Veselka looks to add full liquor license at longtime East Village home

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

East Village institution Veselka is seeking a full liquor license for its longtime Second Avenue and Ninth Street location. 

Jason Birchard, the third-generation owner of the East Village institution, told us the decision follows the success of Veselka's full liquor program at its Williamsburg outpost.

Birchard will appear before Community Board 3's SLA Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee on Jan. 12 to make the request. 

Birchard said the plan is for a small, food-complementary liquor program — not a full bar. 

"Nothing large," he said. "Just a complement to the beer and wine we have now. Maybe a Bloody Mary, a seasonal cocktail, some cordials, and special Ukrainian vodka that's hard to find here." 

Veselka has operated with a beer and wine license at the East Village location for more than 30 years, Birchard noted, and is in good standing with the SLA. 

He said the move is partly about staying competitive in the neighborhood as costs continue to rise. Birchard also said the restaurant is exploring a return to late-night hours — potentially 2 a.m., 4 a.m., or even overnight service on weekends — though staffing challenges remain a factor. 

As for drinks, Birchard said Veselka has experimented with cocktails before, including a Bloody Mary collaboration at the former Bowery location and a beet martini, and he's open to bringing those ideas back.

The Williamsburg menu offers a preview of what could come to the East Village, including cocktails made with Ukrainian horilka, beet juice and sour cherry syrup. 

There are no plans for a separate bar or dedicated bartender at the Second Avenue location. Any cocktails would be prepared through the existing service bar and added directly to the menu.

Birchard also emphasized there would be no "boozy brunch," though a simple cocktail option with brunch could be available.

Residents say ‘do not disturb’ to Holiday Inn rooftop bar proposal on the Lower East Side

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated 12/9: CB's SLA Committee denied this application during the Dec. 8 meeting.

Residents on the Lower East Side are speaking out against a proposal to add a rooftop bar to the Holiday Inn at 150 Delancey St., ahead of the hotel's appearance before Community Board 3's SLA Committee tonight. 

In a letter submitted to CB3, neighbors say the plan — an alteration to the hotel's existing liquor license — would bring unwanted noise and late-night activity to an area that is already heavily burdened by nightlife.

According to the hotel's questionnaire, the rooftop bar and dining area would feature 12 tables with four seats each, 15 bar seats, and six booth seats. The proposed hours are noon to 11 p.m. daily. 

Residents note that a similar rooftop request at this location was rejected a decade ago, and they argue that conditions on Suffolk Street, a primarily residential corridor, have only worsened since. They point to ongoing issues with nearby rooftop venues/horror shows such as The DL, Hotel Chantelle, Mr. Purple and The Delancey. 

The letter outlines several concerns: 

• Noise: A rooftop bar four stories above homes could affect an estimated 1,000 residents between Delancey and Rivington. 

• Nightlife saturation: Neighbors say the area is already oversaturated with bars and clubs, triggering CB3's policy requiring clear public benefit for any expansion — something opponents say this proposal lacks. 

• Safety and congestion: Residents cite crowding, sanitation problems and sidewalk congestion on the narrow block. 

The letter concludes by urging CB3 to once again deny the rooftop request, saying the hotel's indoor basement and ground-floor bars are already sufficient and far more appropriate for the area. 

Resident Pam Ito, whose building abuts the Holiday Inn — now undergoing exterior maintenance — invited EVG over to show what the situation looks like (and sounds like). Residents like Ito were here before the hotel arrived in 2013.

... and the section of the roof slated for the proposed outdoor bar.

For Ito and her neighbors, it's a reminder of how close — and how loud — any rooftop activity would be.

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

New Korean–Italian restaurant seeking beer & wine license at former Black Seed bagels space

A new restaurant is in the works for 176 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street, where Black Seed Bagels operated for a decade. 

Moim Hospitality LLC — led by chef-owner Sechul Yang, whose résumé includes working in the kitchens at Gramcery Tavern, Oiji Mi and Maialino — will appear before CB3's SLA Committee tonight to request a beer-and-wine license for the address. 

According to the application materials, the yet-to-be-named spot is proposed as a Korean-Italian restaurant, serving daily from 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Wednesday and until 1 a.m. Thursday–Saturday. 

The plans show 12 tables, a 10-seat bar, and a full kitchen offering handmade pastas, Korean dishes and a mix of small plates. 

The applicant notes that alcohol service will include a small, curated wine list, beer, and house-infused soju, and that "alcohol is always secondary to food," with the restaurant pledging to follow all SLA and CB3 guidelines regarding hours, noise and usage. 

