A highlight of tonight’s Community Board 1 Tribeca Committee meeting: Georges Forgeois (of Cercle Rouge and other similar restaurants around the city) is opening a restaurant at 35 Lispenard, where 35 Thai most recently was. What’s especially interesting about this is that he’s planning to have six tables, with 22 seats, on the roof of the single-story building. The interior portion of the restaurant will only have 14 table with 30 seats—and one heck of a 22-stool bar, if the diagram is any indication. Actually, the vibe is almost more bar than restaurant. I asked Forgeois after the meeting if the as-yet-unnamed establishment would be French, like his others, and he said he didn’t know yet, because the kitchen was awfully small. He said he could see it being French tapas, or something like that.

The committee was hesitant at first, but warmed to the idea of an 8 p.m. closing on the roof, and then, given Forgeois’s standing, 9 p.m. (He had wanted 3 a.m. seven days a week.) As for downstairs, he got midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with the understanding that he cam come back in June and try for later. No music will be allowed on the roof.

There was a bit of disingenuousness on display. This application came after the contentious one for Tribeca’s Kitchen at 200 Church, where many residents showed up to object. Forgeois’s lawyer noted how no one living nearby came to the meeting—although, of course, there was no way of knowing, even if notice of the application was posted on the building, that anyone had plans to use the roof.

More of the Unofficial Minutes to follow….

Update 9/11: A photo that shows the location better.

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