On tonight's CB3 docket: New homes for B Cup Café and B-Side

Here are a few items on tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting (there are more applicants for places below Houston). 

New Liquor License Applications 

• Corp to be formed by Drew Popkin, 29 2nd Ave (op)

For starters, this makes the Bad Hombre closure official (photo above). 

The owners of Cask on East 33rd Street and Bar Bonobo on Eighth Avenue are looking to open an Italian restaurant bar called Bambino between Second Street and Third Street. 

Find the Bambino application (PDF!) here, which includes a sample menu showing their brunch and dinner offerings. 

• B Side (Flam Able LLC), 131 Ave C (op/removal from 204 Ave B) 

After a fire at 204 Avenue B in June 2023, B-Side and the building's landlord parted ways later that fall. 

B-Side's owners want to open a new bar at 131 Avenue C between Eighth Street and Ninth Street.

No. 131 has been vacant for some time. As far as we can recall, Babel Lounge & Hookah Bar was the last tenant, closing in 2017. (Babel had the storefronts at 129 and 131.) 

You can find the B-Side questionnaire at this link. B-Side debuted on B in 2003 ... with the new owners taking over in January 2021.

Items not heard at Committee

• Alison St Marks (Disfruting Two LLC), 110 St Marks Pl (wb) 

Alison St. Marks is the name of a full-service restaurant that will serve lunch, dinner, and brunch at this spot between Avenue A and First Avenue. This link has the questionnaire. 

Ownership also runs Alison on Lexington Avenue in East Harlem. 

At No. 110, David's Cafe closed without any notice to patrons over the summer after nearly nine years in service. 

Photo of No. 110 by Stacie Joy 

• G&I Food Hospitality LLC, 204 Ave B (wb) 

As previously reported, B Cup Café is moving to a renovated 204 Avenue B, located just several storefronts south of its longtime home on the SW corner of 13th Street. 

B Cup owner Guy Weizmann told us they will be expanding the café's menu and have later hours with the addition of a beer-wine license here at the former home of B-Side. 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On the CB3 docket tonight: An outpost of Bushwick pizzeria Ops; longer hours for Penny

Photo by Steven 

Tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting is on the light side (there are several applicants for places below Houston). 

Here are a few items to note around here...

New Liquor License Applications 

Mike Fadem, the chef and owner behind Bushwick's Ops (and sister pizzeria Leo in Williamsburg), looks to open a Neopolitan-style joint at 176 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. 

Proposed hours for the space (54 indoor seats, including a 7-seat bar) are noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday, with a 1 a.m. close Friday and Saturday. (Questionnaire here.) 

The sourdough-leavened pizzas at Ops always get high marks... and, FWIW, Time Out recently ranked them at No. 5 on a city's best pizza listicle. 

No. 176 previously housed Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana, which went dark in late 2023.

Items not heard at Committee 

• El Diablito Taqueria 

The taco shop at 60 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue will be getting a license to serve beer inside the small space. 

• Penny 

You'll likely have a better chance of getting into the raw bar and seafood counter at 90 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. 

According to the paperwork filed on the CB3 website, Penny is extending hours of operation to noon to midnight all days of the week. (Current hours: daily from 5-10:30 p.m.) 

Penny, upstairs from sibling Claud, was just added to the Michelin Guide New York. 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On the CB3 docket tonight: a new era for Lucy's, another operator for Lamia's Fish Market

Top photo by Lola Sáenz 

As we reported on Aug. 1, Lucy's new owners will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this month. 

The owners of Golden Age Hospitality, whose portfolio includes establishments like Le Dive and Deux Chats, seek to take over Lucy's, the decades-old Avenue A favorite owned by Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius that has been closed since late November. Find more background at this link. (FYI: The plans call for Lucy to continue to have a presence at the bar.)

As a reminder, the meeting is tonight at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

Another East Village item of interest concerns 47 Avenue B, where, apparently, Lamia's Fish Market will not reopen. The restaurant has been closed since June for "maintenance."

An entity known as Fisherman Hospitality Group Inc. seeks to take over the space between Third Street and Fourth Street that workers recently painted. (Photo below by Stacie Joy.)

The questionnaire (PDF here) for the new seafood restaurant is on the CB3 website. 

A few more details on the future of East Village classic bar Lucy's

Photo of Lucy's interior last night by Stacie Joy

The new owners of Lucy's will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this month.

