John McDonald Rumored for Veselka Bowery Space

The amount of restaurant world firepower and credibility necessary to turn Extra Place from a charmless alley created by real estate developers into an East Village dining destination may be greater than commanded by David Chang alone. Luckily someone else is in the picture nearby (and we're not talking L'Apicio).

Rumor has it that downtown restaurateur John McDonald, having just closed his beloved Merc Bar and just narrowly saved his even more beloved Lure Fish Bar, just signed a lease on the former Veselka Bowery space.

Located at the base of the Avalon Bowery development complex in the middle of East First Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, it's right across from Extra Place, just steps away from MomoKo 2.0 and within the same complex as DBGB and the year-old L'Apicio. Tipsters whisper that the restaurant will be a steakhouse/oyster bar, and his usual partner in crime Josh Capon is involved.

Can McDonald succeed where an East Village institution sadly could not? Perhaps it's all in the timing.
· All Coverage of John McDonald [~ENY~]
· David Chang Is Moving Momofuku Ko to Extra Place [~ENY~]