Noho activist Zella Jones is gearing up for a fight against the Smile, the mixed-use establishment that recently had Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld grinning. As they wrote in their three-star review, “No one goes to the Smile, though, to shop. They go to sip espresso and nibble croissants. They go to eat and hobnob. And they do so in an artfully rustic atmosphere that must have been painstakingly cultivated but, to its credit, doesn’t come off that way.” That’s precisely what Jones is upset about, now that the restaurant-or-whatever is applying for a full liquor license. Here’s the latest from her newsletter:
Back in 2008, the community reluctantly agreed to allow a Wine and Beer license to a new retail dry goods store … with a long list of stipulations that included NEVER APPLYING FOR AN ON-PREMISE LICENSE. Well, so much for that promise. Sign the NEW PETITION
The petition in question calls for a moratorium on “any further licenses — On Premise as well as Wine & Beer — for addresses that have not been licensed since November 1, 1993.” Looks like the Smile’s community-board hearing on June 9 is going to be a long one — might want to pack a flask.
Noho News [NoHo Manhattan]
