Bowery Wine Company has closed

An EV Grieve reader notes that the Bowery Wine Company has closed... A trip to their website confirms it...

Ditto for a walk by their front door...

Now this closure was expected... Back in May, we first reported that August Cardona, owner of dell'Anima, L'Artusi and Anfora, would be taking over the space ... and expanding into the empty storefronts to the east.

So now you can expect "mobs of salivating foodies and goggle-eyed scenesters," as New York magazine described dell’anima.

Meanwhile, here's a look back at the protests outside Bowery Wine Company...



Find more on the protests outside Bowery Wine Company from June 2008 here ... and here.

L'Apicio marks its territory at Avalon Bowery Place

Over on East First Street in the Shoppes at Avalon Bowery Place... signage is up for the restaurant that is taking the Bowery Wine Company space...

Back in June, Grub Street reported that the name of this new place will be called L'Apicio. According to Eater: "Chef Gabe Thompson, of L'Artusi and Dell'Anima, will create an 'Italian inspired' menu, and Joe Campanale will be in charge of the wine and cocktails."

As we've noted in our previous posts about the space ... Not familiar with Dell'Anima? (Like us!) Here's a summary via New York magazine:

This is what happens when a former Babbo sommelier and an ex–Del Posto kitchen whiz get together and open an unassuming little trattoria: mobs of salivating foodies and goggle-eyed scenesters clamoring to get in.

Meanwhile, this tree obscures the signage over what appears to be the main entrance...

Let's hope that the tree doesn't meet with any accidents...

Previously on EV Grieve:
August Cardona buying Bowery Wine Company, expanding next door

Bowery Wine Company has closed

At the Bowery Wine Co. protest Friday night — in pictures

August Cardona buying Bowery Wine Company, expanding next door

There's the following item on this month's CB3/SLA meeting agenda under the Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades category:

• To Be Determined (Epicurean Management), 11 E 1st St (trans/op) (Bowery Wine)

Well, 11 E. First Street is the space to the east of the Bowery Wine Company.

According to documents on the CB3 website (warning! PDF!), August Cardona, owner of Dell'Anima, L'Artusi and Anfora, is the name of the applicant.

The plans call for buying the Bowery Wine Company and expanding into the empty space next door in the Avalon Bowery Place.

In total, there'll be 50 tables seating 160 people with plans for outdoor dining and a sidewalk cafe. The proposed hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

Not familiar with Dell'Anima? Here's a summary via New York magazine:

This is what happens when a former Babbo sommelier and an ex–Del Posto kitchen whiz get together and open an unassuming little trattoria: mobs of salivating foodies and goggle-eyed scenesters clamoring to get in.

Salivating foodies? Goggle-eyed scenesters? Sounds about right for the Bowery 2.0.

The CB3/SLA meeting is May 16 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at the Bowery.

The new restaurant for the former Bowery Wine Co. space

Before the May 2011 CB3/SLA committee meeting, we learned that the people behind restaurants like Dell'Anima and L'Artusi were taking over the Bowery Wine Co. space as well as the empty storefront next door in the sterile bowels of Avalon Bowery Place on East First Street.

Yesterday, Grub Street learned that the name of this new place will be called L'Apicio. (Here's the take from Eater.)

According to the original proposal, there'll be 50 tables seating 160 people with plans for outdoor dining and a sidewalk cafe. The proposed hours of operation were 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

Grub Street has the opening date as late summer or early fall...

Anyway, renovations continue in the space ... here's how it looked yesterday...



We noted this in our previous post about the space.. and we'll repeat it here... Not familiar with Dell'Anima? (Like us!) Here's a summary via New York magazine:

This is what happens when a former Babbo sommelier and an ex–Del Posto kitchen whiz get together and open an unassuming little trattoria: mobs of salivating foodies and goggle-eyed scenesters clamoring to get in.

Meanwhile, say goodbye to those GIANT SUSHI ROLL PHOTOS along here...

