Johnnie T’s the Pizza Shop (formerly Sal’s Pizza) was already pretty hip — how many slice joints have a box featuring an image of Joe Strummer approved by the great man’s family? But the new box has an East Village historicity that we like even better. Johnny T commissioned Arturo Vega, the creator of the Ramones’ logo, to do his new pizza box, and the result is about as cool a thing as the East Village is capable of producing these days. Fittingly, it’s a look back at its glory days. But as long as there’s an East Village, there will be a need for pizza boxes and punk rock.

Earlier: Niagara Will Be Meeting Your Pizza Needs
Related: Punk Like Them [NYM]

Encouraging news about Bowery Electric, the bar that’s poised to hold down the rock-and-roll fort amid the more upscale boîtes that are coming to the Bowery (not to mention CBGB’s future role as a John Varvatos store next month): We’ve learned that in addition to Mike Stuto of HiFi (and Brownies before that), it’s owned by Jesse Malin and Johnny T of Niagara and Black and White (and in Malin's case, Coney Island High before those), which is a hell of a pedigree. Right now the bar is the picture of simplicity, and, given the gatekeepers, we suspect it’ll stay that way.

Earlier: Bowery Electric, HiFi's New Bar, Opens in Remote Lounge Space