Another report from last night’s meeting of the Community Board 1 Tribeca Committee…. The restaurant coming to 175 Franklin will not be Indian, even though the proprietor’s other restaurants include Tulsi in Midtown. (Evidently, he said at the meeting that it would be folly to compete with Tamarind. down the street.) Instead, Cuban-American chef Alex García is bring brought onboard. From Wikipedia: “Chef Garcia not only created the culinary programs but also oversees the kitchens at a number of his properties throughout New York City including Calle Ocho, the Copacabana Supper Club, the VIP food service at the Copacabana Nightclub, Barrio, Havana Café, Havana Room, Open Book Café at the Brooklyn Public Library, Cabana Bar and Rooftop 760.” (Also from Wikipedia: “His career suffered a setback in 2003 when he was indicted in federal district court in Brooklyn and charged with conspiracy and money laundering. García was found guilty of money laundering, but served no time.”)

Whether it pans out will depend, presumably, on the notoriously difficult landlord. At last night’s meeting, the applicant’s real-estate broker said that no one lives in the building, which several committee members knew for a fact was not true. The committee agreed to let the restaurant serve alcohol till 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so long as the applicant, and not the building owner, do the necessary repair work to the rear skylight, as adjacent residents had written in to request.

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