Penny Farthing sibling Linen Hall now open on Third Avenue

Here we are at the former Cosmic Cantina space on Third Avenue... The Penny Farthing owners have taken over the space... and it's open... CB3/SLA OK'd all this in November 2010, as Eater reported.

Don't know much about how this place is different from the Penny Farthing next door. (Never been to Penny Farthing.) Early word on Linen Hall: Neighborhoodr called it "very nice" and a "welcome addition to the hood."

The East Village gets two new sidewalk cafes

Also on the CB3/SLA agenda last night — two applications for sidewalk cafes..... First up, Penny Farthing on Third Avenue and 13th Street.... The former restaurant here, Cafe DeVille, had a sidewalk cafe...In addition to nine tables (18 seats) on Third Avenue, Penny Farthing will have four tables (eight seats) on 13th Street.... The hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursdays; to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Not much discussion... People seem to like this place... and it was quickly approved....

Then! Team DBGB took the stand, the lawyers with by far the best-looking suits in the audience. (Actually only one lawyer took the stand; the other two sat in the back.) Head DBGBer Daniel Boulud was not in attendance, by the way... So the DBGB sidewalk cafe plans to have 15 tables (30 seats) on the Bowery... with some kind of self-supporting grates as barriers... Hours of operation: Noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; till midnight on Friday and Saturday; and 10 p.m. on Sunday.

The committee quickly gave their approval, with someone even throwing in a gratuitous Daniel Boulud compliment...

So far so good at The Penny Farthing, but how about the possible not-actually-secret secret downstairs lounge?

EV Grieve reader Margaret decided to stop by The Penny Farthing last evening ... it's new place on the southeast corner of 13th Street and Third Avenue....it was the former Cafe DeVille, who never returned from vacation last summer.

Here's what she had to say:

"[T]hey've definitely reimagined the space. In the old cafe, the bar seemed pretty secondary, but it seems pretty front and center now.

Right in the middle is a large table, and it looks like they've partitioned off some tables for diners over on the left. The old
bicycle wheels are definitely up, as is a decent draft/bottled beer list.

The hostess said the downstairs area is not open yet, as it's more for the Thursday through Saturday night crowd. My fingers are crossed that a "Thursday night crowd" does not mean frat-tactic. The people there tonight definitely seemed a little more mature, so maybe there is hope! And there are 4ish large TVs up in the space. Interesting mix of bar and restaurant, that's for sure.

And the menu....



And what about that "downstairs area?"

"There's now a sign on the door to it on 13th that says 'PF 13,' which makes me think it's going to try to be the new not-actually-secret secret place.'"

(Updated) A Penny Farthing for your thoughts

[Apologies for that headline!] Next door to Cosmic Cantina we have Penny Farthing (named for an old-timey bicycle) in the former Cafe DeVille space looking very ready for action...





As Grub Street reported, it will have a "very industrial but comfortable atmosphere" courtesy of the folks behind Phebe's. How many times did someone proofread those signs to make sure that no one wrote Penny Farting?

The signs went up on Friday... and I spotted a bread delivery out front on Sunday morning... perhaps Opening Day is imminent.



Eater reports that Penny Farting opens tonight... and they'll be serving Appletinis and stuff.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's Penny-farthing on Third Avenue, not a sports bar

At the former Cafe DeVille, the black plastic goes up, the dead potted plants go out