Taavo Somer and Carlos Quirarte Planning ‘French New Wave Health’ Restaurant in Failed Antonioni’s Space on Chrystie Street
This image has been archived or removed.
Where Antonioni’s failed, Taavo Somer hopes to strike again. After all, 177 Chrystie Street (corner of Rivington) is literally part of his backyard; everyone else is just living in it.
Taavo Somer, the established restaurateur behind the popular destination, Freeman’s, is in talks to transform the former home of Antonioni’s into a new French restaurant. According to application materials submitted to Community Board 3, he’s paired up with Carlos Quirarte, a co-owner of the overpriced sub-level cafe, The Smile.
This new Lower East Side venture (“Swiss White Int’l LLC”) seemingly has gimmick written all over it – a sixteen-table restaurant that specializes in “French New Wave health food.” To fulfill this goal, the duo seeks an OP liquor license, with intentions to stay open until 2am, seven days a week. There are eighteen OP’s within 500 feet (it’s getting there).
Given the collective pedigree and the fact that 177 Chrystie was already licensed, it’s hard to imagine this not netting approval. Moreover, if the deal goes through and full liquor is secured, Somer will basically command a large section of the block. Freeman’s, Freeman’s Sporting Club, Freeman’s Sporting Club Barber, and on and on…
On paper, the corner of Chrystie and Rivington should be a shoo-in for success. Great exposure, lots of traffic, but still rough around the edges. But that’s not entirely the case. Many in the vicinity are of the belief that Antonioni’s couldn’t hack it due to its aggressive pricing. Like so many similar failed projects, its time behind plywood (2 years) far exceeded the time in business (1.5 years).
Recent Stories
Demolition Begins at Fire-Stricken Dim Sum Palace Building in Chinatown
Demolition started this week at 6 Chatham Square, which, until this month, housed neighborhood favorite Dim Sum Palace. Early morning May 1, a fire in the kitchen spread throughout the building, triggering a five-alarm response from the fire department. All told, five firefighters were injured battling the inferno over several hours. And according to Red […]
Eldridge Street Development Sells for $19.24M
A major real estate deal to report on Eldridge Street. It took three years, but the eight-story mixed-use building at 165 Eldridge traded last week for $19.25 million. Just under the initial 2019 asking price of $21 million. Buyer of record is Meng Lee and Karim Elsayyad of FREO Management. The transaction is not yet […]
The ‘Barrier Reefs’ Coming to Clinton Street Bike Lane
The Department of Transportation has chosen a winner to decorate the traffic barrier protecting the Clinton Street bike line. The city agency awarded artist Alison Cynamon as part of the ongoing Barrier Beautification mural project. The concrete slab runs from Delancey Street to South Street; an 840-foot stretch with roughly 1,980 square-feet of canvas to […]
Redlining the LES: How Discriminatory Lending Policies Solidified Pre-Existing Inequalities
The following was written by Anna Sargeantson. All photos courtesy of Anna Sargeantson, except where otherwise noted. Home to dimly lit restaurants and bars frequented by NYU students and young professionals, the Lower East Side remains in many ways the epitome of New York City’s youthful heart. Under the surface, though, the neighborhood has historically […]
Ed Higgins Gets ‘Mail Art’ Retrospective at Van Der Plas Gallery on Orchard Street
Fresh off featuring his art in Ludlow Coffee Supply, the Van Der Plas Gallery of Orchard Street is now dedicating a full artist retrospective to the late Ed Higgins. Higgins, known as a pillar of the “Rivington School” movement in the 1980s Lower East Side, and for his unique “Mail Art,” died last December at […]
