At 246 East 5th Street, the drama never ends. The space, the longtime home to Jack and Grace Lamb's Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, went through a series of PriceChops last year before finally selling to cocktail mixologist (of Milk and Honey et al fame) Sascha Petraske. Petraske planned to make the upstairs his private bachelor den, and the downstairs a new Belgian bar dubbed Mighty Ocelot—until the neighbors got uppity at last night's community board meeting. Reports Daniel Maurer:
Though Petraske, for his part, signed a document vowing to operate the Ocelot as a café during the day (it’ll serve pastries, sandwiches, and salads), he refused to agree to close before midnight, saying it would prevent him from making rent on the former carriage house. "I'm almost bankrupt," said the $15-cocktail pusher. "I'll happily show you my taxes." Some doubted that he'd actually be living in the room above his bar (meaning he wouldn’t be around to hear the noise it caused), but Petraske insisted the ten-by-six digs were twice the size of his previous apartment: "I will happily have my room open to surprise inspections."An open relationship! The cleverest solution to the East Village noise wars we've heard yet. Seriously, this has to happen.
· Neighors Tell Petraske, 'Welcome to East Village, Now Leave' [Grub Street]
· Lambs Finally Sell Luxury Oyster Bar Space [Curbed]
· PriceChopper Special Edition: Fresh Lamb [Curbed]