Previously on EV Grieve:
August Cardona buying Bowery Wine Company, expanding next door

Bowery Wine Company has closed

At the Bowery Wine Co. protest Friday night — in pictures

Bring it on (aka GOP Hard)

The Battle of the Bowery continues...On Page Six. Yesterday, we learned the New York Young Republican Club held a monthly social event at the Bowery Wine Company, which Bruce Willis has something to do with. In response to comments made by John Penley in April, one young GOPper told Page Six, "Needless to say, we're going to fill his neighborhood whether he likes it or not. We're coming with briefcases and BlackBerrys in hand to stake our claim."

And today?

The Bowery turf war between yuppie Republicans and local lefties will resume next Friday, when East Village gadfly John Penley will lead a demonstration in front of the Bowery Wine Co. with the Rev. Frank Morales of St. Mark's Church. Besides protesting "right-wing Republicans [a reference to Bruce Willis] opening yuppie wine bars in our neighborhood," as Penley put it, the rabble-rousers will blast the court decision allowing the owner of the tenement at 47 E. Third St. to evict his tenants so he can use the building as a one-family mansion. The New York Young Republican Club, which just held its monthly social at the Bowery Wine Co., is invited to counter-demonstrate - but, Penley told Page Six, "they have to show up in suits carrying briefcases so we can tell them apart."

Anyone know what time the demonstration will take place next Friday...?

Earlier on EV Grieve:

"We want to show our opposition to right-wing Republicans opening yuppie wine bars in our neighborhood"

With restaurant approval, an end to the GIANT SUSHI ROLL photos on First Street

As I first reported on May 6, August Cardona, owner of Dell'Anima, L'Artusi and Anfora, is buying the Bowery Wine Company and expanding to the empty storefronts next door on East First Street.

On Monday day, the CB3/SLA committee approved this transfer. According to Eater: "They didn't say much about the food but spoke eloquently about their project: they want to be really good and active neighbors."

The good news here is that this means an end to the GIANT photos of the sushi rolls and ties that Avalon Bowery Place has subjected us to for the last few years.

It's just embarrassing.

Previously on EV Grieve:
August Cardona buying Bowery Wine Company, expanding next door

Claim: Bruce Willis doesn't own any part of the Bowery Wine Co.

According to the Observer, in a piece posted last night:

“Basically, he’s not really a partner,” confessed Bowery Wine Company co-owner Chris Sileo, one of two people whose names actually appear on the controversial wine bar’s liquor license (Mr. Willis not included).
“We’re old friends,” Mr. Sileo said of the famous action-film hero. “He lets me attach his name to the place to do me a favor because he knew it would help me. We just say he’s involved in the project.”
Given all the fuss stirred up by Mr. Willis’ supposed involvement in the place, however, Mr. Sileo might want to rethink his celebrity endorsement deal.
“I could do without it,” he said of all the recent hubbub. “I think most of it was because Bruce’s name was attached, and they saw an opportunity to get in the paper.
“I have no problem with activists,” he added. “But it is totally misdirected.”
Echoing the sentiments of fellow Bowery retailer John Varvatos—whose splashy opening of a trendy clothing store on the site of the hallowed CBGB rock club sparked similar demonstrations this past spring—Mr. Sileo said his small business is not responsible for the overall upscaling of the neighborhood.
Blame the landlords, he said; not the tenants: “If you want to direct it at Avalon, fine. But don’t direct it at some New York guy who happens to open a place in the Avalon. We could’ve easily opened down the block; we just opened there because it was a decent location and we got a decent rent.”

Bonus: Bruce Willis from his wine cooler days!

Posts that I never got around to posting: This passage from someone's blog from a long time ago

After dinner, my girls took me to Bowery Wine Company. Bowery Wine Company is a really cute, smallish bar. A group of guys bought us all tequila shots as soon as we walked in the bar. We spent the rest of the night there talking, laughing and drinking lots of lots of shots. We stayed until about 3am and then decided to head home.

How bad was the Bowery Wine Company?