As we reported in May, the owners of Golden Age Hospitality, whose portfolio includes establishments like Le Dive, The Happiest Hour and Deux Chats, seek to take over Lucy's, the decades-old Avenue A favorite owned by Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius that has been closed since late November. 

However, Golden Age withdrew their application before the May meeting, and it happened again in June, per public records. This is not uncommon and can mean anything from the paperwork not being in yet to the applicant still negotiating a lease with the landlord. 

The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website for public viewing (PDF here) ahead of the meeting on Aug. 19 shows that the trade name would remain Lucy's with the same hours — 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. 

The questionnaire packet includes a letter from Golden Age Hospitality CEO Jon Neidich to the local block association. The letter reads in part: 

While we are taking over the operation of the bar, our involvement is solely premised on preserving an East Village institution: Lucy herself will very much still be a part of this project (and will still be behind the bar!). We will not be changing the concept or design of the space (we will be adding some soundproofing in the ceiling and an ADA bathroom). 

The floor plan shows the same configuration with two pool tables, etc. The storage space behind the pool tables will be a prep area for the limited menu with five sandwich offerings. (There's a BLT, turkey club, croque monsieur, etc.)

Several tipsters have told us Neidich was a big fan of Lucy's and interested in buying the bar. (We're told Neidich once lived in the apartments above the bar at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.)

During several conversations in February, Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that she had many potential suitors for the bar and may have a role in the new incarnation. 

As we first reported, attorneys for the building's new landlord served Lucy with a 30-day Notice of Termination in early February with a demand to vacate the space by the end of the month. 

Her lease expired in May 2015, and she was on a month-to-month arrangement with the previous landlord. Lucy told us that her last rent was $8,000 per month, and the new landlord, as of late December (West Lake 135-139 Avenue A LLC), was seeking a hefty increase.

The bar (aka Blanche's Lucy's Tavern) has been closed since November when some paperwork issues forced what was to be a temporary closure.

Golden Age Hospitality also has a pending application for the former Boiler Room space on Fourth Street at Second Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Exclusive: Lucy discusses the future of her iconic East Village bar

A new restaurant for the former Mighty Quinn's space on 2nd Avenue

The August Community Board 3 SLA docket has yet to be made public... however, we know about at least one applicant for a beer-wine license. 

There are posted notices on the street and storefront for a new venture coming to the NW corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street — Norigami, Inc. (dba Boka & Shiro Kuro)...

We'll learn more soon enough when the questionnaires are posted online. CB3's SLA committee meeting will be on Aug. 19. 

Mighty Quinn's had a 10-year run in this corner space until last August. 

Three of the five retail spaces on the west side of Second Avenue (the former Mighty Quinn's, Apple Bank and New Yorkers Foodmarket) are currently vacant.

The Ninth Ward plotting its return to 180 2nd Avenue after 8 years

The Ninth Ward closed its doors after service at 180 Second Ave. on Feb. 14, 2016. 

At the time, the owners of the New Orleans-themed bar, Nic Ratner and Robert Morgan, expected to return to the retail space — hopefully in late 2018 — after a gut renovation of the building between 11th Street and 12th Street. 

Fast-forward eight-plus years and the Ninth Ward is reapplying for a liquor license for the address. Reps will appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight. 

According to their questionnaire on the CB3 website:

The scheduled renovations were planned to take 18 months, but almost immediately ran into complications. Unfortunately, due to the landlord's inexperience, construction delays, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has now dragged on for nearly a decade. 

The liquor license for Ninth Ward, in safe keeping with the SLA, was renewed on two occasions during the construction. In the third attempt to renew the license, it was cancelled as simply too much time had passed with the business being closed. 

Ratner and Morgan opened a Ninth Ward in London in 2017.

As for the building at No. 180, workers finally removed the scaffolding, plywood, and sidewalk obstructions in February.

And after all that, the building is on the sales market for $12.5 million.

The Chicago-based Polish National Alliance was the previous owner of No. 180. The building housed the Józef Pilsudski Institute of America, the largest Polish-American research institution specializing in the recent history of Poland and Central Eastern Europe. (They found a new home in Greenpoint.) According to public records, an LLC bought the building for $6.75 million in June 2014. City Realty listed the new owner as Robert Stern.

Tonight's CB3-SLA meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

Reminders: Community Board 3 to discuss congestion pricing at public meeting tonight

ICYMI from a June 11 post: 

Community Board 3 has added a special meeting this month to address Gov. Hochul's decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing.

