By Gus Saltonstall
Community Board 7’s Business Committee approved multiple liquor licenses, sidewalk cafes, and one extension of a restaurant’s hours at a recent meeting.
The line of the evening went to the manager of the Viva La Crepe location at 189 Columbus Avenue. When asked if there would be delivery service at her location she responded by saying “No, crepes must be eaten right away!”
Liquor Licenses
Old-school diner Utopia Restaurant at 267 Amsterdam Avenue (between 72nd and 73rd Streets) was granted a liquor license. The representative at the meeting said that customers have been requesting cocktails.
Gatto Nero plans to open a new restaurant at 2758 Broadway (West 105th Street). The Italian restaurant will have a sit-down bar and 27 tables within the restaurant. The board approved its request for a liquor license.
Serafina at 2735 Broadway (West 105th Street) was approved for a liquor license in the location where Toast Diner operated for many years. This is the Italian chain’s 11th restaurant in Manhattan. Its hours of operation are from 11am-midnight and it will have a small bar that seats 12. We wrote about it here.
Jazz on the Park Hostel at 36 West 106th Street (Central Park West) applied for a Beer and Wine license and plan to serve beer and wine during intermissions of the 40 shows that a non-profit theater group will be putting on during the course of the 2017-2018 season. The bar will also be open to the public starting at 11am every day and will serve a variety of sandwiches, paninis, and other baked goods.
About 20 local residents showed up to voice their concerns over adding the bar, saying the hostel already struggles with controlling the actions of the young people who stay there. One talked about how he has to clean up the cigarette butts off his children’s windows every morning before they wake up and worries that they are inhaling any second hand smoke– another local resident stated, “I pick up trash every day that’s not mine, we worked as a community to make things better, and now this seems like a real step back.” The community board agreed to write a letter highlighting those concerns to the State Liquor Authority, which will make the final determination. It also suggested monthly meetings between neighbors and the hostel.
Extension of Hours
Bob’s Your Uncle at 929 Columbus Avenue (West 105th Street) got approved to extend their hours until 4am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Multiple residents spoke about how the bar served as “great neighbors” in the area.
New Unenclosed Sidewalk Cafes
La Sirene at 416 Amsterdam Avenue (West 80th Street), a French Bistro, had its application approved to operate an unenclosed sidewalk café with 5 tables and 10 seats.
JG Melon at 480 Amsterdam Avenue (West 83rd Street) also got approved for a sidewalk cafe with seven tables and 14 seats. The burger restaurant will be opening in the coming months. The restaurant was already approved for a liquor license.
Amelie at 566 Amsterdam Avenue (between 87th and 88th Streets) was approved to operate an unenclosed sidewalk café with four tables and eight seats. According to its website, Amelie is a “modern wine lounge with French flair” and it will be opening to the public in the coming months.
Vive La Crepe at 189 Columbus Avenue (68th Street) got approved for an unenclosed sidewalk café with four tables and eight seats.
Ashoka at 489 Columbus Avenue (83rd-84th Streets)—a casual Indian restaurant with authentic cuisine– was approved for an unenclosed sidewalk café with six tables and 12 seats.
Another Vive La Crepe at 532 Columbus Avenue (West 85th-86th Streets), like its counterpart at 189 Columbus, was approved for an unenclosed sidewalk café on a slightly bigger scale of seven tables and 17 seats.
Top photo via Utopia Restaurant.
Wait. Is Macchina closing? That’s what is currently at the address where Gatto Nera is coming
I think Macchina is at 106th
Macchina is at 2758 Broadway.
OK I talked with someone at Macchina, here’s what I was told:
A part-owner of Macchina wants to buy out the other owner/owners (and then apparently convert the current space to Gatto Nero). Nothing is set in stone, but if that happens, Macchina plans to move downtown (no idea where exactly).
P.S. Given the description of Gatto Nero as an Italian restaurant and the continued presence of one owner, my assumption is that any new restaurant would not be radically different, but that’s just a guess.
We’ve been to Ashoka twice and find it to by some distance the best of the three Indian restaurants that have filled that space in recent times.
One hopes the sidewalk seating helps them thrive.
The Utopia needs to change the lighting in the place. Having a drink in there would be like having one in a bus station.
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
I am a little confused by this too, as that is Macchina’s address. Any additional info to share on this one? If Macchina closes I am going to cry. It’s one of the best in the hood.
I haven’t been to Ashoka and so mean no criticism of its operation. But if it serves “authentic cuisine”, what do other restaurants serve? “Inauthentic” cuisine? “Artificial” cuisine?
And, perhaps most importantly, does Ashoka use “real ingredients”?
Others serve Americanized versions of the cuisine
Does anyone know if the the enclosed cafe at defunct Artie’s must now be removed?
The licenses for unenclosed cafes do not pass from tenant to tenant and there is unlikely to even be anyone paying the franchise fee for the existing structure on the sidewalk.
I hope so, it blocks too much of the sidewalk. Also, it is structurally unsound — if you look in the window, you can see the floor of the addition is collapsing with a sinkhole.
Is this Amelie operated by the same folks as the one down by Washington Square Park?
Happy for Utopia. Although it is not a cocktail type atmosphere, if it helps their business then it’s great. Other diners in the area have been serving drinks.
I have to say of all the diners in that area Utopia is by far the friendliest to adults and children. We always feel welcome, get fast service, and with a smile.
More unaffordable restuarants with more unaffordable housing. Only rich foreigners are buying up the condos..and they only stay a few weeks out of the year. Good luck to those restaurants…people moving in that do not live here year round…and that use their service but a few weeks out of the year!!!