Photos by Stacie Joy
After more than a year of uncertainty about the future of Foxface Natural, a new restaurant proposal has emerged for its longtime-dark space at 189 Avenue A between 11th and 12th Streets.
According to paperwork filed with Community Board 3, an entity called Tortoise LLC is seeking a liquor license for a new establishment described as a "fine dining restaurant."
And the proposed menu offers a few clues about what's coming. Tortoise would serve Japanese-American cuisine, with dishes including sashimi ($64), clam pie ($32), turtle soup ($28), egg custard with dungeness crab ($48), red grouper ($82), whole smoked pigeon ($95) and aged beef rib ($125).
The application lists Nicholas Tamburo and Nikita Malhotra as the project's principals. In late 2024, Tamburo opened Smithereens, a seafood-focused restaurant on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, and previously served as chef de cuisine at Claud on 10th Street. Malhotra, a sommelier, has led the wine program at Smithereens.
The proposed restaurant would have 26 seats, including eight at a six-foot bar, and operate from 5:30 p.m. to midnight daily.
The plans raise questions about the future of Foxface Natural, which opened at 189 Avenue A in April 2023 after its earlier incarnation as a sandwich shop inside Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place. (The proprietors now own that under-renovation building on St. Mark's Place.)
Foxface Natural earned a following for its adventurous, frequently changing menu featuring unusual ingredients and preparations. The restaurant closed in late July 2025 for what was initially described as a summer break, followed by building renovations. Its owners later said they were working toward reopening, but the process dragged on without a confirmed return date.
Foxface Natural has not publicly announced a permanent closure, though the new application suggests that another restaurant is preparing to take over the address.
The Tortoise application is on the SLA Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee for November (next Monday). However, given its method of operation, the owners will not be appearing before the committee.
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