The recently opened Freehand New York at 23 Lexington Avenue in Flatiron has begun welcoming guests. The hotel, the newest addition to the line of Freehand hotels already operating in Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, spans an entire city block and contains multiple food and beverage outlets including The George Washington bar, and restaurants The Studio at Freehand and Simon and the Whale. The building, which was originally built as the George Washington hotel in 1928, has been restored to its original details and beauty to once again become a must-visit destination in Manhattan. Additional food and beverage outlets prepare to open within the hotel in the coming months. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Freehand New York team.
After ten years on West 14th Street on the cusp of the Meatpacking District, Scarpetta is moving into the newly designed James New York-NoMad hotel on 29th Street and Madison Avenue. John Meadow’s LDV Hospitality owns Scarpetta, its signature brand, and is taking along chef Jorge Espinoza who started with Scarpetta when it ordinally opened. Scarpetta also has outposts in Montauk, Miami, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Newport. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to a part of the LDV Hospitality and Scarpetta team.
The former Navy at 137 Sullivan Street was sold to Camilla Marcus last year and the space has now re-opened as West-bourne. Camilla has worked at Union Square Hospitality Group, as well as other hospitality companies, and is partnering with culinary director Amy Yi of Upland in her new space which features an open kitchen. Through a partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation, one percent of every purchase will go to Soho neighbor the Door, which provides free youth-development services. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the West-bourne team.
Nusret Gökçe, the Turkish celebrity chef known as Salt Bae, opens his first New York restaurant, Nusret Steakhouse, located at 51 West 52nd Street in the former China Grill space. This is only the second location in the United States for the Turkish restaurant chain. As one of the sector’s leaders with its top-quality steaks, Nusret is the number one choice for meat lovers at its many locations in Turkey, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Nusret team.
On Friday February 9, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. Bernstein Redo, P.C.’s Donald Bernstein will teach a three hour class sponsored by the National Law Institute on New York Retail Liquor Licenses at 1585 Broadway in Manhattan. This class will be for 3 continuing legal education credits, though it is not limited to attorneys. Anyone interested may attend. The class will review all aspects of the licensing law and process, including who may be licensed and who may not, the tied-house rule, the 200 foot rule, and the public interest test of the 500 foot rule, the legal and practical challenges of licensing a hotel, issues regarding licensing private members clubs, temporary permits, the community board process, and other issues. Registration is through the National Law Institute website, www.nationallawinstitute.com.
There was celebration over the weekend at famed Irish bar and restaurant Coogan’s. The restaurant, located at 4015 Broadway, which has been a fixture in Washington Heights for over thirty years, had been facing a huge rent increase from its landlord, New York-Presbyterian Hospital. It looked as though Coogan’s was going to close. However, with the assistance of Borough President Gale Brewer, Representative Adriano Espillat, an on-line petition with over 15,000 signatures, and even help from Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda, Coogan’s and New York-Presbyterian reached an agreement over the weekend for a new lease. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Coogan’s team.
On January 11, 2018 three standing committees of the New York State Assembly held a joint hearing on the public health and criminal justice implications of the legalization of marijuana in New York. Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol, Chair of the Committee on Codes, extended an invitation to Bernstein Redo, P.C.’s Donald Bernstein to testify at that hearing to which a number of law enforcement, health professionals, and attorneys were invited. Mr. Bernstein spoke on proposed rules and legislation providing for the licensing of retail stores in New York that would be permitted to sell cannabis under the proposed law, analyzing its similarity with existing liquor laws and regulations and comparing it with existing legislation in other states, such as Colorado and Oregon. In response to inquiries by one of the bill’s sponsors, Assembly Member Chrystal Peoples-Stokes, Bernstein proposed and discussed changes to the pending legislation.
Robin Standefer and husband Stephen Alesch, owners of renowned design firm Roman and Williams, have partnered with James Beard-award-winning restauranteur Stephen Starr to open the Roman and Williams Guild at 53 Howard Street last month. The Starr bakery and restaurant Le Mercerie is located within the Guild retail store, which showcases Roman and Williams furniture and other designs. This is a continuation of their long collaboration, as Roman and Williams designed Starr’s Upland and Le Coucou restaurants, and other notable restaurants and hotels in New York. The kitchen at Le Mercerie will be run by Marie-Aude Rose, a celebrated Parisian chef. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Roman and Williams Guild and Le Mercerie team.
Upstate New York giant liquor and wine wholesaler Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits, the largest in the country, was fined a whopping $3.5 million by the New York State Liquor Authority yesterday. This is the largest fine ever imposed by the SLA. An investigation into its “pay to play” activities began in January 2016. Southern salespersons allegedly swiped their company credit cards at favored retail licensed establishments without receiving anything in return. This, according to the SLA, was intended to influence the retailer’s decision to buy products from Southern, a violation of the “gift and services” prohibition of state law. SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley called the extent of the violations “staggering.”
The 114 room James Hotel on Grand Street in Manhattan was sold last week to Joseph Sitt’s Thor Equities. The 18 story hotel, purchased for $66 million, features a cellar restaurant, outdoor terraces and a rooftop bar. The hotel will be managed by Highgate Hotels. Thor is planning to rebrand the hotel is 2019. Bernstein Redo, P.C. secured the approval of Community Board 2 and the liquor permits necessary to facilitate the purchase. We are proud to be a part of the Thor Equities and Highgate Hotels team.