Here's more via an email from CB3 Chair Andrea Gordillo: 

Community Boards 1-6 have discussed signing on to a letter to all parties involved with the MTA's Congestion Pricing Plan, asking to reverse course on the Governor's decision. Given the unprecedented nature of the abrupt policy shift, its potential cost to the MTA, and public trust in government, Community Board 3 will convene this special meeting after the public session of its June Full Board meeting to discuss and vote on the contents of the letter which would ask the Governor to proceed with congestion pricing. 

We encourage members of the public to attend the meeting and sign up to give public comment, and we ask for your support in reaching out to our communities to inform them of the opportunity to comment on this important decision. 

The full CB3 meeting is TONIGHT — Tuesday, June 25, at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St., between Houston and Stanton. 

The first four public speakers for and against the subject matter are allowed to speak. They may arrive at 6 p.m. Otherwise, members of the public are welcome to email comments to mn03@cb.nyc.gov. The Board meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube here.

In pausing the plan, Hochul expressed concerns about the timing and state of the city's post-pandemic recovery. 

Under the congestion-pricing plan, most people driving passenger vehicles into Manhattan below 60th Street would need to pay a minimum of $15, with larger vehicles incurring higher charges. 

The MTA has already spent tens of millions of dollars to install cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment on city roadways in preparation for the plan's launch. The anticipated fee was projected to generate around $1 billion annually, benefiting subway and bus systems that serve approximately 4 million daily riders. 

The move also represents a dramatic reversal for public transit advocates, who had supported congestion pricing to raise money for NYC's struggling subway and commuter rail systems and reduce traffic on city streets.

Community Board 3 adds a special meeting on congestion pricing to June's agenda

3rd Avenue photo by deberarr 

Community Board 3 has added a special meeting this month to address Gov. Hochul's decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing, which was set to go into effect at the end of June. 

Here's more via an email from CB3 Chair Andrea Gordillo: 

Community Boards 1-6 have discussed signing on to a letter to all parties involved with the MTA's Congestion Pricing Plan, asking to reverse course on the Governor's decision. Given the unprecedented nature of the abrupt policy shift, its potential cost to the MTA, and public trust in government, Community Board 3 will convene this special meeting after the public session of its June Full Board meeting to discuss and vote on the contents of the letter which would ask the Governor to proceed with congestion pricing. 

We encourage members of the public to attend the meeting and sign up to give public comment, and we ask for your support in reaching out to our communities to inform them of the opportunity to comment on this important decision. 

The full CB3 meeting is Tuesday, June 25, at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St., between Houston and Stanton. 

The item was also added to tonight's (June 11) meeting of CB3's Transportation, Public Safety, Sanitation, and Environment Committee. 

Per Gordillo's email: "This decision to add this to the agenda after the agenda was posted, while also unprecedented, was made to ensure the broadest base of public comment, and exceptions like this are not to be granted again." 

Tonight's hybrid committee meeting starts at 6:30 at the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Limited seating is available to the first 15 people. Members of the public can also attend by Zoom here. 

In a statement last Wednesday, Hochul expressed concerns about the timing and state of the city's post-pandemic recovery. 

Under the congestion-pricing plan, most people driving passenger vehicles into Manhattan below 60th Street would need to pay a minimum of $15, with larger vehicles incurring higher charges. 

The MTA has already spent tens of millions of dollars to install cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment on city roadways in preparation for the plan's launch. The anticipated fee was projected to generate around $1 billion annually, benefiting subway and bus systems that serve approximately 4 million daily riders. 

The move also represents a dramatic reversal for public transit advocates, who had supported congestion pricing to raise money for NYC's struggling subway and commuter rail systems and reduce traffic on city streets.

On the April CB3-SLA docket: a Rice Thief outpost for the East Village

According to documents on the Community Board 3 website, Rice Thief, a celebrated delivery service specializing in Korean crab dishes, is opening a restaurant at 95 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

The CB3-SLA committee meeting is scheduled for April 8, though Rice Thief reps will not appear before the group. (They have received administrative approval based on the method of operation, a beer-wine license for a previously licensed space that will primarily be a restaurant and not a bar.) 

Some background on the business from a January post by Eater: 

Richard Jang, alongside his mother, Jong Sook Jang, and girlfriend, Haiqi Yu, started the business in the fall of 2022, specializing in soy-marinated crab that's hard to find in New York, known as ganjang gejang, as well as seafood stews, and rice. The service — which has drawn a waitlist — started at his home, before relocating to a Sunnyside, Queens ghost kitchen. 