On the application, Yang said he aims to create a "quiet, community-oriented neighborhood restaurant" geared toward local residents and families. 

Black Seed had retained much of the charm of its predecessor, DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffè, the family-run bakery that occupied the space for 110 years before closing in December 2014. 

Hopefully, the new operators will do the same. 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

A new chapter on Avenue A: Café-bookstore proposed for the former 7-Eleven

There's a new storyline unfolding at 170 Avenue A and 11th Street, where the former 7-Eleven could – what? — potentially become a Paris-inspired café and bookstore.

According to the application on file at Community Board 3, the space will be modeled after European book cafés that double as gathering places for people who want to "participate in intelligent conversations about history, current events and great works of literature past and present," per a letter to local community groups and block associations. Expect author readings, book clubs and other events. 

The café menu will include breakfast pastries, sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, and desserts. The ground-floor space (2,684 square feet) is slated for eight tables (16 seats) and an 18-seat bar (beer and wine) ... for  34 seats in total. 

Background music will play during the day, with occasional acoustic live performances. Hours are proposed as 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, and until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. There are no outdoor areas.

The owner, Marianna Vaidman Stone, a lifelong New Yorker with a JD from NYU Law and a background in city government and nonprofit work, says she aims to create a welcoming neighborhood spot.

She previously tried for space on Bleecker Street near the Bowery, but those plans didn't move forward.

Community Board 3's Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee will hear this and other applications Monday evening at 6:30. 

The 7-Eleven closed last November after 11 years. The owner told EVG's Stacie Joy that rampant theft was the cause of the closure. 

Before its transformation into a suburban convenience store, the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street was home to Bar on A, which closed in August 2012.

On the CB3 SLA docket in October: A country buffet from the C as in Charlie and Kisa team

In August, the owners of C as in Charlie and Kisa reportedly signed a 10-year lease at 166 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

On Monday night, reps for the hospitality group will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee for a new liquor license. 

According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, the still unnamed concept with seats for 60 diners will feature a "country buffet" priced at $25.99. 

The application includes a sample menu with some buffet faves...

Given the popularity of the food at C as in Charlie and Kisa, this may usher in a new era for buffets. 

C as in Charlie opened at 5 Bleecker St., just west of the Bowery, in 2022, while the Korean diner Kisa debuted last year on the SW corner of Allen and Houston. 

The bistro-bar Ferns closed at 166 First Ave. in February after more than seven years in business. 

CB3's SLA meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public. The first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, will be accommodated.

Former Good Beer space 0n 9th Street may yield a cafe-bar

A new cafe-bar called Cahoots NYC is in the works for 422 E. Ninth St., between Avenue A and First Avenue. (H/T Steven!)

The applicants, listed as Cheyenne Garcia and Daniel Frehner, who have experience working at establishments in Portsmouth, N.H., are scheduled to appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee on Oct. 20 to seek a liquor license for the space. 

The application on file for the public shows 13 tables with seating for 38, and proposed hours of operation from 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. 

The application includes a sample menu featuring various pastries and sandwiches as well as breakfast fare such as a granola bowl and avocado toast...

Good Beer, a shop-and-bar hailed as a craft beer pioneer, closed here in 2022.

CB3's SLA meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public. The first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, will be accommodated.

A quick look at the May CB3 SLA agenda

Community Board 3's SLA Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee meets tonight. 

We've covered two of the big-ticket items already: Corner Bistro exploring an outpost on Avenue A and Sixth Street ... and the Penny-Claude team looking at possibly opening a new cafe on 12th Street at Third Avenue. 

Here are a few other items of possible interest...

New Liquor License Applications 

• Time Out New York (Manhattan) LLC, 124 E 14th St (op) 

As we reported in late March, Time Out Market, Union Square, is opening a food hall on the ground floor of Zero Irving (formerly the Union Square Tech Training Center, 14 @ Irving, and tech hub) at 124 E. 14th St. (pictured above)

Here are details from Time Out on what to expect: 

The 10,000-square-foot market hall will soon house seven kitchens, a fully-stocked bar and a stage set to host talent and performances from local artists. The 300-seat space will also feature an outdoor terrace. The new destination will build upon the legacy of Time Out Markets across the world — all with the mission of featuring the city’s best and up-and-coming culinary and cultural talents. 

