Barbuto's Last Day Is Still Up in the Air, Jonathan Waxman Promises to Relocate

News of the sale of the building that holds Jonathan Waxman's beloved Barbuto hit NYC hard in late January, but then things went quiet. No one was quite sure what would become of the restaurant. Last night, Waxman told Grub Street: "We're getting the boot," but, he isn't sure when: "We honestly don't know. We could have two weeks or a year," the building is in escrow.

There's still a tiny glimmer of hope in Waxman's mind: "It is a weird thing to hear your building has been sold, but maybe the guys are fans of Barbuto and we will stay. Who can tell," says Waxman. If only wishing made it so; but, since the $70 million deal appears to have included 20,000-square-feet of air rights, construction seems almost certain. In that case, Waxman promises: "We'll move someplace else. Absolutely."

Meanwhile, his remake of Jams at the 1 Hotel is nearly ready and should hopefully open in a couple of months, according to Waxman. "I'm actually ready; the kitchen is ready. I'm just waiting for the hotel to be ready."