"it was so bad I didn't even foursquare it"

-- Part of a paragraph-long e-mail from a reader who had to meet friends at the Bowery Wine Company. The ultimate insult for 2010?

The Marshal seizes the shuttered Bowery Wine Company

Last weekend, as we reported, the Bowery Wine Company called it quits on East First Street... On Friday, the Marshal served the now-vacant restaurant with a seizure notice.

As we've noted, August Cardona, owner of dell'Anima, L'Artusi and Anfora, will take over the space ... and expanding into the empty storefronts to the east.

Seems like old times, except older: 34 Avenue A and 200 Avenue A back on the SLA docket

The folks at CB3 have posted the May meeting schedule, including the docket for the SLA licensing committee... Lots of action again this time around... First, the meeting place and time: SLA & DCA Licensing Committee, Monday, May 16 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery

A few highlights. (The whole caboodle is here.)

Applications within Resolution Areas

• To Be Determined, 34 Ave A (op)

We're not sure just yet who is looking at trying to revive the former Mo Pitkin's/Aces & Eights space this time around... the same crew with their "performance venue"? A new crew! We'll find out...

• Solo Pizza (Solo Pizza Inc), 27 Ave B (wb)

• Ave B Caffe Buon Gusto Inc., 545 E 5th St (aka 76 Ave B) (wb)

[Whistling....]

• Paradiso (Paradiso NY LLC), 105 Ave B (wb)

This is the cafe/coffee shop near Seventh St.

• Boxcar Lounge (Oops of New York Inc), 168 Ave B (op)

• Bat Yam Food Services Inc, 97 St. Mark’s Pl (wb)

• To be determined, 14 Ave. B (op)

Well! At one point, various people were going to combine 14-16 Avenue B at Second Street for some massive club bar-restaurant with mama from the old country cooking, etc. However, CB3/SLA always shot down those plans ... and now Discovery Wines is taking the space at 16 Avenue B. And now someone is giving the smaller space at 14 a whirl...

Sidewalk Café Applications

• 26 Seats (Paris Cuisine Inc.), 168 Ave B

• Peels Restaurant (325 Bowery Restaurant LLC), 325 Bowery

• Cacio & Pepe (Peprico Inc.), 182 2nd Ave

Just realized that I've never eater here.

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades

• To be Determined (Not A Bookstore LLC), 200 Ave A (trans/op) (Superdive)

The art gallery with a full liquor license is back. Last month, the committee told them to do more (and better!) community outreach.



• To Be Determined (Epicurean Management), 11 E 1st St (trans/op) (Bowery Wine)

Something new in store for the Bowery Wine Company? A quick flashback to the BWC protest in 2008.

• To be Determined, 500 E 11th St (trans/op) (Angels & Kings)

Another reject from last meeting. The committee told them to do more (and better!) community outreach.

• Hop Devil Grill, 125-129 St. Marks Pl (trans/op)

• To Be Determined (Evir Corp), 117 Second Ave (trans/wb)

Dunno what's going on here... this is now 7.2 at the corner of Seventh Street... onetime home of the Kiev...

New Liquor License Applications

• Led Zeppole (Arti Restaurant & Catering Group), 328 E 14th St (wb)

• The Toucan & The Lion (Type A Goods LLC), 342 E 6th St (op)

What's with the names these days? And this is the entity taking over the Mara's Homemade space.

At the Bowery Wine Co. protest Friday night

Here are a few videos from the Bowery Wine Company protest tonight. (Apologies if they look as shaky and grainy as Cloverfield. Still learning the ways of the camera.) Not sure how much narrative you need, though I'll likely add some later...The fellow in the first and third video was the lone dissenter. He kept yelling "pussies go home." He also repeated, "We're republicans, and we're here to stay!" No word yet whether he was an official representative of the New York Young Republican Club.