You can look at the questionnaire here to see more details. There is a list of potential vendors (some of which are possibly aspirational) that you will recognize. The market plans to open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with an 11 p.m. weekend close. 

Time Out currently has 10 similar markets worldwide, including a 24,000-foot converted warehouse that opened in 2019 in Dumbo. 

The now-closed Urbanspace Union Square had its food hall here after a December 2022 debut. 

• Village East by Angelika (Citadel Cinemas Inc), 181-189 2nd Ave (upgrade to op)

The theater is looking to upgrade its license from beer-wine to full liquor. (They received the OK for the beer-wine in late 2021.) The paperwork shows that there won't be any bar seating but a concession stand for someone to purchase a drink to bring into the auditorium. (There is also an expanded food menu that includes items like flatbread pizza.) 

Many local theaters, including Metrograph and those operated by AMC or Regal, have alcohol sales — a standard practice now to help with revenue shortfalls at a time when people's moviegoing habits have changed coming out of the pandemic. 

In January 2021, the State Liquor Authority ruled that movie theaters could now apply for beer and wine licenses, with consumption allowed in seats — not just from a lobby bar-cafe... ending a years-long debate about alcohol in theaters. 

Items not heard at Committee

• Blue Dimsum NY LLC, 19 St Marks Pl (wb) 

According to the paperwork on the CB3 website, the owners of Mountain House East Village are changing concepts at 19-23 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

The new place will be Blue Dimsum. There isn't any other info about it in the paperwork. 

Mountain House, which has received positive notices via The New Yorker and The Times, opened here in late 2017. 

You can visit the CB3 website for the list of restaurants and bars looking to open a sidewalk or roadway cafe. These items will NOT be heard before the committee. 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Owners of Penny and Claud looking at 12th Street space for possible new project

Updated: A spokesperson said the restaurateurs "are just exploring the 139 E. 12th St. space, and a lease has not yet been signed."

As we've noted elsewhere, an application doesn't guarantee a concept will move forward — as we saw in December 2023 with the Paulie Gee's outpost that never materialized at 107 First Ave., now home to Adda Indian Canteen (among other examples).

------

Joshua Pinsky and Chase Sinzer, partners in the acclaimed 10th Street restaurants Claud and Penny, have plans for a new wine bar called Cache, two blocks north of their current establishments. 

The two have applied for a tavern wine license for 139 E. 12th St. at Third Avenue, a small space with four tables for 14 diners and a bar with four seats. 

There's an equally small French-inspired menu, as seen on the application on the Community Board 3 website ...

Given the method of operation, the applicants will not appear before CB3's SLA committee when it meets on May 19. 

Pinsky and Sinzer opened Penny, a raw bar and seafood counter, in March 2024, a flight of steps above Claud at 90 E. 10th St., which opened in September 2023 between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. 

The last tenant here on 12th Street, Tacombi, closed for renovations last September and never reopened.

This hasn't been the easiest spot to make work for any length of time. Other recent casualties include iSouvlaki and Greekito. The Wayside lasted six years. 

A quick look at the March CB3 SLA agenda

Photo of 215 E. 4th St. by Stacie Joy 

Here's a look at a few of the East Village addresses on tonight's CB3 SLA committee meeting agenda: 

New Liquor License Applications 

• 20 Blocks (Empty Lunchbox LLC), 215 E 4th St (wb) 

A sandwich shop called 20 Blocks is planned for the former home of ZAKAYA NYC between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The online questionnaire for the beer-wine license describes the place as "a sandwich shop serving up original classics: the food & drink you know and love, but with a twist. The best sandwiches by a mile." (Traveling 20 blocks north-south in downtown Manhattan is roughly 20 blocks.) 

The sample menu includes various sandwiches with eggs, fried fish, lamb shoulder, and broccoli rabe, as well as sides such as long beans, sweet potato chips, and potato salad. 

The proprietors, Willy Corman and Jack August, previously held pop-ups in community gardens "with a new chef and a new menu" every week. According to the application materials, proceeds went to the garden. 

Proposed hours: Sunday to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to midnight with a 2 a.m. close on other nights. 

• Wilka's NYC LLC, 241 Bowery (op) 

Wilka's Sports Bar, 241 Bowery between Stanton and Rivington, will be dedicated to broadcasting women's sports. We wrote about it here. Find the Wilka's CB3 questionnaire here. 

• Baja and Humans LLC, 195 Ave A (aka 441 E 12th St) (wb) 

This is for the new owner of the dog cafe Boris & Horton. We wrote about the new owner here. The CB3 questionnaire is available at this link. 

