Spina had a nice little run at 175 Avenue B at East 11th Street… However, after nearly six years, the pasta place/trattoria has closed for good. It hasn't been open for at least a week.
The space had quietly been on the market. (The listing tells potential suitors to "exercise discretion and do not engage in conversation about the space with anyone at the restaurant.")
Meanwhile, there's an applicant on this month's CB3/SLA committee agenda for a new beer-wine license for the space. The principals are a husband-and-wife team who plan on opening an Indian restaurant called Babu Ji. The proposed hours are 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The questionnaire (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website has more info as well as a sample menu.
I live a block away and am excited about an Indian restaurant opening here. I'm sorry about the Italian restaurant closing but the exterior never appealed nor was I ever tempted to look or go inside.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:31 - Too bad you weren't tempted, and were... err... put off by the exterior... yeah, that's a thing apparently, because the food at Spina was great. Had I more money I would have gone more often.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if the Indian restaurant that's coming in will change the exterior. Probably not, right? That kind of thing is expensive.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember when this was a video store, and before that a 24-hour heroin deli?
ReplyDeleteAn Indian restaurunt open until 1AM? Let's hope the food is good, and not the booze. (Y Cafe, Mitilda's, Haile all close @ 11PM.)
ReplyDeleteFor Indian, this is VERY pricey. And, of course, they have the obligatory happy hour (over at 8PM).
ReplyDeletedoes anyone know if spina is opening up elsewhere? Their food was great and at reasonable price. I hope they relocate and I'll be sure to go.
ReplyDeleteI think a business's exterior is very important the same way packaging is on any other product. I know just about all new restaurants and bars which are try to pass as restaurants are big fans of door which open during warm weather but I think these small paned windows look cheap and not enticing to someone passing by. I like to see inside a restaurant to get a feel for the atmosphere, lighting etc... Floor to ceiling window allow for this as well as old school fronts like Johns on 12th Street. Hopefully a better color scheme for the exterior too.
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ReplyDeleteThere isn't any mention of a move on the Spina website...
ReplyDeleteHere is a tidbit from the new owners about their plans:
"We just wanted to say hello and "introduce" ourselves as we are very excited about moving into the area. We have recently arrived with our young family from Melbourne, Australia. I am born in Brooklyn and raised between NYC & NJ so it is a wonderful homecoming to be back in the city after 8 years in Melbourne. We love the East Village and particuarly Alphabet City as it is wonderful for me to experience how much it has positively changed so much in the recent years. We love it so much that we have moved into the East Village from our original apartment on arrival to NY…
We would love for you to know what kind of community members we have been historically, both on a personal/family level and as a business. We thought this may be helpful as we have every intention of engaging with this community in the same way. In Melbourne, our two restaurants, Horn Please and Babu Ji are widely known and valued as community minded and engaged businesses. From our first days as restaurateurs in Melbourne we have had a philanthropic component to our business plan and have held both record breaking community fundraisers to small, anonymous fundraisers/donations to both local and international organisations that we chose for their community building focuses. We particularly enjoy supporting education and schools. We almost always design our philanthropic/community outreach events in a way that engages the community and encourages their involvement as we feel that this has a spreading effect. We hope that our example of having a philanthropic element to our business inspires others in the community to consider doing so in their own way, on their own scale, in their own time...In general, this is an approach that we strongly believe in as we know it betters our community and strengthens community bonds when we together. . .
We give you this one example in attempt for you to get to know us as we join into your community. We hope our restaurant will add to the dining landscape in a positive way, offering a different kind of cuisine, Indian to the neighbourhood. Although we have considered the pursuit of either a full liqour license verses a beer and wine only, we are 100% a restaurant and have no intentions as operating as a bar. We simply serve alcohol to complement our food. We are about serving quality food and an overall wonderful experience in our restaurant where guests will enjoy attentive and warm service, an interesting atmosphere and a wonderfully delicious and fresh meal, with alcohol to complement that meal if desired by the guest. . .We considered applying for a full license here in NY only because we understand that the dining and drinking style/habits are different here than in Melbourne, with people often wanting to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail."
Come on, everyone. Embrace change!
ReplyDeleteA message to the owners: It is nice that you raise money for charity but what is most important to the people right around you is that you are a good neighbor. That means keeping the noise down and not catering to drunken a-holes who stand outside shouting all nights. That's all we need from you, and we will happily patronize your business.
ReplyDeleteYour soon to be neighbors are mostly happy to see a nice Indian restaurant moving in. Those of us which live in the blocks north of TSP live in fear that this part of Ave B will become like the "spring break" drunken brunches and drunken sports bars which have infested Ave B south of the part down to Houston.
ReplyDeleteNo this is not going to be the drunken crowd. This is another over priced restaurant for rich people who are taking over our neighborhood. Restaurateurs think that this is the greatest time in the East Village and that it's all because they were born.
ReplyDeleteI remember the heroin deli, Gogira!
ReplyDeleteMenu looks cool to expand my palette and try some new dishes but I was hoping for a more vindaloo and misala cheaper place. Same wine and beer only. There is nothing like an ice cold gin and tonic with spicy Indian.
ReplyDeleteFor those looking for a less expensive option to this incoming restaurant please remember there are still a few well priced Indian restaurants on E 6th street. Some of us eat out less often but prefer something a little more upscale when we do, and no you don't have to be rich if you save up for a special place once in a while. I'm looking forward to this place opening and will check it out the very first week.
ReplyDeleteHi all, I have lived across the road for 2 years and am very excited to see this place opening. I am Aussie and have received reports from friends at home that the restaurants in Melbourne owned by these guys are great, excellent food, stylish interiors, casual, fun, well-priced. We are getting a great little pocket of good places around us - Maiden Lane, Donastia, Gnocco, 11B and of course the great spots on C. Will be a great addition so lets welcome these guys and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteFor a new restaurant on the block, painting your exterior Jet Black looks completely uninviting. You painted over a beautiful mural, which is fine, but change it up with something indian and beautiful. Between the copious trash and jet black paint, you look like a construction site and not a welcoming high end restaurant. Hire Chico and he'll do you proud, then your place will stand out! it takes more then a goofy sign to help people find yer place.
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