Temporary Closings

Unhappy Halloween: Cobwebs at Shuttered Le Souk and the Mott

Photo: Daniel Maurer

A couple of controversial spots are looking like ghost ships post-Halloween. We’ve noticed that the Mott has been closed for the past few days, and a sign on the window says it’s for “renovations.” The timing is curious: Last month the restaurant lost its chef, but it also finally got the Community Board’s nod for a liquor license. Four months of being dry surely put a financial dent on a restaurant that was already hurting (you’ll recall that investors said they were $2 million in the hole when they pushed out the face of the operation, Emma Cleary, and subsequently lost the liquor license her name was on), but it’d be strange if the place went under so shortly before finally getting booze. More likely it’s just restructuring with a new chef and liquor license in hand? Or maybe they really are putting the finishing touches on the downstairs lounge that was put on hold when the liquor license went bye-bye? We’ve called to find out.

Anyway, over in the East Village, another controversial venue, Le Souk, seems to have finally called it a day after a recent court decision saying the SLA had the right to deny its liquor license. A sign spotted by EV Grieve says that parties will now be located at sister establishment Le Souk Harem.

Unhappy Halloween: Cobwebs at Shuttered Le Souk and the Mott