On Dec. 26, Rice Thief announced that it would be opening a restaurant in Long Island City. Meanwhile, in an Instagram post from Dec. 26, TradedNY reported that Rice Thief had signed a lease for 95 Second Ave. (Rice Thief hasn't mentioned the EV location as of yet.)

In an Instagram message last evening, Rice Thief confirmed they'd be opening in the East Village and Long Island City.

According to the CB3 questionnaire, the EV Rice Thief will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. ... with seating featuring 16 tables for 32 guests. 

No. 95 was most recently Thailand Cafe, which did not reopen following the pandemic PAUSE of March 2020.

Le Dive owners looking to take over the Boiler Room space on 4th Street

File photo by Stacie Joy

Restaurateur Jon Neidich, under his Golden Age Hospitality brand that includes the scene-y Le Dive on Canal, is applying for a new liquor license for 86 E. Fourth St. just east of Second Avenue — and the current home of longtime dive the Boiler Room.

On Monday evening, the Golden Age Hospitality reps will appear before CB3's SLA committee.

As for the unnamed new concept for No. 86, there will be food service with various sandwiches (turkey club, BLT, croque monsieur, etc.) and cocktails, according to the sample menu on the questionnaire here. The configuration shows 21 tables for 42 guests (with plans to use the unenclosed roadway space from 5-10 p.m.) The proposed hours are daily from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m.

After a two-plus-year court battle over pandemic-related back rent payments, the Boiler Room announced last summer that it was leaving its home of 34 years ... ownership will be moving to 45 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street (previously home to the Moroccan specialty shop Timbuktu) later this year.

Monday's meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

Watch the video presentation for the 'City of Yes for Economic Opportunity' text amendment

Image via NYC Planning

Back on Wednesday evening, the Department of City Planning presented an informational presentation on the "City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" text amendment during Community Board 3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee. 

The amendment — revealed in June — is the second of three proposed zoning text amendments from Mayor Adams designed to address what his administration calls outdated zoning issues. (You can find an overview here.) 

The nine-month Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP!) started on Oct. 30 and will be heard at all 52 local community boards in the city. Then! It will then move to the borough presidents, City Planning and City Council, who are expected to vote on the final text amendment this spring.  

You can watch the session below or on YouTube here if you want to surf around during the dull moments.

CB3 committee to hear presentation on the proposed 'City of Yes for Economic Opportunity' text amendment

Image via NYC Planning

Updated 11/18: You can watch a replay of the presentation on YouTube.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, the Department of City Planning reps will present an informational presentation on the "City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" text amendment during Community Board 3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee. 

The amendment — revealed in June — is the second of three proposed zoning text amendments from Mayor Adams designed to address what his administration calls outdated zoning issues. (You can find an overview here... a video of the info session is here.) 

As CityLand noted... 

"The City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" amendment aims to support small business growth through four pillars: revitalizing commercial corridors, filling vacant storefronts, modernizing use regulations, and investments in key growth industries. The changes to the zoning text aim to remove obstacles that slow down or prevent the growth and development of small businesses. 

And from the Commercial Observer... 

"City of Yes" will also scrap the last piece of the city's cabaret law, which prohibits dancing in some bars and restaurants, depending on the underlying commercial zoning. It would also eliminate a two-year clock on vacancy for nonconforming retail in residential areas, which currently prohibits a storefront from being reoccupied as retail if it's been empty for more than two years. Businesses would also be allowed on the same floor as apartments and even allowed above them in some commercial areas, as long as there are separate entrances for apartment residents and retail tenants. 

Here's what the Cooper Square Committee had to say about it in a recent Instagram post:

Cooper Square Committee hasn't yet taken a position yet about the proposed changes, but we will be talking to [East Village Independent Merchants Association] members and other commercial tenants, as well as analyzing local retail data and trends to determine what position to take over the next month or two.

We encourage residents and small business owners to read up on the proposed changes to learn more about them ... 

The nine-month Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP!) started on Oct. 30 and will be heard at all 52 local community boards in the city. Then! It will then move to the borough presidents, City Planning and City Council, who are expected to vote on the final text amendment this spring.  

The Land Use Committee meeting (Nov. 15) starts at 6:30 p.m. You can watch via Zoom here. In Person: Community Board 3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Ave. and the Bowery. Limited seating is available to the first 15 people.

