The Shophound

More Chocolate Is Always Good: Jacques Torres Arrives At The Chelsea Market

Regular customers at The Chelsea Market will have noticed that the large event space at the center of the complex has been undergoing renovations, but rather than preparing the place for a large retailer, it is being divided into smaller stalls with a prominent centerpiece, Jacques Torres Chocolate along with a branch of the Gramercy Park Flower Shop, returning a floral component to the market that has been missing for a while now. The popular sweet shop has just opened a new outpost that inaugurates the reconfigured space with all its temptations in tow. If you can resist the various bakeries and brownie shops you have to pass to get to the new counter, then Torres is cunningly situated to finally make sure that nobody gets out of that place without something to ruin a diet.
Jacques Torres Chocolate & Gramercy Park Flower Shop at the Chelsea Market 75 9^th Ave between 15^th & 16^th Streets.

Saved Storefronts:

It this a food themed week on The Shophound? Maybe there's not much else going on (since we are not going to drag ourselves out to a Jimmy Choo Sample Sale. Sorry).
The latest encouraging news we have heard this week is that Vesuvio, the much loved neighborhood Italian bakery in SoHo that was shuttered after 80 years, will reopen as... a bakery!
City Bakery owner Maury Rubin has chosen the spot for his next branch of Birdbath, his eco-friendly offshoot chain, scheduled to open in October. In fact, Rubin fought for the spot as soon as it became available, and will be preserving more than renovating, most significantly keeping the famous green storefront.
“It’s an heirloom, it’s a treasure, it means the world,” he tells New York Magazine. “That I have a chance to have my bakery be in it is a gift.”
Its a gift to us too, considering what the space could have wound up as, or possibly just sat empty for a while.
History in the Baking (NYMag via EATER)

Sweets Reports: Magnolia Curbs Expansion While Little Pie Company Heads Downtown

Cupcake wars are a-brewing in midtown
Magnolia Bakery is getting its fourth and reportedly final Manhattan location ready to open sometime next month in the dining concourse at Grand Central Terminal. The company's president, Bobbie Lloyd tells the Village Voice that baking on-site makes more expansion challenging, though that hasn't stopped rapidly growing upstart Crumbs, which will have a new Grand Central location opening around the same time.
Meanwhile, The much loved Little Pie Company whose prime Grand Central spot is being taken by the upcoming Magnolia, will be leaving midtown and all that commuter traffic behind as it prepares to open a new location in Tribeca near Greenwich and Chambers Streets according to Eater. Presumably, this will be more like the charming pie café that was forced out of the Meatpacking District a couple of years ago, where you will be able to sit down and discreetly tuck into a warm mini-sour cream apple walnut pie.
We really need to go on a diet.
The Plywood Report: Little Pie Co., Kolache, and More (Eater)
Magnolia Regrets Its Trash, Says Its Grand Central Location Will Be Its Last in New York (Fork In The Road/Village Voice)
Magnolia Bakery (Official Site)
Little Pie Company (Official Site)
Previously:
Cupcake Alert: Eating Trumps Seeing At Grand Central Terminal

Today In Previews: Whole Foods Gives A Sneek Peek Uptown

Here's what we can report after last night's charity preview of the Uptown branch of Whole Foods Market opening this Thursday at 97^th and Columbus.
The Shophound is still stuffed.
We are subconsciously drawn to free sampling of any sort, and last night's event filled the store with its signature tasting tables gathered from its many vendors and some local restaurants. All those bite sized morsels really add up. A partial list of what we sampled would include:

Oysters on the half shell
Indian food from Spice
Bits of what people who aren't from Maryland call crab cakes
Various flavors of sausages
A mini-sloppy Joe that was indeed sloppy, but not actually that mini
Several forms of goat cheese
A nice little chunk of Parmiggiano Reggiano
Sushi
Double espresso gelato
Some truffles
Toffee
Bits of a healthy snack bar that is composed of ingredients that we know will taste like mushy wood when combined but we try it anyway
Mini-tarts from Pearl River which we were interested to discover is a bakery in New York State and not the Chinese import store in SoHo.

