Community Board 7 held its Street Life Committee meeting on Wednesday, and restaurant representatives presented plans for their upcoming projects in order to further their liquor license applications. All applications were approved by CB7 (though this vote is advisory only).
The owner of a neighborhood donut shop is getting his hands into the pizza business. Dan Cohen, who owns Super Nice Coffee and Bakery (at 196 West 108th Street), plans to take over the space at 975 Amsterdam Avenue (also at West 108th Street), which until recently was home to Spice, a Thai restaurant. “Sit down pizza, no slices, full bar,” Cohen told Community Board 7, adding that the layout will be unchanged.
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Rosa Mexicano is planning on moving from its current location at 62nd and Columbus Avenue, where it’s been for about 25 years, to 44 West 63rd Street, between Columbus and Broadway (within the Empire Hotel). ILTUWS reported in June that Mark Barak, the owner of La Pecora Bianca, presented plans to open the Italian mini chain’s second Upper West Side restaurant at the space currently occupied by Rosa Mexicano. At the time, Barak said that Rosa’s lease was out of term, which a representative from the Mexican restaurant confirmed this week. “We couldn’t come to terms on a new lease [but] we had a really great opportunity around the corner.” Rosa Mexicano plans to take over the space formerly home to Ed’s Chowder House. La Pecora Bianca’s first Upper West Side location opened in 2022 at 359 Columbus Avenue (77th Street), a space that had briefly been home to 8th Hill following Isabella’s thirty-year run.
We reported in June that the owners of Soothr–a popular downtown Thai restaurant–had leased the space at 35 West 64th Street (between Broadway and Central Park West), previously home to Picholine. While the actual presentation didn’t reveal much, they’ll be doing business as Ung Lo, according to the Community Board 7 website. According to Eater, Ung Lo (they spelled it Ung-Lo) will be opening as a partnership between the owners of Soothr and Chalong, a Thai restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen.
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Representatives from the New-York Historical Society (at 2 West 77th Street) attended the meeting to talk about their new food and beverage operator–as the last restaurant and coffee place to occupy the museum, Clara and Cafe 77–closed their doors within about a year of opening. The Historical Society will now be working with Great Performances, which works with other cultural institutions including Jazz at Lincoln Center. The new restaurant will serve traditional American food, including a “great burger,” and also, they’ll be keeping the name ‘Clara.’ It’s unclear what the new coffee place will be called.
Really glad Rosa Mexicano will still be nearby!