Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Plywood arrives for Apartment 13, the new restaurant from Paul Seres on Avenue C



Plywood went up late last week at the former location of The Porch on Avenue C between East Seventh and East Eighth Street... Apartment 13 is the new restaurant from Paul Seres, the former president of the New York Nightlife Association and a partner in The DL on Delancey and Ludlow...

A quick refresher on the concept, via CB3 paperwork:

All entrees at Apt 13 will be market driven and will be served in the same style as Korean barbeque. Every dish will be served with side dishes, appetizers, condiments, sauces, salads, and garnitures. Seasonally and locally driven. Family styled dinners. Meant to feel reminiscent of an intimate sit down dinner in our apartment. All dishes will change based on market availability. In following the theme and mission statement of apartment 13 we strive to not only support our local state Farms but also our neighborhood by featuring local artists and supporting local businesses.

There was opposition to this application. CB3 OK'd the liquor license in December (it failed to get the green light in October) ... we wrote about it in December. (Revisit that here.)

Here is what CB3 signed off on... via the minutes from the CB3 website (PDF)

Apartment 13 (115 Ave C LLC), 115 Ave C (op)
VOTE: To deny the application for a full on‐premise liquor license for 115 Avenue C LLC, with a proposed business name of Apartment 13, for the premise located at 115 Avenue C, unless the applicant agrees before the SLA to make as conditions of its license the following signed notarized stipulation that
1) it will operate as a full‐service restaurant, specifically a comfort food restaurant, with a kitchen open and serving food during all hours of operation,
2) its hours of operation will be 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 A.M. Sundays through Wednesdays and 4:00 P.M. to
12:00 A.M. Thursdays through Saturday,
3) it will play ambient background music only, consisting of recorded music, and not have live music, DJs,
promoted events, scheduled performances or any events at which a cover fee will be charged,
4) it will close façade doors and windows at 9:00 P.M. weeknights and 10:00 P.M.; Fridays and Saturdays,
5) it will only commercially use the second floor patio if it is first completely enclosed and soundproofed,
6) it will install additional soundproofing per the recommendation of an acoustical report, and
7) it will designate an employee to control crowds and noise on the sidewalk.
Community Board #3 is approving this application for a full on‐premise liquor license although this is a location in an area with numerous licensed premises because 1) Paul Seres, the principal of this application, has a longstanding history as a responsible liquor license holder at other licensed businesses, 2) this is an application for a full‐service restaurant with a locally sourced food and drink menu and moderate operating hours, and 3) this application will replace a preexisting problematic business.

No word yet on an opening date.

4 comments:

shmnyc said...

I think that location is cursed. Nothing ever lasts there.

Anonymous said...

How do you enforce a "locally sourced food and drink" menu. It's easy to use the phrase. Are they buying their fish only from the Long Island Sound? What are locally sourced drinks? Wine and beer from New York State. What is the connection between locally sourced and a liquor license? Just wondering.

Bowery Boogie said...

good luck. seres oversees the dreaded DL.

Kimberley said...

What is the point of having a patio if it is completely enclosed?