Foul Witch is the new restaurant from the Roberta's team on Avenue A

Foul Witch is the name of the new wine bar-restaurant concept from the Roberta's team, opening soon at 15 Avenue A. (Updated: now open. Here's an Eater review.)

Signage is up now in the window here between Houston and Second Street. An EVG reader also spotted an Instagram account for Foul Witch. 

The team behind Roberta's and Blanca, Carlo Mirarchi and Brandon Hoy, had previously unveiled plans for a new establishment at the address. (First reported in September 2019.)

Foul Witch isn't a new name for the two: In May 2018, they unveiled Foul Witch by Blanca as part of the Frieze art fair at Randall's Island Park. As Eater reported at the time: "The 70-seat restaurant will have an all-day menu of natural wines and dishes like wagyu tartar, scallop ceviche, and a double cheeseburger."

Community Board 3 approved a beer-wine location for the ground floor last September. The minutes from that meeting show that the unnamed (at the time) establishment would have 12 tables and 44 seats with one 12-foot L-shaped bar with four chairs. Hours of operation were listed as 11 a.m. to midnight, with "Italian food prepared in a full kitchen, serving food during all hours of operation, no televisions, and ambient recorded background music."

As we've been reporting, the building received a vertical extension with two new floors, moving from four to six, dating back to 2020.

No word on an opening date for Foul Witch, which currently has some help-wanted listings posted. The EVG reader also saw workers loading food from a Roberta's truck yesterday morning.

Full reveal at 15 Avenue A

Workers removed the plywood from outside the gut-renovated and taller 15 Avenue A on Monday... revealing the building's entrance and retail space here between First Street and Second Street ... 

As previously reported, the currently vacant building received a vertical extension with two new floors, moving from four to six... with five residential units (likely condos) in the making.

The new retail tenant is expected to be a wine bar/restaurant from Bushwick-based pizzeria Roberta's. (First reported in September 2019.)

Community Board 3 approved a beer-wine location for the ground floor back in September. The minutes from that meeting show that Roberta's will have 12 tables and 44 seats with one 12-foot L-shaped bar with four seats. Hours of operation were listed as 11 a.m. to midnight, with "Italian food (pizza, pasta) prepared in a full kitchen, serving food during all hours of operation, no televisions, and ambient recorded background music."

The retail space at 15 Avenue A was previously the Family Dental Center, which moved down to Essex Street in 2017. The building changed hands in early 2018 for $4.3 million, per public records. Z+G Property Group is the landlord.

All-new 15 Avenue A REVEALED; Roberta's outpost slated for the retail space

Late last week, workers removed the scaffolding and construction netting from the under-renovation 15 Avenue A... here's a look at the taller building now between First Street and Second Street...

As previously reported, the currently vacant building received a vertical extension with two new floors, moving from four to six... with five residential units (likely condos) in the making.

The new retail tenant is expected to be a wine bar-restaurant from Bushwick-based pizzeria Roberta's. (First reported in September 2019.)

Community Board 3 approved a beer-wine location for the ground floor back in September. The minutes from that meeting show that this Roberta's will have 12 tables and 44 seats with one 12-foot L-shaped bar with four seats. Hours of operation were listed as 11 a.m. to midnight, with "Italian food (pizza, pasta, and salumi) prepared in a full kitchen, serving food during all hours of operation, no televisions, and ambient recorded background music."

The retail space at 15 Avenue A was previously the Family Dental Center, which moved down to Essex Street in 2017. The building changed hands in early 2018 for $4.3 million, per public records. Z+G Property Group is the landlord.

Who's NOT on tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Roberta's Pizza, Spiegel

CB's SLA committee meets tonight... as of now, five applicants will be appearing before the group. 

Meanwhile, several applicants are no longer on tonight's docket... including two of particular interest. One is Spiegel ... multiple tipsters told us at the start of the summer that the cafe is returning to its former home at 26 First Ave. at Second Street ...

Expect to see them another month as they apply for a new liquor license for the corner space. (They previously had a full liquor license until they closed at some point during the pandemic.) 

Also no longer on tonight's agenda — Roberta's Pizza.

As previously reported, 15 Avenue A between Houston and Second Street is undergoing a vertical expansion.

The new retail tenant was expected to be a wine bar from Bushwick-based pizzeria Roberta's.

Chef-owner Carlo Mirarchi told Grub Street in September 2019 that they were going to open what he called Roberta's Wine Bar.

However, nothing more was ever mentioned about the project, and it was unknown if those plans were moving forward. Obviously so with the application for a new liquor license. (The retail space at 15 Avenue A was previously the Family Dental Center, which moved down to Essex Street in 2017.)

Roberta's got its start in Bushwick in 2008. As Eater noted, Roberta's had been on an expansion kick, with openings in several food halls, and adding two locations in Los Angeles and one in Williamsburg ... not to mention its frozen pizza business ... and burger joint.

Bushwick-based pizzeria Roberta's coming to Avenue A

Roberta's is opening a full-service restaurant on Avenue A due to debut in the spring.

According to the Commercial Observer, who first reported the news yesterday, Roberta's signed a 15-year lease for the 1,300 square-foot retail space at 15 Avenue A between First Street and Second Street.

And per the Observer:

“Both residents and destination diners in the East Village will be excited by this long-awaited expansion of a beloved brand,” Lee & Associates’ Jaime Schultz said in a statement. “Situated right where the East Village meets the Lower East Side, this new Roberta’s location is guaranteed to see lines every day of the week.”

Yay, lines!

Roberta's got its start in Bushwick in 2008. As Eater noted, Roberta's has been on an expansion kick, with openings in several food halls, and adding two locations in Los Angeles and one in Williamsburg ... not to mention its frozen pizza business.

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Updated 2 p.m.

Grub Street has more details...

[C]hef-owner Carlo Mirarchi has confirmed to Grub that they’ll be opening what he calls Roberta’s Wine Bar. In an email, he writes that there will be wines “from some of our favorite producers. Lots of mags, lots of fun.”

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The retail space at 15 Avenue A was previously the Family Dental Center, which moved down to Essex Street in 2017. The retail listing at the time noted that this would be a "great location" for a restaurant.

Meanwhile, there are approved plans (as of Aug. 6) on file with the city for a gut renovation and extension of the currently vacant building. No. 15 will receive two new floors, moving from four to six... with five residential units (likely condos) in the making.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Avenue A dental center is 'great location for restaurant'