What's Drew Nieporent Got Up His Sleeve at Mai House?

As the never-quite-acknowledged shuttering of restaurateur Drew Nieporent's Mai House approaches the six-month mark, the question lingers: what's Drew going to do next with the space? Word today from a tipster inside the Nieporent empire offers specifics on one intriguing possibility that aligns with another tipster sighting from a few weeks back. To the inbox:

It is official Drew will be opening a new restaurant with the guys from Animal out in California. It will be going in the Mai House space and it is scheduled for a mid December opening (It's obvious just look in the window 187 Franklin). The decision was made really quick on both sides to go into business. What the fare is going to be I'm not 100% sure but I can tell you it's not going to be a sandwich shop which was previously reported.

Where there's smoke? Hmmm. Eater reached out to the good folks from Animal—the Los Angeles restaurant wunderkinds who popped up for a week in Montauk this past summer—and Animal's Jon Shook emphatically denied the rumor, adding that Animal has no immediate plans for New York.

If not Animal, what does Drew have in mind for Mai House? The mystery lingers.
· Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook to Open Deli in NYC [~ELA~]
· Spotted: Nieporent and the Animal Guys [~ENY~]
· All Mai House Coverage [~ENY~]
· All Animal Coverage [~ELA~]