Items not heard at Committee 

• Metrograph LLC, 7 Ludlow St (op/method of operation: change to allow patrons to take alcohol into movie screening area)

Metrograph moviegoers will now be permitted to take an alcoholic drink into the theater's two auditoriums... a standard practice now at most theaters with a liquor license. (RIP Sunshine.)

The theater, between Hester and Canal on the Lower East Side, has a lobby bar-cafe and the commissary on the second floor. 

Dining Out NYC — Not heard at Committee 

Under the city's new Dining Out NYC program, enclosed, year-round roadway dining structures are no longer permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle. 

Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. Sidewalk cafes are permitted year-round. (ICYMI: C&B Cafe on Seventh Street participated in a pop-up event on Friday afternoon to help advocate for year-round outdoor dining.)

Restaurants had to apply for the license with the DOT, which apparently required a local community board sign-off. 

These establishments within the confines of Community Board 3 are on the March agenda... 

• Gnoccheria by Luzzo's (Italian Essenza Corp), 234 E 4th St (Roadway Cafe) 

• Victoria! (Moneygoround Inc), 235 Eldridge St (Roadway Cafe) 

• Phebe's (East Pub Inc), 359 Bowery (Roadway Cafe) 

• Dream Baby (162-4 Ave B Bar, Inc) 162 Ave B (Roadway Cafe) 

• Non LA (NonLA LLC), 128 E 4th St (Roadway Cafe) 

• 7th Street Burger (TPK Holdings LLC), 91 E 7th St (Roadway Cafe) 

• Westville (Westville Restaurant, Inc), 173 Ave A (Roadway Cafe) 

• Westville (Westville Restaurant, Inc), 173 Ave A (Sidewalk Cafe) 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

A quick look at the February CB3 SLA agenda

Here's a look at a few of the East Village addresses on tonight's CB3 SLA committee meeting agenda:

 

New Liquor License Applications 

• Andy's Burros LLC, 5 St Marks Pl, as seen above, (op) 

The owners of Taqueria St. Marks Place (and several other similar restaurants) between First Avenue and Second Avenue are behind Andy's Burros one block to the west. 

The application describes a Mexican restaurant selling burritos, burrito bowls, beer, and margaritas, with 11 tables for 34 guests, a few steps down from the sidewalk at 5 St. Mark's Place. 

You can find a PDF of their questionnaire, which includes a sample menu, here. 

• At Cave (At Cave LLC), 103 E 2nd St (op) 

This is a holdover from last month... an Asian-fusion restaurant, At Cave, is looking to take over a vacant retail space at 103 E. Second St., between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

A questionnaire can be found at this link. 

• 5's (Dunne Hospitality LLC), 179 Ave B (op) 

5's is the name of the proposed new restaurant for the long-empty retail space on the east side of Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street.

According to the questionnaire on the CB3 website, 5's will offer "a seasonal and produce-driven menu will be inspired by the flavors of Asia." Apparently, they will only serve five food items, five specialty cocktails, five draft beers, five canned beers, and five wines.

The layout will feature five communal bar tables seating up to 40 guests. 

Guac was the last tenant at No. 179, closing in the fall of 2019. 

Items not heard at Committee

• Conway Diner Inc, 80 2nd Ave (wb) 

Conway Diner, which received conditional approval for a beer-wine license, is now in soft-open mode between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

New owners have taken over the short-lived Sunday Dreamin, billing the business as an Asian American diner. Menu items include fish and chips, New York strip steak, fried calamari and spicy mussels. 

Per an Instagram post, they are offering 15% off all menu items through Feb. 15.

• Twilight Lounge Corp, 110 1st Ave (wb) 

Twilight Lounge will offer Asian cuisine, per its application for a beer-wine license for the former Sushi Dojo space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Dining Out NYC - Not heard at Committee 

Under the city's new Dining Out NYC program, enclosed, year-round roadway dining structures are no longer permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle. 

Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. (Sidewalk cafes are permitted year-round.) Restaurants had to apply for the license with the DOT, which apparently required a local community board sign-off. 

These establishments within the confines of Community Board 3 are on the February agenda... 