On the CB3-SLA docket: Applicants for the former Mermaid Inn and Cheese Grille spaces

Photo of the former Mermaid Inn by Steven 

Here's a look at a few of the many applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

New Liquor License Applications 

 • Wonderland (Feichangchengong Inc), 96 2nd Ave. (op) 

Wonderland is the proposed restaurant offering an "Asian fusion menu" at the former Mermaid Inn space on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

The proprietors also operate Chili, a Sichuan restaurant on East 37th Street. You can find their CB3 questionnaire here, which includes a sample menu and proposed hours of operation (indoors, 4 p.m. to midnight daily). 

The Mermaid Inn arrived in the East Village in 2003, with several outposts to follow... they closed here during the pandemic, only to reopen then close again in the fall of 2022 after just seven weeks. 

• Sunflower East Village (RJM Hospitality LLC), 88 2nd Ave (op) 

This is a holdover from last month... we previously noted that the NE corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street will be home to another location of Sunflower, a cafe serving breakfast-brunch on Third Avenue between 25th Street and 26th Street. 

The EV location looks to have the same menu/vibe, though with dinner service. Find the questionnaire here. 

Sunflower is owned and operated by the same folks as the previous tenant here, Eros, the Greek restaurant that quietly closed in August 2022 when a "temporarily closed" sign arrived on the front door. Eros took over for their diner concept, The Kitchen Sink, in September 2021.

• Idleflora LLC, 188 Allen St (op) 

Idleflora is the name of the proposed "plant-based tea shop and tapas bistro" at 188 Allen St. between Stanton and Houston. 

According to the questionnaire on the CB3 website, the space will also include a retail flower shop. The proprietors operate several East Village restaurants, including Shinn East and Thirteen Water on Seventh Street and Appas Pizza on First Avenue. 

This long, narrow storefront was previously home to Cheese Grille for nearly 10 years. 

• Made in Houston Inc, 205 Allen St (wb) 

The owners of C as in Charlie on Bleecker Street are behind this new restaurant serving Korean cuisine from the SW corner of Allen Street and Houston. You can find the questionnaire here, which includes a sample menu and other details. 

The arrival of the unnamed new restaurant means the end of Mi Salsa Kitchen, the Cuban eatery, at this location. (We contacted Mi Salsa for info about a possible relocation.)

Items not heard at Committee

• MT 121 St Marks LLC, 123 St Marks Pl (wb) 

This applicant will not be heard this evening — they've already received conditional approval for a beer-wine license based on their method of operation, hours (11 a.m. to midnight daily), etc. 

The owners of Chicago's Moody Tongue Brewing Company are behind this venture, a still unnamed Japanese restaurant that will serve a variety of sushi platters and entrees. You can find more details and a sample menu here. 

The team opened Moody Tongue Sushi on West 10th Street earlier this year. The Dining Room at Moody Tongue in Chicago boasts two Michelin stars. 

This space on St. Mark's Place just west of Avenue A last housed Pop's Eat-Rite, the veggie burger joint.

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Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

On the CB3-SLA docket: A new home for Han Dynasty on 3rd Avenue; a Sunflower for 2nd Avenue

Here's a look at two of the applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

• Han Dynasty (Han Dynasty East Village Corp), 98 3rd Ave (op) 

Han Dynasty has enjoyed a successful run at 90 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street for the past 10 years.

The restaurant's ownership is on the agenda tonight (questionnaire here) for a new liquor license for a space several storefronts to the north at 98 Third Ave. — the formal Bar None...

The application on file at the CB3 website doesn't mention whether this is a move or, perhaps, a second location. Ownership did not respond to an email seeking clarification.

We assume the lease is up at 90 Third Ave., and they are moving nearby. (They did something similar at a Han Dynasty in Philadelphia.)

Bar None closed in the spring of 2022 after nearly 17 years in service.

• Sunflower East Village (RJM Hospitality LLC), 88 2nd Ave (op)

The NE corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street will be home to another location of Sunflower, a cafe serving breakfast-brunch on Third Avenue between 25th Street and 26th Street.

The EV location looks to have the same menu/vibe, though with dinner service. Find the questionnaire here. (Note: There will only be a service bar here — no bar seating.)

Sunflower is owned and operated by the same folks as the previous tenant here, Eros, the Greek restaurant that quietly closed in August 2022 when a "temporarily closed" sign arrived on the front door. Eros took over for their diner concept, The Kitchen Sink, in September 2021.

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

On the CB3-SLA docket: Schmuck on 1st Avenue

There's a pretty light agenda for Community Board 3's SLA & DCA Licensing Committee meeting this month. Just a handful of applicants are on tonight's agenda, and most of them are below Houston. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

Here's one applicant of potential interest:

• Schmuck, 97 1st Ave (op) 

There's a new bar-restaurant in the works for the long-vacant SW corner of First Avenue at Sixth Street. 

