Maiden Lane to Open in Life Cafe Space in Early 2013

The restaurant/wine bar coming to the former Life Cafe space, officially called Maiden Lane (it has been previously referred to as Yardbird), will open in early 2013. Owners Nialls Fallon and Gareth Maccubbin are the former general managers of Torissi and Parm, respectively, and have said they want to provide a "quiet alternative" to the neighborhood's more rowdy bars.

The pair were granted a beer and wine license at last month's CB3 meeting. They plan to serve a regionally sourced food menu that compliments their white wine and sherry-heavy beverage list — think pates, smoked and cured fish, cheese, olives, and yes, maybe canned lobster. Back in October, Fallon told EV Grieve, "[W]e wanted to be in an iconic space that carried on some form of community identity and East Village-ness...I am excited to create something new and make sure that the corner remains owned and operated by locals."
· CB3 Feels 'Duped' By Proletariat, Thumbs Up for Yardbird [~ENY~]