• Lil Frankie's Pizza (Just an Oven Corp), 19 1st Ave (Roadway Cafe) 

• Lil Frankie's Pizza (Just an Oven Corp), 19 1st Ave (Sidewalk Cafe) 

• A'more Caffe (Sumone Cafe Inc), 150 E 2nd St. (Roadway Cafe)

• Supper (Raguboy Corporation), 156 E 2nd St (Roadway Cafe) 

• The Immigrant NYC (The Immigrant Wine Bar LLC), 341 E 9th St (Roadway Cafe) 

• Penny Farthing Restaurant (East County Louth Inc), 103 3rd Ave (Roadway Cafe)

• Miss Lily's 7A (Seven A Cafe Inc), 109 Ave A (Roadway Cafe) 

• Miss Lily's 7A (Seven A Cafe Inc), 109 Ave A (Sidewalk Cafe)

• Horus Cafe (Elsayed III Corp), 293 E 10th St (Roadway Cafe)

• Horus Cafe (Elsayed III Corp), 293 E 10th St (Sidewalk Cafe) 

Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Café at Atelier Jolie on Great Jones Street seeks beer-wine license

Eat Offbeat, the café in the back of Atelier Jolie on Great Jones Street, is seeking a beer-wine license for its business between the Bowery and Lafayette.

Reps for Atelier Jolie/Eat Offbeat will appear before Community Board 2 this evening. Here's a PDF of the questionnaire. 

The café, open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., serves coffee, pastries, and lighter fare. The organization, which hires refugees from around the globe, also has a Chelsea Market outpost. 

Eat Offbeat debuted in early December, right when we took these photos (they've added a table that seats 5-6 since these pics)...

We had a choice cup of Turkish coffee and a piece of baklava. The space is nice, though it's not designed for people to sit around for hours. We returned around the December holidays for another cup of Turkish coffee, and the café was full as word spread about its existence. 

The back of the ground-floor space was previously home to Bohemian, an invite-only Japanese restaurant that provided some snobby intrigue for food writers 10-plus years ago. 

Angelina Jolie opened Atelier Jolie here last December. The creative collective offers a platform for customers to collaborate with tailors, artisans, and designers. The two-level building has an atelier on the second floor and a retail outlet on the ground floor. 

The building is an art-world landmark that attracts new wheat pastes and stickers daily. Jean-Michel Basquiat lived and worked in the upper level of the carriage house from 1983 to the time of his death in 1988. Andy Warhol was a previous owner. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Angelina Jolie is creating a collaborative space for designers and artisans in Basquiat's former studio on Great Jones Street

On the CB3 docket tonight: a new era for Lucy's, another operator for Lamia's Fish Market

Top photo by Lola Sáenz 

As we reported on Aug. 1, Lucy's new owners will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this month. 

The owners of Golden Age Hospitality, whose portfolio includes establishments like Le Dive and Deux Chats, seek to take over Lucy's, the decades-old Avenue A favorite owned by Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius that has been closed since late November. Find more background at this link. (FYI: The plans call for Lucy to continue to have a presence at the bar.)

As a reminder, the meeting is tonight at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

Another East Village item of interest concerns 47 Avenue B, where, apparently, Lamia's Fish Market will not reopen. The restaurant has been closed since June for "maintenance."

An entity known as Fisherman Hospitality Group Inc. seeks to take over the space between Third Street and Fourth Street that workers recently painted. (Photo below by Stacie Joy.)

The questionnaire (PDF here) for the new seafood restaurant is on the CB3 website. 

A few more details on the future of East Village classic bar Lucy's

Photo of Lucy's interior last night by Stacie Joy

The new owners of Lucy's will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this month.

As we reported in May, the owners of Golden Age Hospitality, whose portfolio includes establishments like Le Dive, The Happiest Hour and Deux Chats, seek to take over Lucy's, the decades-old Avenue A favorite owned by Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius that has been closed since late November. 

However, Golden Age withdrew their application before the May meeting, and it happened again in June, per public records. This is not uncommon and can mean anything from the paperwork not being in yet to the applicant still negotiating a lease with the landlord. 

The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website for public viewing (PDF here) ahead of the meeting on Aug. 19 shows that the trade name would remain Lucy's with the same hours — 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. 

The questionnaire packet includes a letter from Golden Age Hospitality CEO Jon Neidich to the local block association. The letter reads in part: 

While we are taking over the operation of the bar, our involvement is solely premised on preserving an East Village institution: Lucy herself will very much still be a part of this project (and will still be behind the bar!). We will not be changing the concept or design of the space (we will be adding some soundproofing in the ceiling and an ADA bathroom). 