According to the application on file at the CB3 website (PDF here), Miami-based bar owner Dan Binkiewicz is behind a new concept called Schmuck.

The restaurant, with proposed daily hours of 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., will offer Middle Eastern-style cuisine. The sample menu includes items such as pan bagnat sliders, hummus, pomme dauphine and a burrata stick ("a playful Mediterranean take on the corndog.") 

The application shows that Schmuck is also seeking curbside dining for both the First Avenue and Sixth Street sides — 22 tables for 44 guests ... as well as five tables (10 seats total) for sidewalk seating on First Avenue. 

Binkiewicz's résumé includes the Miami Beach cocktail bar Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company.

In the 10 years since Banjara moved out in late 2013, the restaurants at 97 First Ave. have gone through through multiple name changes/concepts... including, but not limited to, Figaro Villaggio, an Italian bar-restaurant that later changed its name to Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill.

They eventually gave up part of the space to Apna Masala. In March 2015, Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill changed its names/concepts to La Esquina Bar & Grill ... then the name evolved to La Esquina Burritos and Bar ... and eventually East Village Burritos & Bar. Then Spicewala Bar Indian Cuisine. And then Mancora moved here from across the street. And...

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On the CB3-SLA docket: A new home for the Boiler Room; a pizzeria for Avenue B

Photos by Stacie Joy

Here's a look at a few applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

 • Lollo Ristorante, Pizzeria & Bar (Lollo LLC), 27 Ave B (op) 

We mentioned this pending arrival back in April.

A group of partners originally from Northern Italy are behind the new establishment, Lollo Italian Restaurant. (Lollo is short for Lorenzo, the chef and one of the partners.) 

They are taking over the former Solo Pizza space between Second Street and Third Street. Solo closed last September after 15 years in business courtesy of a rent hike.

Application here. (PDF)

• Cozy Cafe (Cozy Cafe Corp), 43 E 1st St (upgrade to op) 

The hookah bar is looking to upgrade its liquor license. Application here.

• The Boiler Room 45 (JBMT Tavern Corp), 45 2nd Ave (op) 

After a two-plus-year court battle over pandemic-related back rent payments, the Boiler Room will leave its home of 34 years at 86 E. Fourth St. near Second Avenue later this year. 

Ownership has signed a lease for a space at 45 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street, previously home to the Moroccan specialty shop Timbuktu.

Read our post about the Boiler Room's upcoming closure at this link. Find their application here.

• San Marzano (Evir Corp), 117 2nd Ave (upgrade to op) 

The 11-year-old brunch-and-pasta spot on Seventh Street and Second Avenue wants to upgrade its liquor license. Application here. 

Items not heard at Committee 

 

• Dora's Restaurant (Galvan Restaurant LLC), 40 Ave B (wb) 

Dora's Restaurant received administrative approval to serve beer and wine with its "ceviche fusion cuisine."

Dora's daily hours will be 3-11 p.m., per its questionnaire. 

The restaurant takes over the space from El Carnaval, which CB3 accused of serving liquor without a license in the summer of 2021.

• Nine Cases (Nine Cases LLC), 86 E 3rd St (wb) 

Nine Cases is a new Mediterranean wine bar slated for this block between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (This small space was Uminoie, the Japanese restaurant that closed during the pandemic.)

Find the application, which includes a sample menu, at this link.

• Orpheum Theatre (Orpheum Live LLC), 126 2nd Ave (wb) 

One day you'll be able to have a beer or glass of wine before a show at the Orpheum (or maybe during intermission — if there is one).

• Sip and Co East Village (Proper Cafe Management LLC), 433 E 9th St (wb) 

Codetta is the name of a new coffee shop-cafe coming soon to this storefront between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The application describes the method of operation as a coffee shop by day offering cafe fare and a wine bar "serving small bites" in the evening.

The principal here is also behind Hard to Explain, the Japanese coffee shop-wine-beer-sake bar on 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The address was previously Westville Bakery... and Superiority Burger used the space afterward.

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Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link.

This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On the CB3-SLA docket: A Pig & Butter sibling on Avenue B

Just a handful of applicants will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online.)

