Looks like Vernonites are expanding their business empires these days… and why wouldn’t they?

1) The Brasil Coffee house has an offshoot called Fast & Delicious around their corner of 49th Ave. Rather interesting Brazilian menu actually: rotisserie meats, steak, rice & beans, pita sandwiches, salads, and empenadas/croquettes.

2) Last week we spotted this seemingly new sign above the Butcher Deli on Vernon @ 50th Ave. A juice and hookah bar called The Butcher Cafe. Interesting combo. Well…many stranger concepts have succeeded in NYC so it’s fair to say anything has a chance around here. (Or does it?)

Site of Sweet Leaf on Jackson Ave, LIC

The storefront right in front of the B61 bus stop on 11th St at Jackson is producing a small cafe called Sweet Leaf. Beautiful little spot that should be opening towards the end of May. It’s very small - just pop in and get your morning latte and a croissant type of place. The owners have kept a lot of the old school finishings…tin ceiling, quaint fixtures etc. It’ll be nice for those waiting for the bus, and the newcomers to the multiple buildings in progress right around that intersection.

The Market at Long Island City, 5th St & 47th Rd, Queenswest, LIC

The Queenswest grocery store that’s been teasing us for over a year now is finally blossoming. Only it’s called The Market at Long Island City instead of the Amish Market - though operated by the same owners. I dunno, something about the Amish Market rolls off the tongue nicely… I feel like we’ll all still be calling it that anyway. Old habits die hard and you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Right?

Also manifesting right next door is the Duane Reade. Need some proof?

Here you go »

Robert Prichard & Michael Waldman of Queensbridge Theatre, LIC

Well folks, say hello to the Queensbridge Theater. LIC’s getting its first rock club this summer. It’s a bit of a hike from the south side of LIC, and not really accessible by subway, but still - it’s more art in the hood. And they have some really cool ideas which actually take into consideration the needs of the surrounding community…which can’t always be said about the new arrivals.

“Adopting the slogan “Downtown Has Moved to Queens,” [Robert Prichard,] the former Lower East Side stalwart is partnering with developer Michael Waldman to open what he called a “rock ‘n’ roll supper club, similar to a Bowery Ballroom or a Mercury Lounge with a restaurant—a first for Long Island City, a first for Queens.

Scheduled to open this summer, the 5,000-square-foot Queensbridge Theater, located at 37-31 10th Street, may be somewhat unique in concept. (After the nighttime entertainment ends at 4 a.m., the proprietors intend to open back up just three hours later for breakfast, with homemade bread baked fresh on the premises.)

“We want to bring in artists and performers on all levels,” added Mr. Prichard, who plans to book the space not only for concerts, but also for Off Broadway plays, art exhibits—even after-school programs: “We want to offer the community the facilities we have during the day,” he said. “Bring in musicians and teach the kids how to play music and then put ‘em up onstage.”“

*Long Island Rock City [Observer]

BANY Ten57 open on Jackson Ave

Here’s a few updates on the emerging restaurant scene in Hunters Point; the ASIAN INVASION marches on!

What’s open now: BANY Ten57 is open for business and the queenswest.com message board has some community reviews. Word on the street so far is ho hum.

On the Horizon: Thanks to multiple tipsters, liQcity has learned of a new restaurant opening at Rockrose, 4720 Center Blvd, called SHI, slated to open May 2008. Straight from the owners:

“Spearheaded by a pair of brothers who have been providing the United Nations and its community with quality Chinese food for the past 18 years, SHI will mix old-world, Asian tradition with modern stylings, both in food and décor. It will occupy the 4,100-square-foot space in the ground floor of the East Coast 6 building and include a bar, lounge, sushi bar, outdoor seating and VIP area, punctuated by an upscale design and spectacular views of Manhattan. SHI will feature contemporary cuisine that will borrow heavily from traditional recipes, plus the bar will showcase specialty drinks with an Asian flair. We look forward to becoming a part of the LIC community!”

New restaurant Shi opening at Rockrose, Queenswest, Long Island City

Ethereal, 47-38 Vernon Blvd

Ok. It’s really happening. The transformation of Vernon Blvd continues, with the arrival of Ethereal, a women’s clothing boutique located right next to Nook and Crannie at 47-38 Vernon Blvd. I walked by this morning and it was closed, but the store has a grand opening sign - it’s about to crack any second.

A peek in the window produced a lot of reflection from the street, as witnessed in the photographs. But you can get a sense of the flavor. Looks trendy.

Yuppification or general improvement/evolution of the neighborhood? Or both?

City Vet 45-44 Vernon Blvd 718.433.1334

Is Hunters Point starting to become an actual residential neighborhood? Well between finally having a bagel shop, and with Starbucks on the way… what else is missing besides a local vet? (ok, yeah yeah… grocery store, movie theatre, $20M library, etc) While we’re waiting for all that, at least we can get our pets’ teeth cleaned. City Vet is open for business and taking appointments.

No sooner than I had posted about Ihawan did I stumble upon another new Asian fusion restaurant in the works at Vernon-Jackson. This time on Jackson, there’s a new storefront emerged at 10-57 Jackson right next to the Chase bank on the corner, with the sign BANY, Ten 57. Looks like this Asian fusion restaurant will be leaning more towards Japanese food, giving Ihawan (Asian Grill & Sushi Bar) and Lucky Mojo’s (Tex-Mex & Sushi Bar) a run for their fusion money.

I spoke to the broker who er… brokered the lease, and he said that BANY should be open in about 4-6 weeks. In LIC time that usually means 4-6 months, but even if it does delay, our Asian fusion options in LIC are plenty.

Ihawan at 10-07 50th Ave - Opening Soon

This morning I walked by the new restaurant on 50th Ave between Vernon & Jackson, right next to the sales office for ten63 Jackson. The signs are up now, and another new restaurant is about to emerge on the Vernon scene - Ihawan, Asian Grill and Sushi. Any relation to the Ihawan in Woodside? Seems likely. Supposedly we are getting a Japanese restaurant in another Vernon location, so stay tuned for updates on the Asian Invasion of Vernon. Invade away! It’s way better to have food than another brokerage or development sales office.

Also on the street »