Plans for fish and meat market, restaurant at 125 First Avenue on hold for now

After reading our post Friday about the future of 100 Avenue A, a few people asked us what was going on with 125 First Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Previously, the space had been home to a hookah bar and before that Prana, the health food shop.

As you may recall, there were plans in January 2012 to open a fish/meat market-restaurant concept here. (Read our post on it here.) CB3 later OK'd a liquor license for the applicants, a group that included Ray LeMoine, an owner of the late Bowery Beef inside the Bowery Poetry Club.

Nothing much has happened to the space the past year, save the arrival of more stickers and graffiti. We asked LeMoine for an update.

"A piece of the financing fell apart but we'd still like to do the project," LeMoine said, adding that he has been focusing his attention of late on Heathers, the bar on East 13th Street that he and his partners took over last summer.

He also said that they would likely try something aside from the seafood concept. Recent seafood arrivals include Lobster Joint and Bait & Hook, among others ... not to mention Union Market...

Maybe we'll revive those Starbucks-for-this-space rumors from 2010!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Fish and meat market, restaurant in the works for First Avenue

Fish and meat market, restaurant in the works for First Avenue

There are big plans in the works for the former Revitali Hookah Lounge‎ at 125 First Ave. between St. Mark's and Seventh Street... Ray LeMoine, an owner of the late Bowery Beef inside the Bowery Poetry Club, is one of the proprietors behind a fish market/retail shop/restaurant in the works for this storefront.

We asked LeMoine via email the other day to explain a little about the concept. Fish monger and retail shop by day, restaurant by night?

Not exactly. We have a hallway entrance that would make a fine small market. We love Commodities up the block, but they mainly do greens and health food. There's no seafood market in the East Village, save our enemies at Whole Foods. The company has a dock behind my dad's house in Gloucester, MA. Both the Whole Foods on Houston and 14th have signs on the wall saying they sell a lot of fish from Gloucester. They don't. We will. And meat too.

Anyway, the market will lead to a kitchen and dining area with seating for 60 or so. The final concept is still fluid. Our new partner is Mitch Zukor, a local gent who always came into Bowery Beef. Talking to him, we learned his younger brother was hardcore punk legend Jay Anarchy of the NYHC Youth Crew.

Food-wise, assume a lot of the market's products will hit the menu. We're talking to some young chefs. It will be a chef-driven menu serving three meals. Lunch, we'll serve the beef again at $5, plus other deli-style items. Dinner, we have some ideas, but the chef will create the menu. Front of house, we have ex-Blue Ribbon and Blue Hill folks. Assume we're entering our blue period, but no more Blue Bottle coffee.

We have a cultural component too, like we did with Beef at Bowery Poetry Club. I can't say the whos and whats yet.

Here's what the place looks like inside these days...

LeMoine and his partners, Mike Herman and Mitch Zukor, are having an open house tonight and Thursday from 6-8 for anyone in the neighborhood with ideas and concerns.

They will appear before the CB3/SLA committee for a liquor license on Jan. 9.

[All photos by Kathy Grayon]