Update: June 19, 2012: Owner Heathe St. Clair let us know today that the cafe tables in front are within the property line (meaning they don't need a license, according to Community Board 8).
He added that when he applied to CB8 for support for a liquor license, he included his plans for backyard seating. After he was informed that he needed separate approval for the outdoor seating, he closed it until the approval comes through.
When the backyard re-opens, he will not have amplified music, he said. Finally, he noted that he lives across from the restaurant and will happily give any neighbors his cell phone number so they can call him if the restaurant ever gets to loud.
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one step closer legalizing its outdoor seating.
Community Board 8 supported the Vanderbilt Avenue restaurant owner's request at its meeting Thursday night. (.)
The approval came after owner Heathe St. Clair agreed to close the backyard patio at 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends, notplay music outdoors, and plant more shurbs and other greenery in the yard to absorb some of the noise.
St. Clair still needs to get approval for the al freco tables from the Department of Buildings.
The restaurant, located at 611 Vanderbilt Ave. between between St. Marks and Bergen, opened in the fall serving "Austral-Asian" food: Australian cuisine with Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Vietnamese influences.
The menu has such dishes as Vegetable Tempura Massaman Curry, Shaking Beef Bahn Mi and Roti with Crispy Thai Chicken. The full bar offers such creative cocktails as a Thai Chili Cucumber Margarita.
In a piece of trivia, Prospect Heights has a total of three Australian-owned eateries (so far, a fourth is in the works), with on Classon and on Vanderbilt.
