Veselka on the Bowery Finally Gets CB3 Green Light

The original application, denied in February, was approved last night

East Village: Last night, in a major victory for the 54 year-old East Village institution, the Community Board 3's SLA Licensing Committee approved of Veselka's plans for a liquor license at their new location at the Avalon Bowery Place on 9 East 1 Street, reversing a decision they made just ten months ago. Veselka man Tom Birchard still needs to win the approval of the full board and the SLA, but this committee was the only real obstacle between him and a boozey (and thus sustainable) expansion.

Veselka's application was heard in tandem to another Avalon applicant, Las Ventanas, a 3,000 square foot, two level Mexican joint with some, shall we say, argumentative owners. Their application was originally turned down in November '07. Though the restaurants are two very different entities, the board rejected both Las Ventanas and Veselka last time around due to their recent approval of Boulud's new joint on the Bowery, and the proximity of at least eight other bars. They didn't make the mistake this time.

Given that the committee found Las Ventanas' owners arrogant and rude (note to potential applicants: Never dis Mars Bar at a CB3 meeting; never call the corner of 2nd Ave and 1st "shitty"), that their space seemed like it would become a lounge/bar at night, and that there is already a well established Mexican spot (MaryAnne's) just up the street, they did not win approval.

The committee members couldn't say enough about Veselka (Chloe Sevigny and City Council members were name dropped as customers), and they won glowing, though not unanimous, approval. Last we heard Veselka 2.0 was set to open in Summer '09.
· Veselka Bowery Denied Liquor License, Cockblocked by Boulud [~E~]