Tapas Spot, Bar And Grill Opening In Inwood And Washington Heights

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — An Upper Manhattan Community Board 12 meeting in April gave insight into a collection of new restaurants opening in Washington Heights and Inwood, including a French and Spanish tapas spot.

Each month, Community Board 12's Licensing Committee votes on a variety of new liquor license requests for restaurants preparing to open in Upper Manhattan.

The latest rendition of the meeting revealed that two longtime eateries in the community would be getting new restaurants in the coming months.

Doscca Torce Bar & Grill Replacing Cafe Tabaco & Ron At 501 W. 214th St.

Doscca Torce Bar & Grill will open at the corner of West 214th Street, in the longtime home of Cafe Tabaco & Ron.

The restaurant and hookah lounge served up Latin cuisine, and was known for its affordable food and lively environment.

It is unclear what the Doscca Torce Bar & Grill menu will look like, but the new owner Erik Roberto has owned a barbershop in the community for nearly 20 years.

He was also friends with the former owner of Cafe Tabaco & Ron, who sold him the establishment due to health complications.

Roberto plans on keeping many of the existing staff and will make the current bartender the lead manager for the bar.

Roberto also said that he plans for the new restaurant to have more activities and live music.

An exact opening date was not specified.

Doscca Torce Bar & Grill's liquor license request was unanimously passed by the Community Board 12 committee.

Tapas Spot Replacing Taszo Coffee: 5 Edward Morgan Pl.

While it is unclear what the new restaurant will be named, She Messy Corp. will be taking over the storefront at 5 Edward Morgan Pl., between West 157th and 158th streets, from Taszo Coffee.

The eatery will be tapas style with French and Spanish roots.

The committee mentioned to Marc Russo, the owner of the incoming restaurant, that there were multiple "concerns" with the prior establishment Taszo, which included failure to provide credit card tips to employees, allowing dogs in the dining area, and double-parking issues outside of the storefront, according to a committee member.

Taszo had been at the location since the summer of 2013.

Russo responded that he had no affiliation with the former restaurant, and that they would put up a no parking sign.

The incoming eatery's liquor license request was unanimously passed by the Community Board 12 committee.

There is no specified opening date.