Thursdays are traditionally the home of the Deathwatch. While the Deathwatch Committee continues to deliberate over the fate of one new very high-end steakhouse that shall remain nameless, here now is an update on some key residents of the Eater Hospice.
LoSide Diner
Status: CLOSED
Time on the 'Watch: 8 weeks
Prognosis/Analysis: LoSide was a concept gone wrong from the outset; and was so bad that the space may now be cursed for another venue cycle or two. Look for 157 East Houston to appear next in Plywood.
Sascha
Status: CLOSED
Time on the 'Watch: 12 weeks
Prognosis/Analysis: A restaurant of this size and investment closing in under a year is a real sight to see. The restaurant's namesake chef having departed couldn't have helped matters, certainly, though many had said this venue was doomed from the get-go. NB, Markt has agreed to terms on the space and will take it over in 2007.
Jovia
Status: DEATHWATCH
Time on the 'Watch: 39 weeks
Prognosis/Analysis: Just yesterday, Gawker indirectly reported that Jovia is down to an average of "5 covers for lunch and oftentimes not much better for dinner," which should signal that the end is near. Look for either an outright closure or an announcement of the venue becoming 'slightly less formal' by the end of January.
Jefferson
Status: RE-RE-DEATHWATCHED as Jefferson; formerly DW'd as Jefferson, then Jefferson Seafood.
Time on the 'Watch: 39 weeks
Prognosis/Analysis: Jefferson having dropped the skewer and small plate concept for a focus on market seafood is now back to where it was when it first opened: 10 apps, 10 mains, with a loose focus on seafood and market ingredients. There is no longer brunch and hours are extremely limited. At the risk of being cruel, it's almost more fun having the venue open, watching it cycle through concepts.
HQ
Status: DEATHWATCH
Time on the 'Watch: 33 weeks
Prognosis/Analysis: To their credit, things are actually picking up at HQ. We're not going to lift the Deathwatch just yet, but the neighborhood is warming to the venue and in another month or two HQ may indeed find itself out of the woods.
Itching to drop the hammer? Drop it, baby.
