More Italian in store for the former Perbacco space on East 4th Street

Last summer, Perbacco, the well-regarded regional Italian restaurant on East Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, quietly closed its doors.

In the months that followed, we expected to hear more about the situation ... or at least spot a for rent sign on the gate. That never happened.

Now, however, there is an applicant down for a new beer-wine license during this month's CB3-SLA committee meeting on Monday. (This item will not be heard before the committee.)

According to the public documents (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website, an Italian restaurant going by the name of IL Mago is in the works.

The paper work shows 18 tables accommodating 48 diners, with a six-seat bar. The proposed hours are 3 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, with an 11 a.m. opening time on Saturday and Sunday. We don't know anything about the proprietor of the new venture just yet.

Perbacco opened in 2000 at 234 E. Fourth St. People seemed to like it. (In his last review for the Times, Frank Bruni gave it high praise with two stars.)

In May 2014, Perbacco closed for a four-month long revamp that included a new design, menu and focus on wine. They were closed for good within nine months.

Anyway, the December CB3-SLA committee meeting is Monday night at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Perbacco hasn't been open lately

Several readers have told us that the well-regarded regional Italian restaurant on East Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B has been closed of late.

Perbacco was also closed in May 2014, though there was a message on the restaurant's website noting an extensive remodeling. This time, however, the Perbacco website is no longer online … in addition, Open Table isn't currently accepting reservations at this time. There isn't any mention of a closure on the Perbacco Facebook page either.

A revamped Perbacco reopens tonight on East 4th Street

[Image via Perbacco]

Perbacco, the 14-year-old Italian restaurant at 234 E. Fourth St., closed back in the spring "for exciting remodeling" that included a revamped design, menu and focus on wine.

Reps for the restaurant between Avenue A and Avenue B let us know that Perbacco reopens this evening.

A few highlights straight from the official announcement:

• Perbacco will carry an extensive collection of over 80 Italian wines, representing over 20 regions of Italy. There will be more than 40 wines by the glass to choose from…

• The new wine focus is immediately clear even from the décor, from the visually striking back wall of floor-to-ceiling wine bottles behind glass, to the hanging wine glasses above the pewter bar counter by the entrance.

• New Executive Chef Clelia Bendandi will rework the menu into reasonably priced and portioned small plates.

• Perbacco will have over 35 share-able dishes to choose from, covering the traditional Italian categories of aperitivi, primi (pastas), secondi (fish and meats), and dolce (desserts).

• A few signature Perbacco favorites will remain on the menu – such as the Crème brulee di Parmigiano Reggiano with aged spicy balsamic reduction or the Crocchette di Melanzane, eggplant croquettes in fresh bur rata cream.

Perbacco is closed for remodeling

Speaking of wine bars on East Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B… Perbacco has been closed of late. There's no sign up on the gate, which made a few fans of the well-regarded Italian restaurant nervous.

However, the Perbacco website has an announcement explaining that they are closed until later this month "for exciting remodeling."

One thing that we have heard loud and clear from our guests is a rapidly growing interest in wine. In order to cater to this growing interest, we will be putting more of a spotlight on our wine selection. We will even be using a Coravin wine system so that we can offer every single wine in the restaurant by-the-glass (as well as by bottle). This will enable us to introduce new food and wine pairings, flights, even classes!

Without jeopardizing the comfortable ambiance our guests have come to appreciate, we will be putting our wine cellar on display with a stunning glass wall-of-wines, and adding some lounge furniture. Imagine cozy comfort meets contemporary elegance.

The announcement states that Perbacco will reopen "in late May."