Moustache, the reliable Middle-Eastern restaurant with a backyard garden, has closed on 10th Street. Back on Friday, workers were gutting the space mid block here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
No word on why they closed. (The Moustache location remains open in the West Village.)
In any event, the space won't be empty for long. An applicant going by Small Plates Inc. is on the June CB3-SLA docket for a beer-wine license for the address. The applicant's questionnaire isn't online just yet.
One thing I always thought was how the EV's tenement architecture has protected us from the complete takeover of chain stores who for the most part need a large footprint. Of course landlord greed has kept the gentrification ball rolling with steep lease increases creating a revolving door of small businesses. If you like a cafe, tailor shop, barber or other small business on your block make sure to use them or you surely lose them.
ReplyDeleteWow. That was an alright run tho. They were the best back when they started.
ReplyDeleteNoooooooo
ReplyDeleteThink it is a vegan indian restaurant, coming up
ReplyDeletefrom Eater:
ReplyDeleteAffordable Middle Eastern restaurant Moustache in the West Village has closed, with the space already gutted. No word yet on why, though CB3’s upcoming agenda shows that Small Plates Inc. is looking to move into the 90 Bedford Street space, EV Grieve reports. Moustache’s East Village location remains open, though the East Harlem one also closed in February.
So all of them closed.
Not true. I ate in the west village branch today.
Delete@9:13: and it's not unusual for landlords to illegally increase their footprint by building into the backyard of their building. For most lots in the EV, there is supposed to be a 30-foot ACCESSIBLE yard, believe it or not. If anyone would like to discuss this issue please contact me at rnh141 at gmail dot com.
ReplyDeleteThat building was the home of a young Salvatore Lucania, who grew up to become Charles "Lucky" Luciano....
ReplyDelete:-(((
ReplyDeleteMoustache used to make an amazing entre dish of rice in some type of baked bread??? Does anyone recall the name of this (I want to say Orzo??) ? I have tried for years to remember what it called. I would love to recreate it.
ReplyDeleteThe location in the West Village remains open. Eater modified their original post. The one in East Harlem closed.
ReplyDeletebooo this sucks. these guys were so nice. always reliable mellow spot with satisfying food and classic lebanese music. soon there won't be anywhere to go that's just a normal restaurant. so shitty.
ReplyDelete@Edward Noriega, do you mean their entree Ouzi, which was a mix of chicken, peas and carrots, onions, raisins, almonds and basmati rice baked in phyllo dough? I had it once, it was fabulous.
ReplyDeleteSorry to see them go. The backyard use needs to go for the next business.
ReplyDeleteSuch a tragedy--their location in East Harlem was one of my favorites until a lunch meeting with a friend was rudely met with chains and brown paper. This city needs to stop gutting its small businesses.
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