New Bar and Italian Eatery Open in East Village

The new venture from the family behind Cafe Mogador is named Matbucha Bar and will be located just down the street at 126 St. Mark's Place. Taking over the space formerly occupied by East Village Social, the bar is envisioned as a "complement to Café Mogador but something different," according to co-owner Danny Orlin. Matbucha Bar will be more of a bar than a restaurant, focusing on drinks and simple, small plates with a Moroccan and Mediterranean influence. The goal is to create a homey, intimate setting where guests can gather before or after their meal at the main restaurant, which has been a neighborhood fixture for over four decades. The team, which includes Orlin and his cousin Jacob Ahiyon, is aiming for an opening in about eight months. Cafe Mogador itself was founded in 1983 by Rivka Orlin and has become a beloved institution known for its Moroccan-inspired cuisine and its highly coveted sidewalk tables. The restaurant is a family-run operation, with the next generation now expanding its footprint on the iconic St. Mark's Place. Meanwhile, the new Salumeria Rosi at 222 Avenue B marks the second city location for the Northern Italian restaurant, which first opened on the Upper West Side in 2008. The East Village outpost, in the former home of The Roost, largely mirrors the uptown model with house-made pastas, imported salumi, and artisanal cheeses. A key difference at the Avenue B location is the addition of a neighborhood café that opens at 8 a.m. daily. The café serves coffee from Italian roaster Hausbrandt and a variety of breakfast pastries, including cornetti and maritozzi, before the dining room opens for lunch and dinner service. Owner Andrew Loscalzo designed the Milan-inspired space himself. The menu features standbys from the original location alongside some new East Village-specific dishes and nightly pasta specials, continuing its tradition of offering authentic Northern Italian fare.