The floor plan shows the same configuration with two pool tables, etc. The storage space behind the pool tables will be a prep area for the limited menu with five sandwich offerings. (There's a BLT, turkey club, croque monsieur, etc.)

Several tipsters have told us Neidich was a big fan of Lucy's and interested in buying the bar. (We're told Neidich once lived in the apartments above the bar at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.)

During several conversations in February, Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that she had many potential suitors for the bar and may have a role in the new incarnation. 

As we first reported, attorneys for the building's new landlord served Lucy with a 30-day Notice of Termination in early February with a demand to vacate the space by the end of the month. 

Her lease expired in May 2015, and she was on a month-to-month arrangement with the previous landlord. Lucy told us that her last rent was $8,000 per month, and the new landlord, as of late December (West Lake 135-139 Avenue A LLC), was seeking a hefty increase.

The bar (aka Blanche's Lucy's Tavern) has been closed since November when some paperwork issues forced what was to be a temporary closure.

Golden Age Hospitality also has a pending application for the former Boiler Room space on Fourth Street at Second Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Exclusive: Lucy discusses the future of her iconic East Village bar

A new restaurant for the former Mighty Quinn's space on 2nd Avenue

The August Community Board 3 SLA docket has yet to be made public... however, we know about at least one applicant for a beer-wine license. 

There are posted notices on the street and storefront for a new venture coming to the NW corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street — Norigami, Inc. (dba Boka & Shiro Kuro)...

We'll learn more soon enough when the questionnaires are posted online. CB3's SLA committee meeting will be on Aug. 19. 

Mighty Quinn's had a 10-year run in this corner space until last August. 

Three of the five retail spaces on the west side of Second Avenue (the former Mighty Quinn's, Apple Bank and New Yorkers Foodmarket) are currently vacant.

On the April CB3-SLA docket: a Rice Thief outpost for the East Village

According to documents on the Community Board 3 website, Rice Thief, a celebrated delivery service specializing in Korean crab dishes, is opening a restaurant at 95 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

The CB3-SLA committee meeting is scheduled for April 8, though Rice Thief reps will not appear before the group. (They have received administrative approval based on the method of operation, a beer-wine license for a previously licensed space that will primarily be a restaurant and not a bar.) 

Some background on the business from a January post by Eater: 

Richard Jang, alongside his mother, Jong Sook Jang, and girlfriend, Haiqi Yu, started the business in the fall of 2022, specializing in soy-marinated crab that's hard to find in New York, known as ganjang gejang, as well as seafood stews, and rice. The service — which has drawn a waitlist — started at his home, before relocating to a Sunnyside, Queens ghost kitchen. 

On Dec. 26, Rice Thief announced that it would be opening a restaurant in Long Island City. Meanwhile, in an Instagram post from Dec. 26, TradedNY reported that Rice Thief had signed a lease for 95 Second Ave. (Rice Thief hasn't mentioned the EV location as of yet.)

In an Instagram message last evening, Rice Thief confirmed they'd be opening in the East Village and Long Island City.

According to the CB3 questionnaire, the EV Rice Thief will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. ... with seating featuring 16 tables for 32 guests. 

No. 95 was most recently Thailand Cafe, which did not reopen following the pandemic PAUSE of March 2020.

Le Dive owners looking to take over the Boiler Room space on 4th Street

File photo by Stacie Joy

Restaurateur Jon Neidich, under his Golden Age Hospitality brand that includes the scene-y Le Dive on Canal, is applying for a new liquor license for 86 E. Fourth St. just east of Second Avenue — and the current home of longtime dive the Boiler Room.

On Monday evening, the Golden Age Hospitality reps will appear before CB3's SLA committee.

As for the unnamed new concept for No. 86, there will be food service with various sandwiches (turkey club, BLT, croque monsieur, etc.) and cocktails, according to the sample menu on the questionnaire here. The configuration shows 21 tables for 42 guests (with plans to use the unenclosed roadway space from 5-10 p.m.) The proposed hours are daily from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m.

After a two-plus-year court battle over pandemic-related back rent payments, the Boiler Room announced last summer that it was leaving its home of 34 years ... ownership will be moving to 45 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street (previously home to the Moroccan specialty shop Timbuktu) later this year.