There are no great surprises in store for neighborhood shoppers when the store opens. This enormous branch appears to have synthesized some of the qualities of Whole Foods' other NYC locations including Union Square's bi-level layout, Tribeca's raw bar and bulk grain dispensers and the Bowery's beer shop, a smaller version of which is tucked in a corner next to the cheese counters. Sadly, there was no Pommes Frites booth which is probably just as well considering the store's close proximity to us.
Not yet fully stocked, the well appointed store was only in preview mode, and not ready for actual shopping, but enthusiastic guests still lined up in anticipation to pay $15 (benefiting the Riverside Park Fund), get a look at the sleek wood and tile interior and scarf up those tasting samples to the sounds of two different jazz trios. In abundant attendance were the twin scourges of any New York grocery store: children and, how shall we put this, extra-mature people (Yeah, we are prepared for the nasty comments. Let 'em rip) both causing extra gridlock around the more popular tables in their own unique ways either by running around and getting in  your way or taking their sweet time deciding which flavor of chutney to try even as a long line forms behind them.
After filling our tummy, and entering a drawing to win a special edition 90th Anniversary Kitchen Aid Mixer (which we have not an inch of space for but want anyway –it was so nice and shiny), we left with a copy of Cooking Light magazine and one of the potted garden mums that filled what will be the checkout counters.
We will do our best not to kill it, but we can't promise anything.
Whole Foods Market 808 Columbus Avenue between 97^th & 100^th Streets opens Thursday August 27^th

Advance Openings: Whole Foods Wine Shop Opens Early

While we are still awaiting the Upper West Side's Whole Foods opening this Thursday, neighborhood wine enthusiasts should know that the chain's only area wine shop has been fully open and operational since late last week.
Completely separate from the main store, the new shop offers popular brands as well as its own private labels.
Should we be concerned that they sell three different kinds of wine from Ed Hardy?
We'll give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment.
The complete Whole Foods Market will be holding a charity preview tonight to benefit the Riverside Park Fund in advance of Thursday's Grand Opening.
Wine at Whole Foods Market 808 Columbus Avenue, Upper West Side

Supermarket Update: Uptown Whole Foods Readies Wine Shop

We are probably ore excited than most about the uptown Whole Foods Market opening in a couple of weeks or so mainly because it is but a stone's throw from The Shophound HQ. Having said that, we can report that the Columbus Square location will succeed where the Bowery branch was thwarted and Columbus Circle was forced to remodel: It will have a full Wine Shop, the only one in the city at the moment. See below for some fuzzy pictures that show it is being stocked as you read this.
Shoppers will remember that the Union Square store was forced to close its wine department due to some stupid regulation about where its entrance was, and the Bowery location was never granted its license, forcing the chain to rethink and make what would have been a wine department into a beer shop (which may have turned out to be more appropriate and lucrative for the neighborhood anyway).
As for the rest of the store, we can't see too much inside, but there appear to be plenty of check out registers (a priority for Whole Foods in NYC) and the layout looks to be a bi-level set-up similar to the one in Union Square with some departments upstairs, but much of the store on the lower levels. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a Pommes Frites counter, but we really don't know yet what this store's special features will be.
In advance of the August 27^th opening day, the store will be hosting a sneak peak on Monday evening the 24^th with a $15 admission to benefit Riverside Park Fund, the non-profit organization dedicated to conserving, improving, and beautifying the park along the Hudson River. Interested parties can RSVP HERE.
Whole Foods Market 808 Columbus Avenue at 97^th Street opening August 27^th, Upper West Side

Cupcake Alert: Eating Trumps Seeing At Grand Central Terminal

Apparently, what Grand Central Terminal needed was cupcakes.
Sure, there are already plenty of cupcakes in that place between all the any food shops inside, but none of them are cupcake specialists. That's where Crumbs comes in. With 10 shops in Manhattan already, this location in the Graybar Building on Lexington Avenue is one of three in the works for the city.
it takes the place of the displaced For Eyes Optical. We know, the place should have been closed for the name alone, but with several competitors nearby, there's no shortage of eyewear in the neighborhood.
After all, you only need so many pairs of glasses, but cupcakes, you can eat those very day! Crumbs has been aggressively expanding throughout New York, (and the U.S.) far overtaking rivals and original cupcake proselytizers Magnolia Bakery and Buttercup Bake Shop. Pricey sweets are apparently weathering the economy quite nicely.
While not technically in the terminal, Crumbs' arrival joins several changes on that side of Grand Central, particularly in the Lexington Avenue Corridor shopping arcade where stores have recently been shuffling now that leases dating from the station's renovation in the '90s have come up for renewal. The switch is on to bigger shops and more recognizable brands as L'Occitane and Tumi have hopped the aisle for more room leaving space for a M·A·C makeup store to open soon right next to a unit from fellow Estée Lauder brand Origins that has also been relocated. While trendier neighborhoods that until recently were considered hot (Lower East Side anyone?) continue to slide, nothing beats a good commuter location.
Crumbs (Official Site)

