Motorino's Mathieu Palombino Eyes Sunshine Hotel Space

Restaurateur Mathieu Palombino's expansion plans continue apace! Just one year after opening an East Village outpost of his popular two year-old Williamsburg pizzeria Motorino, Palombino is planning a steakhouse on the Lower East Side.

The Lo-Down uncovers Palombino's application for 241 Bowery on Community Board 3's website. It's the space in the Sunshine Hotel annex (a single room occupancy flophouse and one of the last bastions of pre-gentrification Bowery) that was once destined to be a restaurant from the owners of West Village Spanish restaurant Alta. Perhaps no more.

According to his application, Palombino is planning a 74 seat steakhouse with a bar seating a dozen. He plans on taking the commercial ground floor space and two floors above. The application on the site doesn't include a menu—though it will probably be revealed at the meeting tonight—so it's unclear if this will be a pizzeria/steakhouse mashup or a completely new concept.

The one problem: there are eight fully licensed operations within 500 feet of the proposed space.
· Motorino Team Plans Restaurant Beneath Sunshine Hotel [TLD]
· December Questionnaires [CB3]
· All Coverage of the Sunshine Hotel Space [~ENY~]