Monday's meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

On the CB3-SLA docket: Applicants for the former Mermaid Inn and Cheese Grille spaces

Photo of the former Mermaid Inn by Steven 

Here's a look at a few of the many applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

New Liquor License Applications 

 • Wonderland (Feichangchengong Inc), 96 2nd Ave. (op) 

Wonderland is the proposed restaurant offering an "Asian fusion menu" at the former Mermaid Inn space on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

The proprietors also operate Chili, a Sichuan restaurant on East 37th Street. You can find their CB3 questionnaire here, which includes a sample menu and proposed hours of operation (indoors, 4 p.m. to midnight daily). 

The Mermaid Inn arrived in the East Village in 2003, with several outposts to follow... they closed here during the pandemic, only to reopen then close again in the fall of 2022 after just seven weeks. 

• Sunflower East Village (RJM Hospitality LLC), 88 2nd Ave (op) 

This is a holdover from last month... we previously noted that the NE corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street will be home to another location of Sunflower, a cafe serving breakfast-brunch on Third Avenue between 25th Street and 26th Street. 

The EV location looks to have the same menu/vibe, though with dinner service. Find the questionnaire here. 

Sunflower is owned and operated by the same folks as the previous tenant here, Eros, the Greek restaurant that quietly closed in August 2022 when a "temporarily closed" sign arrived on the front door. Eros took over for their diner concept, The Kitchen Sink, in September 2021.

• Idleflora LLC, 188 Allen St (op) 

Idleflora is the name of the proposed "plant-based tea shop and tapas bistro" at 188 Allen St. between Stanton and Houston. 

According to the questionnaire on the CB3 website, the space will also include a retail flower shop. The proprietors operate several East Village restaurants, including Shinn East and Thirteen Water on Seventh Street and Appas Pizza on First Avenue. 

This long, narrow storefront was previously home to Cheese Grille for nearly 10 years. 

• Made in Houston Inc, 205 Allen St (wb) 

The owners of C as in Charlie on Bleecker Street are behind this new restaurant serving Korean cuisine from the SW corner of Allen Street and Houston. You can find the questionnaire here, which includes a sample menu and other details. 

The arrival of the unnamed new restaurant means the end of Mi Salsa Kitchen, the Cuban eatery, at this location. (We contacted Mi Salsa for info about a possible relocation.)

Items not heard at Committee

• MT 121 St Marks LLC, 123 St Marks Pl (wb) 

This applicant will not be heard this evening — they've already received conditional approval for a beer-wine license based on their method of operation, hours (11 a.m. to midnight daily), etc. 

The owners of Chicago's Moody Tongue Brewing Company are behind this venture, a still unnamed Japanese restaurant that will serve a variety of sushi platters and entrees. You can find more details and a sample menu here. 

The team opened Moody Tongue Sushi on West 10th Street earlier this year. The Dining Room at Moody Tongue in Chicago boasts two Michelin stars. 

This space on St. Mark's Place just west of Avenue A last housed Pop's Eat-Rite, the veggie burger joint.

-----

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.  

On the CB3-SLA docket: Schmuck on 1st Avenue

There's a pretty light agenda for Community Board 3's SLA & DCA Licensing Committee meeting this month. Just a handful of applicants are on tonight's agenda, and most of them are below Houston. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

Here's one applicant of potential interest:

• Schmuck, 97 1st Ave (op) 

There's a new bar-restaurant in the works for the long-vacant SW corner of First Avenue at Sixth Street. 

According to the application on file at the CB3 website (PDF here), Miami-based bar owner Dan Binkiewicz is behind a new concept called Schmuck.

The restaurant, with proposed daily hours of 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., will offer Middle Eastern-style cuisine. The sample menu includes items such as pan bagnat sliders, hummus, pomme dauphine and a burrata stick ("a playful Mediterranean take on the corndog.") 

The application shows that Schmuck is also seeking curbside dining for both the First Avenue and Sixth Street sides — 22 tables for 44 guests ... as well as five tables (10 seats total) for sidewalk seating on First Avenue. 

Binkiewicz's résumé includes the Miami Beach cocktail bar Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company.

In the 10 years since Banjara moved out in late 2013, the restaurants at 97 First Ave. have gone through through multiple name changes/concepts... including, but not limited to, Figaro Villaggio, an Italian bar-restaurant that later changed its name to Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill.

They eventually gave up part of the space to Apna Masala. In March 2015, Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill changed its names/concepts to La Esquina Bar & Grill ... then the name evolved to La Esquina Burritos and Bar ... and eventually East Village Burritos & Bar. Then Spicewala Bar Indian Cuisine. And then Mancora moved here from across the street. And...

