East 12th Osteria looks to have permanently closed. Someone removed the sign from the front door here on First Avenue at 12th Street...
EVG reader dwg said the dining room was cleared out on Friday.
Back on Dec. 12, the State seized the space for nonpayment of taxes. Eater reported that restaurant serving Northern Italian cuisine owed more than $190,000 in unpaid taxes.
However, without any notice, East 12th Osteria then resumed service several days later.
The restaurant opened in March 2013.
Updated
From restaurant's website: "East 12th Osteria will be moving to the West Village, and would henceforth change name to Osteria."
A spokesperson for the restaurant told us in an email:
We opened 2 days after NY State Department of Taxation and Finance shut us down. We've paid the principal amount months back, it is the interest and other fees that we're trying to negotiate down. 120% interest is a lot.
Having said that, earlier this month we chose to close down East 12th Osteria because we found a bigger location in the West Village, and will be opening sometime in the summer.
East 12th attracted regulars Ron Chernow... Preet Bhararra and Scott Stringer, lots of NYU faculty and gallery owners. We thank our supporters in the East Village — a warm welcome awaits them at our next Osteria, opening soon just a few avenues away.
