Following up on last week’s news that Ludlow Manor had its alcohol permit suspended, we checked in with the State Liquor Authority to see what’s next for Delancey Street’s new triplex mega-bar.
Here’s the upshot: the fledgling nightlife spot may reopen, but it’s unclear when.
After SLA authorities issued a stern summons to owner Tomasz Dyszkiewicz on Dec. 19 to appear before its board in January, Dyszkiewicz responded by pleading “conditional no contest” to the charges leveled against his business, and offered to pay a $10,000 fine, according to SLA documents obtained by The Lo-Down. The complaint included accusations that on at least two different occasions in November, police officers observed Ludlow Manor serving alcohol at bars on the second and third floors that were not licensed. (The club was licensed for a first-floor bar only.)
Ludlow Manor opened at 93 Ludlow St. in November amid a lot of hype, courtesy of celebrity frontmen Luc Carl (Lady Gaga’s ex) and Georgie Seville. It quickly drew ire, earning a derisive review in a New York Times nightlife column and plenty of tongue-lashing from Community Board 3, which rejected its application for the second- and third-floor bar permits in December. The SLA followed suit, also denying the additional permits.
On Jan. 18, during a public discussion, SLA board members questioned the bar’s representatives about the lack of food service, which was a condition of the liquor license approval. Nightlife columnist Steve Lewis posted some details of that discussion on BlackBook’s website, including an exchange in which the bar’s reps said the kitchen was not yet hooked up, but drinking patrons had been offered cold sandwiches, such as peanut butter and jelly.
As of last night, the bar remains closed. Its Twitter feed has been silent since Dec. 27; its Facebook page lies fallow. No one answers the phone there.
Its one existing liquor permit has been placed in “safekeeping,” and is on “inactive” status for now, according to the SLA. Unlike a revocation, it can be reactivated if and when certain conditions are met. The club’s applications for additional licenses remain pending.
“When they pay the fine and install a kitchen, as their application required, we will consider the additional bars,” SLA spokesperson Bill Crowley wrote in an email.
In the meantime, if you didn’t have a chance to check it out for yourself before the trouble started, here’s a blogger’s report from a private party last month, “Cocktails with Belle,” hosted by Brooklyn author Demetria Lucas. Below, a video from the same event.
Cocktails With Belle from Alanzo Dale on Vimeo.
