We know they changed their name to Ess-A-Pickle when they moved to Borough Park about six months ago, but they'll always be Guss' Pickles in our hearts. And their iconic awning bearing the old name on 87 Orchard Street will soon be getting the boot. According to Bowery Boogie, they'll be replaced by a specialty cigar shop. Maraya Cigars explains on their website: more ›

A cigar and a cup of coffee go together like tasers and bros, so naturally the Health Department wants to put a stop to it. In June, inspectors investigated Barclay Rex Cigars to check out a complaint that cigar odor was infiltrating the building's upper floors. Though they found no evidence of second-hand smoke trespassing, they were shocked to discover that the owner of Barclay Rex, which has been in business since 1910, was letting smoking customers prepare their own coffee with a $9,000 espresso machine. It's legal for the establishment to permit smoking, but since it lacks a food-service permit, the inspectors issued owner Vince Nastri III a citation, which can lead to fines ranging from $200 to $2,000. Nastri tells the Post, "We didn't survive in business for 99 years by breaking laws. But this is just petty. It's like the city has nothing better to do than worry about me providing my customers with coffee?" And Bill Flynn, a customer who saw the first citation being issued, said, "The government thinks it knows better than everybody; that's the problem." Yeah, next they're going to tell us we can't drink soda, either! more ›