Edna Ishayik

Community Board 3 may have set a record last night: with 27 items on the agenda  – including Ninth Street Espresso’s bid to serve beer, a pitch for a German beer hall on the Bowery, and a Starbucks location’s attempt to win back its sidewalk seats – the board’s State Liquor Authority committee meeting ran past 2 a.m.

The main event: the owners of B-Side are hoping to open a spot at East Broadway and Clinton Street that would be “totally different” than the punk bar on Avenue B and would include a chip shop purveying “the best fish, chips and falafel you’ve ever had,” according to owner Sivan Harlap.

In an e-mail, Ms. Harlap called the new venture a “grown-up version of B-side,” explaining that “there are things I am interested in now that I wasn’t that all interested in when I was 22 – craft beers, cocktails, thoughtful food, this new place will reflect those new interests.”

Speakers lined up to argue in favor and against the new watering hole that would be catty-corner to the Seward Park Cooperative. Some neighbors said they looked forward to having a place to grab a drink or a bite in an area that isn’t laden with bars and restaurants. But opponents, some of whom were concerned about loud noise, had collected over 600 signatures, partially through churches and schools nearby.

Melvin Felix Future home of Bugs.

After the committee voted not to support the proposal and much of the crowd in the room filtered out, Ms. Harlap and her business partner, Andrew States, told The Local they were disappointed. “I think there’s a misapprehension of the kind of thing we want to do. But we obviously haven’t reached who we need to reach yet,” said Mr. States.

In a much quicker motion, the Starbucks at 145 Second Avenue, which lost its sidewalk seats last month, was recommended for a new sidewalk café license. It’s seeking to add back eight outdoor tables.

Bugs, an curiously named sushi restaurant looking to open at 504 East 12th Street, had a rough go of it as neighbors stood to oppose the idea. A couple of complaints were aimed at nearby restaurants, Northern Spy and the Beagle, which neighbors considered noisy. After sustained debate, the committee voted to okay the addition as long as the owners agreed to operate as a restaurant and not a bar, including early closing hours of 9 p.m.

The Paulaner Brauhaus caused a stir for seeking a full liquor license in the space at 265-267 Bowery. Nearby neighbors felt they weren’t given enough time to review the plans for noise, safety, and traffic. After significant debate, the proposal went through provided that the architect put in enough soundproofing to keep upstairs apartments at 40 decibels, among other stipulations.

Ninth Street Espresso came looking for a beer and wine license for their new space at 341 East 10th Street.  The café will be shifting its three tables and eleven seats one door over from 343. Asked what prompted the application, owner Ken Nye said he started brewing his own beer and is looking for a place to showcase his brewskies. But, he said, alcohol is “not the focus of our business. I have no interest in a full bar.” That seemed to convince the committee and they voted to support the application as long as Ninth Street operates as a coffee bar with no backyard or sidewalk areas.

The committee’s votes will now considered by the full board at its June 26 meeting. The State Liquor Authority, as usual, has the ultimate say.