Beverage News: Nespresso Builds A Big Coffee Palace At Prince & Mercer

The ersatz cast iron building at the corner of Prince and Mercer Streets has been only briefly bereft of inhabitants since it was vacated by L'Occitane and O & Co. earlier this Spring. It will soon be reborn as a lavish lounge featuring Nespresso's espresso. The space is being reconfigured into a sleek coffee bar featuring portraits of Hollywood stars created from the brand's various color coded coffee capsules, and we are guessing that there will be a retail component to the shop featuring espresso machines in all their permutations. No word yet on how Jack Nicholson feels about his image being re-created in espresso capsules. Grace Kelly, seen in the above picture, presumably will be less concerned.
We would be more excited if The Shophound ever actually drank coffee, but we are confident that SoHo caffeine junkies will lining up when the place opens in a few weeks.

The Spree National Doughnut Day & Other Stories

Ladies and Gentlemen, mark your calendars. This Friday June 5^th is NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY!

Really.

To celebrate, Dunkin' Donuts will be giving away a free doughnut with any beverage, and, even better, Krispy Kreme will be giving away one free doughnut per customer with no purchase necessary! Can we get Doughnut Plant involved in this?

Sure, most of you will have your doughnut with coffee, but if you are really daring (and somewhat self destructive) you'll eat yours Paula Deen style –as hamburger buns.

Again, not kidding. (5 Blogs Before Lunch, and see Paula Punish her arteries HERE or after the jump)

• Attention all pork lovers: There is a store in Bushwick devoted to logo merchandise from the Boar's Head deli meat company. (Bushwick BK via RACKED)
• Interview With A Visionary: Norma Kamali gets the third degree. (The Fashion Informer)
• It is the rare Ralph Lauren sample sale that is open to the public. They happen... like... never, so the one that is happening at Soiffer-Haskin on 33^rd Street right now has an interminable sidewalk line. (RACKED)
• British Blogger Susie Bubble draws the ire of designer Pam Hogg for posting pictures of herself trying on a catsuit in Hogg's boutique's dressing room. We just like this story because of all the kooky british names. Are these people characters on AbFab? (StyleBubble)
• Roberto Cavalli has finally agreed to sell a 30% stake in his company. (Reuters)
• Apple's 5^th Avenue store does a whopping $440 million a year in sales as the company's top grossing store. SoHo adds about another $100 million at #2. That makes over a half a billion $ in sales in Manhattan alone, and the West Side branch has only just been officially announced. And they say retail is down... (AppleInsider)
• A new book chronicles the rise of Jimmy Choo from obscure London custom cobbler to international luxury brand. (Wall Street Journal)
• During the month of June, online designer sample sale source Ideeli will be offering a chance for members to win a custom made one of a kind dress from Oscar de la Renta. Other prizes will be awarded as well along with access to Ideeli's impressive roster of sample sales. Click HERE for your opportunity to join.
• This week on Gilt Groupe, look forward to sales from KORS Michael Kors, Mischen, Ted Baker, Fratelli Rosetti for Men and Women, Leonello Borghi, Vera Wang Collection, Alexander McQueen Clothes and Accessories, AG Jeans and Converse by John Varvatos Clothing and Shoes. Click HERE now for your exclusive invitation.

Today In Wrongness: Ed Hardy Vodka Why, why, why?

We have certainly never been shy about our extreme distaste of all things Ed Hardy. And we are not alone. There's a Facebook group entitled "The I Hate Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier, and True Religion Club" with over 600 members. Unlike Von Dutch, Audigier's previous project, there doesn't appear to be much chance that the vulgar Ed Hardy aesthetic is going to fade into oblivion anytime soon. It appears to be endlessly popular with folks who clearly don't know any better, and so, as we avert our eyes, we have resigned ourself to its continued existence.
Nothing however, prepared us for the display pictured above as we made our way up Second Avenue this morning. It's bad enough that all that Ed Hardy crap gets foisted upon otherwise perfectly reasonable folks with more money than taste, but really, Ed Hardy Vodka? It appears that there is no product too irrelevant to slap with a garish tattoo pattern. Now they're pushing themselves on poor drunken people with impaired judgment.
How can they be stopped?