Report: Ditch Kills team scrap plans to open tiki-bar concept on Avenue B

The partners behind Long Island City hotspot Ditch Kills will not pursue opening a cocktail bar in the former Mercadito Cantina space, DNAinfo reported this morning.

This decision follows Monday night's contentious CB3/SLA meeting in which the committee denied the request for the lounge to be called The Asphalt Jungle at 172 Avenue B.

After Jean-Paul Buthier, owner of vintage shop Rue St Denis at 170 Avenue B, spoke out against the applicant, Dutch Kills partner Richard Boccato replied that he and his partner Ian Present were "not carpetbaggers," adding, "with all due respect, sir, your accent doesn't sound like a Native New Yorker," as Grub Street first reported.

According to DNAinfo, the committee's denial "shocked Present, who grew up on Avenue B near East 10th Street, just a block from where the proposed bar was slated."

“It would have been a dream of mine to open a bar on the block I grew up on,” said Present, who added his mother still lives on the street and that his family has roots in the neighborhood dating back more than 110 years.

Present and Boccato were applying for for a full liquor license, with a 1 a.m. closing time Sunday to Tuesday and 2 a.m. on Wednesday through Saturday.

“We respect the neighborhood,” Present told DNAinfo.com New York. “We know that it’s residential, and we weren’t looking to stay open till 3 or 4 am.

“I didn’t feel the decision was actually a reflection of the desires of the community," he added.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dutch Kills crew aiming to take over former Mercadito Cantina space on Avenue B

[Updated] Report: CB3 says yes to Golden Cadillac, denies the Asphalt Jungle (17 comments)

About Mercadito Cantina closing:'Open letter to EV Grieve and CB3' (58 comments)

[Updated] Report: CB3 says yes to Golden Cadillac, denies the Asphalt Jungle

Golden Cadillac received the OK last night from the CB3/SLA committee to take over the former Boca Chica space on First Avenue at East First Street, Grub Street's Mary Reinholz reported this morning. (Read more about Golden Cadillac here.)

Meanwhile, regarding another big-ticket item, we heard from several attendees of last night's meeting about the contentious nature of the discussion over The Asphalt Jungle, the new cocktail lounge from the Dutch Kills team. They were applying to take over the former Mercadito Cantina space at 172 Avenue B.

Jean-Paul Buthier, owner of vintage shop Rue St Denis next door, was one of the people to speak out against the applicant. From his view, there are already enough bars on Avenue B ... "Maybe we need more AA meetings."

We'll let Grub Street pick up what reportedly happened next.

Seemingly stung by the Frenchman's comment, [Dutch Kills partner] Boccato replied that he and his partner Ian Present had roots in the East Village and were trying to create a safe and reputable establishment. "We're not carpetbaggers," he said, adding, "with all due respect, sir, your accent doesn't sound like a Native New Yorker." The barman's zinger elicited groans and protests from spectators, and even resulted in calls from committee chair Alexandra Militano for attendees to settle down.

The committee later voted to deny the Asphalt Jungle application. Read the rest of the Grub Street post here.

Updated 4-10
The Dutch Kills team have said they will not move forward with this project on Avenue B.

Dutch Kills crew aiming to take over former Mercadito Cantina space on Avenue B

Looks as if the former Mercadito Cantina space on Avenue B near East 11th Street is getting a big-name suitor. The flyer attached to the window shows that applicants repping a new bar/tavern called The Asphalt Jungle will be on the April 8 CB3/SLA committee docket...



... and (at least) two of the names involved are part of the team behind Dutch Kills, the popular Long Island City cocktail lounge where bartenders hand-cut block ice down to size for cocktails behind the bar. (You can read more about their ice program here at the Times and here at Forbes.)



One of the applicants, Richie Boccato, is a veteran of Milk & Honey. He also co-owns tiki lounge Painkiller/PKNY on Essex Street, among other ventures (including Sweetleaf). We emailed Boccato yesterday afternoon to find out more about The Asphalt Jungle.

Mercadito Cantina closed in January 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Mercadito Cantina closing:'Open letter to EV Grieve and CB3' (58 comments)