Eleven Madison Park ‘Dreamweavers’ Once Made a Fake Island Vacation for Diners

According to EMP team, 5 percent of budget should be for silly fun

Eleven Madison Park has a history of going above and beyond to please its guests by way of its “dreamweavers,” and in a recent op-ed for Fast Company, restaurateur Will Guidara mentions two particularly over-the-top instances. When the kids in a family visiting from Spain had never seen snow before, the restaurant provided sleds and a chauffeured car to Central Park. They also once turned part of the restaurant into a “faux seaside scene” equipped with a kiddie pool and beach chairs for a couple whose flight to an island vacation was canceled. Guidara and Daniel Humm are fine with these over-the-top expenses, because according to Guidara, 5 percent of one’s budget should be spent “foolishly.”

Arrest made in bar robbery case

The NYPD arrested Sanjay McBayne, a 29-year-old Brooklyn man who was wanted in the case of four armed robberies throughout NYC, including one at East Village bar Mona’s, which was robbed in the early morning on October 4. McBayne allegedly held an employee at gunpoint and demanded cash, leaving with $700.

Pier 84 seeks a new cafe

The Hudson River Park Trust issued a call for proposals to operate a new indoor-outdoor cafe at Pier 84 in Hell’s Kitchen. The location, which starts at 44th Street, includes 2,350 square feet of indoor space and 3,930 square feet of outdoor space. The new cafe would open in summer 2019, and the trust is offering a five-year term with an option to extend for another four years. Proposals for potential waterfront dining options are due by November 16, 2018, and interested applicants can do a walk-through with the trust on October 17. More details can be found here.

A new Toby’s Estate cafe and more coming attractions and closings

A cafe called JQK Floral Tea is coming to the newly renovated storefront at 330 East 11th Street in East Village. Toby’s Estate will open a new cafe and roaster in Bushwick this fall, offering a rotating pour-over menu, a daily brunch menu, grab-and-go items, and local pastries. It’s opening at 8 Wilson Avenue. Signage has gone up at 226 Lafayette in Soho for a second location of matcha cafe Matchaful.

Meanwhile, Lumos Kitchen has remained closed since August following a stop work order issued by the Department of Buildings for gas work being done without a permit for the kitchen. It’s unclear if the restaurant, located at 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street will reopen.