayette Corner Store, 320 Communipaw Ave, closed late last week.

Marco and Pepe Sold

Photo from marcoandpepe.com

After being listed for sale in December for 3.7 million, Marco and Pepe, 289 Grove Street, is reported to be officially sold.

9th & Coles To Hold a Closing Party Friday

From FB

As reported last month, 9th and Coles Tavern announced they were putting the business up for sale so they could focus on their animal sanctuary and farm in upstate New York. It appears they've already found a buyer and they will be closing down the restaurant at the end of this week.

Union Republic Closing

Yesterday, Union Republic announced they will be closing after close to three years in business. This Saturday night, 9/10, will be their last day of service (via WiredJC). 

Community News

• The next Harborside Brunch with Whealth and Co. is on Saturday, October 1st. 
• Choc O Pain is raising money for childhood cancer charity Tomorrows Children's Fund. All through September, they'll donate 25 cents for each Choc O Pain sold. 
• The Citizen is expanding their already excellent menu further by selling Cholita Paletas starting next Sunday. 
• Dulce de Leche Bakery, an Argentine bakery and cafe, will open their second location this Friday at 376 Central Ave.  

9th and Coles For Sale

From FB

Yesterday, Hamilton Park pub 9th and Coles announced they are planning to put their restaurant up for sale.

The Draper Has Closed

The Draper, 247 Washington Street, has closed after less than four months in business.

Madame Claude Bis to Open This Week

Madame Claude Bis, owned and run by husband and wife team Mattias Gustafsson and Alice Troletto, is tentatively scheduled to open tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1st.  confirmed open as of June 1st. They'll be open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner (with Manouche Bag playing every Thursday) and will offer brunch on the weekends beginning at 9am. 

Closing Rumors Surround Talde JC, The Kitchen at Grove Station, Orange and Olive

Over the past couple of years, Jersey City has seen a lot of growth and a lot of new restaurants open. With that rush of growth comes inevitable closings - not just of older spots being outpaced, but also of new restaurants that for various reasons just don't end up making it. Here's what is known and suspected to be closing around Jersey City.

Community News

• Two Boots Pizza is scheduled to open their newest location this week at Newport Centre Mall. They will be focusing on vegetarian and vegan options. 
• Speaking of pizza, congratulations to Razza for making it onto the 25 Best NJ Pizzerias for the second year in a row.
• LoLo Organics has officially closed amidst rumors of a dispute from their partner company and after receiving an Unsatisfactory report from the Health Department.
• Dullboy and The Archer were reviewed by Absinthe Minded Mom.

Jersey City Shake-Ups

There were quite a few restaurant changes and shake-ups in Jersey City over the holiday season. I'll be going a little more in-depth on some of these later, but for now, a recap:

The Kitchen at Grove Station has closed temporarily, announcing in late December they were undergoing some repairs and changes. Shortly after that, it was further announced Executive Chef David Viana and his staff had departed The Kitchen, but that the creative directors and management team were remaining and that the restaurant would reopen early this year with a new chef at the helm. To date, no announcements regarding who that new chef might be or what the anticipated date of reopening is have been made.

Community News

• The Kitchen at Grove Station is temporarily closed. They will be reopening in 2016 under the same name and management with a new executive chef and kitchen staff.
• After less than two months open, Bell + Gray has permanently closed their doors.
• The Citizen is hosting a Bernie Sanders Fundraiser Show on January 2nd.
• The Riverview Farmer's Market is raising money to help purchase a portable PA system for use in their Music in the Park series.

Thirty Acres is Closing

Alex and Kevin Pemoulie, owners of Thirty Acres, announced yesterday that they are closing their much-lauded restaurant in Jersey City and will be moving to Seattle. Service at the restaurant will continue through Saturday, November 28th.

The closure doesn't exactly come as a surprise, but it's certainly a huge loss for the dining culture in town considering Thirty Acres is one of the few truly innovative and high-caliber restaurants we have and can be credited with bringing a huge amount of attention and change to the Jersey City restaurant scene. They've gone through a few transitions over the past four years, originally starting as a BYOB dinner spot before getting a liquor license, then adding a brunch menu, and most recently, changing to a ten course tasting menu format, but always with incredible attention to ingredients, detail and flavors.

                                              Shrimp and grits from the brunch menu at Thirty Acres