As I note in the post above this, I was only able to stay for the first leg of the protest, which, as Jeremiah reports, continued on to CBGB/Varvatos, the Bowery Hotel, 47 E. 3rd St., then down to Avenue A, through Tompkins Square Park, and finished at the Christodora House. His Flickr pool is here. Bob Arihood was also with the group the entire time. He took many compelling photos, as usual.

Speculating about Veselka Bowery's sidewalk cafe

We recently pointed out the Veselka Bowery signage on East First Street... Fork in the Road reported that the Bowery location will open in late May/early June... Fork in the Road also noted that this location will sport a sidewalk cafe for 30 to 40 diners. But where will this outdoor cafe live? Perhaps on First Street... thought that seems a little cramped...

More likely though... at the entryway into Avalon Bowery Place...

...across from the Bowery Wine Company outdoor space.

Looking at "a cozy downtown watering hole with an uptown look"

In the Sunday Pulse section of the New York Post, we're taken on a cozy tour of the Bowery Wine Company, which Bruce Willis has something to do with:

WHEN this boxy nouveau wine lounge (and the sterile luxury condo complex that houses it) replaced a longtime, unkempt Bowery lot in early April, owners and lifelong New York City residents Chris Sileo and Lenny Linar were befuddled to hear locals complain that their little watering hole would ruin the neighborhood. Now a buzzing after-work hangout for downtown yuppies and longtime locals alike, the 124-person haunt is a cozy downtown watering hole with an uptown look.

This "Making the Scene" feature also points out that the CD jukebox offers classic rock from Springsteen and the Stones. And a bunch actors from The Sopranos -- including James Gandolfini -- "have all but made this their real-life Vesuvio's." And the $9-$13 panini menu is an "after-work hit."

Take your VIP tour here.

Previously:

"We want to show our opposition to right-wing Republicans opening yuppie wine bars in our neighborhood"

A look inside the incoming Momofuko Ko on Extra Place

We took a walk on a very quiet Extra Place on Friday afternoon, where we spotted a crew working on the new Momofuko Ko space...



As you can see, there looks to be quite a bit of work left on the 25-seat restaurant...





The construction at 4-8 Extra Place hasn't made at least one neighbor too happy...



Meanwhile, across East First Street at the former Veselka Bowery, work continues on the incoming steakhouse-oyster bar Bowery Meat Company ...



... a name that conjures up two nearby former businesses — Bowery Wine Company and Bowery Beef...



Previously on EV Grieve:
With new restaurant opening, will Extra Place finally become a dining destination?

Extra Place now officially a Dead End

Extra Place and Heidi currently 'closed for renovation' in Extra Place

Red Hook Lobster Pound in the works for Extra Place

Chef Sujan Sarkar bringing 'upscale modern Indian cuisine' to the Bowery

A noted chef is looking to serve "upscale modern Indian cuisine" at the current L'Apicio space on First Street in the Avalon Bowery Place complex between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

According to documents (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website for the March SLA meeting, chef Sujan Sarkar is applying for a new liquor license for the venture, which is currently unnamed.

The proposed hours are noon-midnight from Monday-Wednesday; noon to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday.

The bio that accompanies the questionnaire at the CB3 website notes that Sarkar is the chef partner at Ek Bar, "India's first Artisanal cocktail bar." He is also the chef of Rooh, a similar-sounding restaurant that just opened in San Francisco.

The questionnaire includes Rooh's menu, and states that this First Street restaurant will be similar. If that's the case, then here's more about Rooh via Eater San Francisco:

The culinary team includes a mix of professionally trained U.S. and Indian cooks, preparing dishes like foie gras pate with masala, pickled shallot, and taftan (a flatbread). Refreshingly, the menu is a healthy mix of both meat and vegetable-focused dishes, like a tandoori portobello mushroom served with polenta, morel crumble, and truffle.

The interior is a polished mix of rich blues and gold, giving off a serious lounge vibe — the group also owns nightclubs in India. The dining room can be split into more intimate semi-private areas with gold mesh curtains that hang from the high ceilings, while a long marble bar gives ample space for snacking and drinking.