New Liquor License Applications 

• Pig & Butter Ave B (The SohoPig Collective LLC), 42 Ave B (op)

Pig & Butter, which serves breakfast-inspired dishes all day long from 134 Ludlow St., has plans for a sibling at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Chef-owner Sherry Grimes, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, will be serving comfort food and cocktails from the small space with six tables and a bar with nine seats.

The proposed hours: Wednesday (2-10 p.m.), Thursday (2-11 p.m.), Friday (2 p.m.-1.am.), Saturday (10 a.m.-2 a.m.), and Sunday (10 a.m.-10 p.m.) You can find the application here.

Looker, which served vegan bar food and cocktails, closed here early last year after nine months in business.

The Pig & Butter outpost would break up five consecutive storefronts that are for lease...

• Cantina Cubana Latin Food (Cantina Cubana LLC), 210 E 2nd St (aka 17 Ave B) (op)

As previously reported, Ricardo Arias and Patricia Valencia, the husband-and-wife owners of the now-closed Café Cortadito on Third Street near Avenue B, plan to open a similar concept here in the former home of the Cornerstone Cafe.

While there won't be a bar on the premises for patrons, Arias and Valencia are applying for a liquor license for their mojitos and other drink specials.

You can read the application here.

• Shiso (Shiso LLC), 214 E 9th St (op)

The owners of Moko on Second Avenue are behind Shiso, a high-end concept featuring a tasting menu of French and Japanese cuisine.

According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, they plan on a daily service from 5-10 p.m. The space on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was previously the Dumpling Lab, which closed last fall after receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

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Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link. 

On the CB3-SLA docket: The Commodore aims for Avenue C; an all-day Italian cafe for 12th Street

Here's a look at some of the applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online.)

New Liquor License Applications 

 • Corp to be formed by Christopher Buncher, 14 Ave C (op) 

The Commodore looks to bring its acclaimed fried chicken and retro vibes from Williamsburg to its first Manhattan outpost at 14 Avenue C at Second Street (pictured above). 

The EV location has proposed hours of 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays, with a 4 a.m. close Friday and Saturday (with an 11 a.m. open on Saturday and Sunday). There are also applying for a sidewalk cafe with seven tables and 14 seats.

You can check out the CB3 application here.

Recent tenants included Sanatorium, the hospital-themed cocktail lounge ... and the hookah lounge C Lounge.

• Entity to be formed by Patrick Joseph Cremin, 99 2nd Ave (op) 

The team behind the Sefton, an Irish saloon on the Upper East Side, is looking to open a bar-restaurant between Fifth Street and Sixth Street (above). 

The proposed hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. They are also vying for a sidewalk cafe, which would end service at 10 p.m. 

You can find the CB3 questionnaire here.

This space was previously Calexico, which went dark in late 2020. The owners were looking to try a new concept here, but those plans didn't materialize. 

• Paradise Lost (Paradise Lost LLC), 100 2nd Ave (op)

Three applicants are looking to open a restaurant called Paradise Lost ... and serving "nouveau contemporary, global influences." 

Proposed hours are from noon to 2 a.m. during the week... with a 4 a.m. close Friday and Saturday.

You can find a sample menu and background on the applicants here. Paradise Lost is proposed for the gut-renovated building between Fifth Street and Sixth Street that last housed Haveli-Banjara.    

• Only Love Strangers LLC, 175 E Houston St (op) 

The team behind MáLà Project on First Avenue (and two other NYC locations) has plans for a two-level restaurant with a "Mediterranean-inspired menu" and nightly live jazz performances.

The establishment, whose name is pending, has proposed hours to 1 a.m. during the week and 2 a.m. on the weekend... with a 5 p.m. open during the week and 11 a.m. on weekends.

You can find the CB3 questionnaire, which includes a sample menu, at this link. 

Several applicants have kicked the tires on this space just east of Allen Street (above) through the years to no avail. As far as we can recall, the space has been empty since Preserve 24's eviction in 2014.

 • Chuppa Rustam (Rice Guys LLC), 214 E 9th St (op) 

The owners of Laut Singapura, which serves Singaporean street food on East 20th Street, have plans for a still-unnamed establishment serving "British-Indian pub food" on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

These applicants will be looking for daily hours of 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. (closed on Mondays) for the retail space that was previously a hair salon.

Look for the CB3 questionnaire with a sample menu right here. 

• Corretto LLC, 511 E 12th St (op) 

Two East Village residents are looking to open Caffe Corretta — an all-day Italian cafe with coffee service in the mornings and dinner/drinks in the evening.

The proposed daily hours are 8 a.m. to midnight in space that was most recently Raclette here between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Find more about this project here. 

