The Wild Son shapes up on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

You may have noticed the fresh coat of paint and storefront renovations happening over at the southeast corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place ...



As we reported back on March 18, Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall are opening an outpost of their Chelsea cafe the Wild Son here at 132 First Ave.

The EV Wild Son will be open all day for breakfast and lunch, with dinner-drinks in the evening.

No word on an opening date.

Ceraso and Mendenhall's other local establishments include the Wayland (Avenue C), Good Night Sonny (across St. Mark's Place) and the Lost Lady (Avenue C). They also have designs on the former Mr. White's space on St. Mark's Place.

At No. 132, the Rolling Stones-themed Waiting on a Friend briefly took a turn here last fall after taking over the space from Colibri and VBar, whose original 10-year lease had expired.

Previously on Ev Grieve:
Team behind the Wayland and the Wild Son eye St. Mark's Place for 2 restaurants

Plans for an East Village outpost of the Wild Son moving forward; steakhouse no go for St. Mark's Place

[Photo of 132 1st Ave. yesterday by Steven]

As we reported back on March 19, Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall are planning to open an outpost of their Chelsea cafe the Wild Son at 132 First Ave. at St. Mark's Place.

CB3's SLA committee gave their approval for a new liquor license on March 19.

The current tenant in this corner space, the Rolling Stones-themed Waiting on a Friend, which opened back in the fall (taking over the space from Colibri and VBar before that), is expected to close after Thursday.

The EV Wild Son will be open all day for breakfast and lunch, with dinner-drinks in the evening.

Meanwhile, Ceraso and Mendenhall, whose East Village credits include the Wayland on Avenue C and Good Night Sonny on First Avenue at St Mark's Place, had planned for a steakhouse at the former Mr. White space at 123 St. Mark's Place.

However, as Eater reported yesterday, CB3's SLA committee nixed a full-liquor request for that spot between Avenue A and First Avenue.

So, per Eater:

They felt the steakhouse concept would only work with a full liquor license and are now pivoting to something that could work with just wine and beer, Ceraso says. That idea is still in development and moving forward with the location is not a definite yet according to Ceraso. He also says plans for a steakhouse are on hold since it would require finding a new space.

So for now No. 123 will remain empty...


[The former Mr. White on St. Mark's Place]

Previously on Ev Grieve:
Team behind the Wayland and the Wild Son eye St. Mark's Place for 2 restaurants

Team behind the Wayland and the Wild Son eye St. Mark's Place for 2 restaurants

[The former Mr. White on St. Mark's Place]

Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall have plans to open two restaurants on St. Mark's Place.

This duo behind the Wayland (Avenue C), Good Night Sonny (First Avenue and St. Mark's Place), the Lost Lady (Avenue C) and the Wild Son (West Little 12th Street) are on tonight's CB3-SLA agenda for two spaces between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Ceraso provided a quick recap of what they have lined up...

123 St. Mark's Place, the former Mr. White

"We are planning an American grill with our partner Chad Shaner as the executive chef. Chad is an alum of Gotham Bar and Grill and Union Square Cafe and most recently with his own restaurant, Freeks Mill in Brooklyn," Ceraso said. "The grill will focus more on naturally raised meats and steaks."


[Photo by Steven]

The unnamed-for-now restaurant has proposed hours of 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., according to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website. The space will accommodate 20 tables for up to 50 diners as well as an eight-seat bar.

Mr. White, the upscale, New Orleans-themed restaurant, closed in January after less than a year in business.

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[132 1st Ave.]

132 First Ave., former VBar, current Waiting on a Friend

On the southeast corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place, Ceraso is planning on a second location of his all-day restaurant, the Wild Son, which opened on the West Side near the High Line in June 2016.

Ceraso said the Wild Son "focuses on vegetable-driven small plates, salads, sandwiches and homemade pastas at night and breakfast/brunch foods all day seven days a week in the mornings and afternoons."

As such, the proposed hours are 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, per the questionnaire on the CB3 website.

Here's a look at the evening menu...


[Click for more detail]

The owner of the building, who was born and raised on St. Mark's Place, "was adamant that she didn’t want a nightlife concept there, so the Wild Son was a perfect fit," he said. (In addition, a partner in this project is also the GM across the street at Good Night Sonny who lives on the block "and is always available to oversee the goings on.")

The Rolling Stones-themed Waiting on a Friend opened back in the fall, taking over the space from Colibri and VBar before that. The Vbar's original 10-year lease is expiring.

Back to Ceraso and his plans: "We think that the two concepts really balance each other out and we’re excited to be able to bring both to the block."

The CB3-SLA meeting is tonight at 6:30. The location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.