Newest Upper East Side Restaurants: TBar Returns, Teacup Replaced

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A revival of a bygone steakhouse and a replacement for the shuttered Alice's Tea Cup are the latest restaurants planning to open on the Upper East Side.

The upcoming eateries were presented on Tuesday to a Community Board 8 committee as their owners sought the board's approval to obtain alcohol licenses. They are among the dozens of new restaurants that Patch has covered in recent months as the city recovers from the depths of the pandemic.

Here's a rundown of the two openings we learned about this week — one of which sparked a heated debate during the board meeting:

Portable Provisions (220 East 81st St., between Second and Third avenues):

• Owner Kat Alexander has operated a catering business for more than two years in this midblock storefront, which was formerly home to Alice's Tea Cup Part II from 2009 until 2019, when that restaurant moved south to East 64th Street.
• Now, responding to demand from her customers, Alexander plans to convert the venue to a full-fledged restaurant — while still hosting some catered events. Seating 48 people across 10 tables, it will be open daily starting at 8 a.m. on weekdays, closing as late as 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
• But the seemingly anodyne application was forcefully opposed by board member Marco Tamayo, who claimed that the restaurant would violate its approved use by continuing to host catered events, and accused applicants of misrepresenting their business. Other members were skeptical of Tamayo's objections, noting that restaurants commonly host private events.
• That sparked half an hour of debate, and a passionate defense from Alexander, who said her business had been deeply affected by the pandemic, and said Tamayo was "trying to kick me while I'm down, and I don't understand why."
• Ultimately, the committee voted, with Tamayo dissenting, to approve the application, with a stipulation that it only host private events on occasion.

T-Bar (116 East 60th St., between Lexington and Park Avenues):

• Owner Tony Fortuna said this will be a "knockoff" of his former T-Bar Steak and Lounge that operated for 26 years on Third Avenue and East 73rd Street, before closing last fall due to lease issues. (T-Bar's former home is now occupied by Seamore's, a seafood restaurant.)
• Aside from a different decor, Fortuna said the new T-Bar will have the "same style of food, same style of customers, I hope." He omitted "steak" from the name, however, since the old T-Bar actually sold more fish than beef.
• It will seat 140 people across two floors and a mezzanine, Fortuna said. The two-floor space was formerly home to the upscale steakhouse Blu on Park.

Have an Upper East Side news tip? Email reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.

More Upper East Side restaurant coverage:

• Pizzeria, French Bistro Among New Upper East Side Restaurants
• New Upper East Side Restaurants: Vanessa's Dumplings, Shawarma
• New Upper East Side Restaurants: Chinese, Middle Eastern & More
• Italian Spot, Wollman Rink Among New Upper East Side Restaurants
• These New Restaurants Are Coming To The Upper East Side