As for L'Apicio, there isn't any word of a closing date just yet for the Italian restaurant via chef Gabe Thompson. Sarkar's questionnaire at the CB3 website notes that this is a "sale of assets." Notice about the CB3-SLA meeting on March 13 is posted outside L'Apico ...



L'Apicio opened in 2012. Here's what Pete Wells at The New York Times had to say about it in a generally positive review from December 2012: "L'Apicio can deliver a very enjoyable night out if you don't ask too much of it."

This large space with outdoor seating (capacity inside/outside is 266) was previously home for four years to the Bowery Wine Company.

L'Apicio serving its last meal on May 20

L'Apicio has announced a closing date. The upscale Italian restaurant on First Street in the Avalon Bowery Place complex will shut down after service on May 20.

Here is their announcement via Facebook:


Back in March, we reported that Chef Sujan Sarkar was applying for a new liquor license for the space for an unnamed restaurant that will serve "upscale modern Indian cuisine."

Sarkar is the chef partner at Ek Bar, "India's first Artisanal cocktail bar." He is also the chef of Rooh, a similar-sounding restaurant that recently opened in San Francisco.

L'Apicio debuted in 2012. Here's what Pete Wells at The New York Times had to say about it in a generally positive review from December 2012: "L'Apicio can deliver a very enjoyable night out if you don't ask too much of it."

This large space with outdoor seating (capacity inside/outside is 266) here between Second Avenue and the Bowery was also home for four years to the Bowery Wine Company.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chef Sujan Sarkar bringing 'upscale modern Indian cuisine' to the Bowery

"We want to show our opposition to right-wing Republicans opening yuppie wine bars in our neighborhood"

From today's Page Six:

BRUCE Willis is not being warmly welcomed by the anarchists, Marxists and counter-culture riffraff of the Lower East Side now that he's opened the Bowery Wine Company on East First Street. "We want to show our opposition to right-wing Republicans opening yuppie wine bars in our neighborhood," activist John Penley told Page Six. Penley, who is organizing the August celebration of the 20th anniversary of the riots in Tompkins Square Park, said, "We're getting a pig and we're naming it Bruce." The whole, roasted pig from Chinatown will be served while folk singer David Peel serenades with his anthem, "Die Yuppie Scum!"

East Village Podcasts recently paid a visit to BWC and filed this report:

BWC feels like an upper west side transplant with its wide-open, gymnasium-like space and track lighting. I’d say loft-like.. but the whole Avalon Place structure reminds me of a new development from the suburbs - spotless and well-fireproofed. Surely, there must be a few doctor’s offices nearby.

[Image Weber Anita/SIPA]

Bowery Wine Company will be closed on Sundays during April

What the sign says here on East First Street anyway...

So this guy walks into the Mars Bar in a green shirt with a pink sweater around his shoulders...

When he walked in, I thought he was lost. I expected him to say, "Excuse me, where's the Bowery Wine Company?"

But he didn't. He ordered a drink.

Did he lose a bet? People don't usually walk into the Mars Bar wearing yellow sneakers, green shirts, and pink sweaters draped over their shoulders.

A few people stared.



Trying to get my head around it, I've told this story to several people this past week. Their first reaction has usually been, "Seriously?" Someone asked me if the guy got his ass kicked. No. We're not in high school, though I often think I'm living in one on weekends. The thing is, we're so used to seeing entitled young professionals in the neighborhood, we hardly give it a second thought. It has been happening for years. Usually it's much more intrusive than someone simply having one drink and leaving. Somewhere last Friday, Bloomberg was likely smiling. It's still the city of his dreams, built in his likeness.



Everything is so watered down that even someone dressed like a dish of sherbet can walk into the Mars Bar. Nothing is sacred. Bloomy and the gold-mining developers have beaten the city into submission. They're vampires and they've drained the remaining drops of lifeblood from what was once the most vibrant, potent city anywhere.

But is it too late?

[Bloomy photo via]