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On the CB3-SLA docket: A new home for the Boiler Room; a pizzeria for Avenue B

Photos by Stacie Joy

Here's a look at a few applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.) 

 • Lollo Ristorante, Pizzeria & Bar (Lollo LLC), 27 Ave B (op) 

We mentioned this pending arrival back in April.

A group of partners originally from Northern Italy are behind the new establishment, Lollo Italian Restaurant. (Lollo is short for Lorenzo, the chef and one of the partners.) 

They are taking over the former Solo Pizza space between Second Street and Third Street. Solo closed last September after 15 years in business courtesy of a rent hike.

Application here. (PDF)

• Cozy Cafe (Cozy Cafe Corp), 43 E 1st St (upgrade to op) 

The hookah bar is looking to upgrade its liquor license. Application here.

• The Boiler Room 45 (JBMT Tavern Corp), 45 2nd Ave (op) 

After a two-plus-year court battle over pandemic-related back rent payments, the Boiler Room will leave its home of 34 years at 86 E. Fourth St. near Second Avenue later this year. 

Ownership has signed a lease for a space at 45 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street, previously home to the Moroccan specialty shop Timbuktu.

Read our post about the Boiler Room's upcoming closure at this link. Find their application here.

• San Marzano (Evir Corp), 117 2nd Ave (upgrade to op) 

The 11-year-old brunch-and-pasta spot on Seventh Street and Second Avenue wants to upgrade its liquor license. Application here. 

Items not heard at Committee 

 

• Dora's Restaurant (Galvan Restaurant LLC), 40 Ave B (wb) 

Dora's Restaurant received administrative approval to serve beer and wine with its "ceviche fusion cuisine."

Dora's daily hours will be 3-11 p.m., per its questionnaire. 

The restaurant takes over the space from El Carnaval, which CB3 accused of serving liquor without a license in the summer of 2021.

• Nine Cases (Nine Cases LLC), 86 E 3rd St (wb) 

Nine Cases is a new Mediterranean wine bar slated for this block between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (This small space was Uminoie, the Japanese restaurant that closed during the pandemic.)

Find the application, which includes a sample menu, at this link.

• Orpheum Theatre (Orpheum Live LLC), 126 2nd Ave (wb) 

One day you'll be able to have a beer or glass of wine before a show at the Orpheum (or maybe during intermission — if there is one).

• Sip and Co East Village (Proper Cafe Management LLC), 433 E 9th St (wb) 

Codetta is the name of a new coffee shop-cafe coming soon to this storefront between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The application describes the method of operation as a coffee shop by day offering cafe fare and a wine bar "serving small bites" in the evening.

The principal here is also behind Hard to Explain, the Japanese coffee shop-wine-beer-sake bar on 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The address was previously Westville Bakery... and Superiority Burger used the space afterward.

-----

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link.

This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On the CB3-SLA docket: A Pig & Butter sibling on Avenue B

Just a handful of applicants will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online.)

New Liquor License Applications 

• Pig & Butter Ave B (The SohoPig Collective LLC), 42 Ave B (op)

Pig & Butter, which serves breakfast-inspired dishes all day long from 134 Ludlow St., has plans for a sibling at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Chef-owner Sherry Grimes, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, will be serving comfort food and cocktails from the small space with six tables and a bar with nine seats.

The proposed hours: Wednesday (2-10 p.m.), Thursday (2-11 p.m.), Friday (2 p.m.-1.am.), Saturday (10 a.m.-2 a.m.), and Sunday (10 a.m.-10 p.m.) You can find the application here.

Looker, which served vegan bar food and cocktails, closed here early last year after nine months in business.

The Pig & Butter outpost would break up five consecutive storefronts that are for lease...

• Cantina Cubana Latin Food (Cantina Cubana LLC), 210 E 2nd St (aka 17 Ave B) (op)

As previously reported, Ricardo Arias and Patricia Valencia, the husband-and-wife owners of the now-closed Café Cortadito on Third Street near Avenue B, plan to open a similar concept here in the former home of the Cornerstone Cafe.

While there won't be a bar on the premises for patrons, Arias and Valencia are applying for a liquor license for their mojitos and other drink specials.

You can read the application here.

• Shiso (Shiso LLC), 214 E 9th St (op)

The owners of Moko on Second Avenue are behind Shiso, a high-end concept featuring a tasting menu of French and Japanese cuisine.

According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, they plan on a daily service from 5-10 p.m. The space on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was previously the Dumpling Lab, which closed last fall after receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

----------

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link.