La Contrada now open on 2nd Avenue

Several readers, including Vinny & O, who shared these photos, have noted that La Contrada is now open for service on Second Avenue at Fourth Street...





The place is billed as an "Italian American Restaurant and Caterers" ...



The restaurant menu shows a variety of standard pasta, meat and fish offerings...


[Click on image to go big]

They also offer takeout items ... as well as juices and smoothies...



The hours are 8 a.m. to midnight daily.

This southwest corner of Second Avenue and Fourth Street was formerly home to Contrada, Calliope and Belcourt. For now, the Contrada signage remains up.

Please ket us know if you have tried La Contrada.

The former Contrada space remains on the market, though now with less key money

The for rent sign arrived at the former Contrada, the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street, last July.

At there time, the asking asking rent was $16,000 with $200,000 key money.

Now a tipster tells us that the space has a new broker... with a new, slightly higher rent ($16,500 a month) but less in key money ($85,000), according to a new listing.

The prime corner space has seen several concepts in recent years, including Calliope and Belcourt.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Contrada has not been open lately

The former Contrada space is for rent

[Photo by Vinny & O]

Contrada, the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street, quietly closed earlier this month.

Apparently the closure isn't temporary: A for rent sign arrived at the space yesterday,

Per the listing at Alpha Properties, the asking rent is $16,000 with $200,000 key money.

In the spring of 2014, the space evolved from Calliope, a French bistro. Prior to this, Belcourt held forth in the space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Contrada has not been open lately

Contrada has not been open lately

Multiple readers have noted that Contrada, the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street, has been closed since at least Saturday... a look inside reveals a nearly empty space... and someone has removed the Contrada menus from outside...



In addition, the restaurant's phone is temporarily disconnected ... and Open Table isn't accepting any reservations at this time. (There isn't any mention of a vacation or other temporary closure on Contrada's social media properties.) We reached out to proprietor Eric Anderson to see what might be going on with the space.

In the spring of 2014, the space evolved from Calliope, a French bistro, to Contrada... this after the departure of chefs Ginevra Iverson and Eric Korsh in January 2014.

As for Contrada, they were trying to do something different, making connections with the local art community ... including a brunch-time conversation with "Invisible Hand" director Ken Rus Schmoll and a celebration of Dylan Thomas, among other events.

Photos Saturday by Derek Berg

Contrada's artist brunch continues tomorrow with 'Sorry Robot'

[From "Sorry Robot"]

Contrada owner Eric Anderson's Italian restaurant on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street is beginning 2015 the way they ended last year — making a connection with the artistic community.

Previous Contrada events have included "Invisible Hand" director Ken Rus Schmoll and a celebration of Dylan Thomas.

Here's what's happening tomorrow starting at 11:30 a.m. via the EVG inbox...

Join us for a conversation over brunch with playwright Mike Iveson — one of "Downtown's ever shining lights" according to Paper magazine — to discuss his new play "Sorry Robot." He'll be joined by performers Tanya Selvaratnam and Nicky Paraiso, who will jointly act as moderator.

2013 Ethyl Eichelberger Award winner Mike Iveson has written a "spaz opera" with nine original perverse pop songs which together provide a window into the hidden hankerings of robots and humans alike.

"Sorry Robot" is playing at the New Ohio Theater Jan 6-17.

There's no extra charge for the event. Find more details here.

Contrada offers a sneak preview in the former Calliope

As we first pointed out last week, Calliope, the nearly two-year-old French bistro at 84 E. Fourth St. and Second Avenue, has closed … with the ownership promising a quick reboot of the space with a new restaurant called Contrada. (The owners apparently won't need to change the C on the marquee.)

Sure enough, as these reader-submitted photos show, Contrada was open for a sneak preview of sorts this past weekend… apparently they don't have a new liquor license yet. The chalkboard below in the photo is cut off … it reads "They won't let us serve booze yet … but the food is INTOXICATING."



Here is a look at the menu … Contrada is serving food and wine "inspired by the Mediterranean."


[Click on image to enlarge]

Here's the Contrada website with menus and hours. The Contrada Facebook page has some photos of the various dishes and interior.

As for Calliope, Grub Street reported back in January that chefs Ginevra Iverson and Eric Korsh split with the restaurant's financial partner, Eric Anderson.