[Image via the CB3 website]
Applicants from Butter Midtown are looking to open a Mexican restaurant at 157 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street.
The team behind the proposed venture, including Executive Chef Michael Jenkins and Beverage Director Eder Canseco, are expected to appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight for a new liquor license. This is described as a sale of assets. The current tenant is Yuan Noodle, which just opened last summer in the space.
The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website (PDF here) provides extensive details about the restaurant:
We believe our concept of American Mexican cuisine will bring a new variety of food to this neighborhood. In an area filled with primarily Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, and American restaurants within a two block radius, this will provide a unique option for local residences ...
Along with Michael’s concepts, Eder’s mom Rosa will be bringing in her Mexican taco recipes that offers a more traditional take. Rosa learned how to cook from her mother-in-law who learned from her from mother and grandmother. This dates back to over three generations of classic Mexican cooking. The Breukelen style for some dishes will include small touches to traditional recipes that feels like a home cooked meal is being served. The right balance in sweet and spicy in her mole and Pipian sauce recipes will be unique to the neighborhood.
The unnamed restaurant has proposed hours of 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday; until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
The address has been home to several high-profile restaurants in recent years. Biang! — the sit-down Chinese restaurant via Xi'an Famous Foods owner Jason Wang — closed in March 2017 after 15 months in business. Wylie Dufresne's bistro Alder, closed after two-and-a-half years at the end of August 2015.
Other recent restaurants here (before 2013) included Plum and Cafe Brama.
Upon its opening last summer, Yuan garnered positive notices. Eater declared that the rice-noodle dishes here were "nothing short of spectacular." The Times was also generous with the praise.
The CB3-SLA meeting is tonight at 6:30. The location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.
A well thought out application that touches all the bases. Fancy fusion with an iron chef connection plus grandma's home tacos. No prices on the menu so might not be what I consider reasonable. I would surely like some delicious traditional Mexican but I am not so interested in Oiji-style food, with a beverage program and $14 guacamole, if that's the price point.
ReplyDeleteYuan, which we tried once, did not hit the sweet spot of price and quality, despite the splendid Eater review. All the Chinese food in the nabe means a lot of competition and some excellent food if you seek it out.
And by the way, there are about 25 full liquor licenses within 500 feet. The law says THREE. Is anyone interested in following the law in this town?
Wow, that's bad - usually a positive imprimatur from The Times is enough to guarantee overflow crowds and lines of eager consumers for months. If even that's not working any more, what chance to these new places have?!?
ReplyDelete@sophocles, you have to understand, the only entity capable of enforcing the 500-foot rule is the Albany-based statewide State Liquor Authority, none of whose members actually live in New York City, so they remain unaffected by their continual ignoring of the law. That law explicitly states that any establishment seeking a license in a 500-foot catchment area already home to three full liquor licenses has to prove to the community and the state SLA why, precisely, its services are needed, and what it would have to offer that none of the other three did. Starting in the late 80s-early 90s, when the city was clawing its way out of financial ruin, the state SLA turned that on its head - they began disregarding their own regulation and approving every liquor license that came down the pike, so desirous were they of getting the license money into state and city coffers. It then became incumbent upon the community, and yes, the local Community Boards, to try and prove why another license was NOT needed, but 99 out of 100 times, their efforts were - and continue to be - ignored by the state SLA. Unless and until we get SLA commissioners who actually reside in over-saturated areas and have to put up with the nightly/week;y screaming, fighting, woo-hooing, honking, throbbing music, vomiting, etc., it won't change - they are too far removed from the havoc they wreak to actually care. Once - once - an actual NYC resident was made a commissioner, and a big deal was made of it, but it came to naught, and things remained as they were, are, and, sorry to say, probably always will be.
ReplyDeleteAnd let's not even mention our much-vaunted "Night Mayor"...
The last few restaurants that have opened here are too nice for the area. I can't imagine a lot of people want to dine at a respectable establishment next to a handful of bro bars with drunken patrons consuming the sidewalks. This area is gross on the weekends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the last commenter. This area evokes a bro like mentality, especially during the weekends where it is a total shit show. Look around. There is a yogurt shop, a fast food Mexican restaurant, a sports bar, and a Starbucks on the same street. This particular location would benefit not as a dining destination but rather as a place for quick, low priced food. The EV has totally changed sadly.
ReplyDeleteThe poor tenants upstairs who have to put up with yet another buildout that will not benefit them in anyway.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the block. Without really realizing it, I avoid it like something that stinks.
ReplyDeleteI live across from Yuan and I love the block. All of you clamor for the days of the true east village with herione junkies living in the part and squatters. The guys and girls are here and either studying or trying to start their careers. Stop hating!
ReplyDeleteThere are still junkies (new smack shooting wellness centers coming) and squatters , just in the parks, under the scaffoldings and by the LinkNYC's. You need a new script for your rose colored glasses.
ReplyDeleteAs for this venture/project, it will also shut down in a year like the others, because these trendy quirky restaurants are fronts for money laundering in my humble opinion.
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