food

While it’s true that La Petite Provence has opened in the old Patois space, as reported by Flo Fab in yesterday’s Off the Menu, it only occupies half the space held by Patois in Boerum Hill before they up and moved to Nolita (and seemingly went crazy). We walked by this past weekend, and the old Patois space has been divided in two. La Petite Provence is “petite” indeed, located the narrow southernmost room without a fireplace.

Patois’ fireplace, days before the restaurant closed in Boerum Hill last winter

Meanwhile, Patois’ wonderful fireplace room still stands empty as winter approaches, with windows papered and no sign of activity inside. Are the building’s owners trying to milk it for all it’s worth? One of the reasons Patois vacated the space, according to a staff member there at the time, was because the building owner kept raising the rent. (What recession?) But we think they owe it to the neighborhood – dammit, to all of New York! – to get a new cozy restaurant in there as soon as possible. It’s getting cold out here.

NYT: Off the Menu