Items not heard at Committee 

• Marinara Pizza (Pizza 10 LLC), 160 2nd Ave (wb) 

The pizzeria, which opened in June 2021 on the northeast corner of Second Avenue at 10th Street, will soon be able to serve beer and wine with the slices.

• Appas Pizza LLC, 210 1st Ave (wb) 

The operator of EV sushi spots Thirteen Water and Shinn East, both on Seventh Street, is opening a pizza-fried chicken concept in the former Kikoo (and Papa John's!) space between 12th Street and 13th Street.

CB3 questionnaire here. 

• Red Onion Foods Inc, 277 E 10th St (wb)

A health-focused Indian restaurant called Red Onion is in the works for this vacant space between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

You can find the Red Onion website here... read the applicant's questionnaire here. 

This space on 10th Street was previously the blink-and-you-missed-them Chichen Itzá and Tompkins Village Cafe.

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Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link. 

City offering this zoning 101 presentation

Tomorrow evening (Oct. 18), reps from the Department of City Planning are giving a presentation to Community Board 3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee on Zoning 101. 

Specifically: City Planning will be presenting a basic foundation in the zoning process: what is zoning, what tools and resources are available to understand land use and zoning, and how the process works. 

Interested residents can tune into the presentation via Zoom at this link... and by Phone: +1 646 518 9805, +1 929 205 6099. Meeting ID: 934 3993 2803 

The meeting begins at 6:30.

Ella Funt & Club 82 looks to bring food, film and theater to storied 4th Street venue

An ambitious project is in the works for 78-82 E. Fourth St. that would bring together a restaurant, movie theater and cabaret under one roof while reviving some East Village nightlife history. 

The operators behind Ella Funt & Club 82 are on tonight's CB3 SLA & DCA Licensing Committee docket for a liquor license for the two-level space between Second Avenue and the Bowery. 

There are several elements to this proposed establishment — a French restaurant, movie theater and performance space. The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website (PDF here) provides more detail and renderings of the 150-person-capacity theater space, which already exists in the basement (see below for more history of this address).

There's also a mention of "screenings of independent and old films five days a week," The management team includes Harry Nicolaou. His family operates several indie theaters, including Cinema Village on 12th Street between University and Fifth Avenue.

On paper, the concept sounds like a good fit for a block with destinations such as La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, the Duo Multicultural Arts Center, the Kraine Theater and the New York Theatre Workshop.

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. You can tune in via Zoom.

And now some history of the space...

Here's background via the New-York Historical Society: 

If you were an adventurous visitor to New York City in the 1950s or 1960s, you might have found your way to Club 82. A basement nightclub at 82 East Fourth Street, it wasn't much to look at from the outside... 

But once you made it there, you'd descend the steep stairs into an elegant, transporting nightclub decked out in the height of mid-century kitsch: mirrored columns, plastic palm fronds, elaborate banquettes, and white tablecloths. On the tables would be souvenir knockers, a small wooden ball on the end of a stick emblazoned with the club's name, which patrons would tap on the table when they were pleased with a performance or wanted to call a waiter. Knockers had one benefit over clapping: You didn’t have to put down your drink to use them. 

Club 82 was a trendy place to be. If you were lucky, celebrities like Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, or Salvador Dalí might be in attendance on any given night. A club photographer would circulate among the tables, snapping keepsake photos for a $1.50 or $2 fee for audience members, who were decked out in suits and cocktail dresses and would get an 8″ by 10″ print to take home at the end of the night. There wasn't a cover to get in, but there was a drink minimum and an extensive cocktail menu to hit your required mark. 

And of course, there was the stage, which was the main reason you would've come to Club 82 in the first place. The club was known for its elaborate live shows that ran three times a night into the wee hours of the morning. 

What made Club 82 unique was that it was an early bastion of drag and gender impersonation: Almost all of the performers in the floor show where men dressed as women, and most of the wait staff were women dressed as dashing young men in tuxedos. 

In the early 1970s, Club 82 became a rock club, featuring bands like the New York Dolls, Teenage Lust, Suicide and Another Pretty Face.

   

The subsequent iterations of the space included a movie theater and an all-male strip club. Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones tried to make a go of it as a music club again in 1990 with Woody's. The basement space reopened as the Bijou Cinema around 1992, per Cinema Treasures, operating off and on through the years in different capacities until 2018. 

Stillwater Bar & Grill was a ground-floor tenant, shutting down in the spring of 2019 after 15 years in service.