STORMY WEATHER FOR HEATHER (CONTINUED)

If you've been to Heathers (506 East 13th Street between Avenues A and B), you know it's an unusually welcoming place for people on gluten-free diets. So far it's been the site of two successful Happy Hours organized by the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group. In a city where it is extremely rare for a bar to carry even one gluten-free beer, I am not aware of any other bar that offers gluten-free cider on tap plus three gluten-free beers.

But, as you might recall from months ago, Heathers has been the target of some noise complaints that have gotten media and community board attention.

I've already expressed my hope that any problems could be satisfactorily resolved through mediation--you know, neighbors of good will working things out with each other. I think there are groups in New York that specialize in facilitating that kind of thing. I'm sorry to note, however, that I haven't heard of any such resolution, though I've read that owner Heather Millstone has gone to some lengths to address the complaints--well beyond posting the sign pictured below. And now that I see that renewal of the bar's liquor license is scheduled to be considered at the June 18 meeting of Community Board 3, I worry that this gluten-free oasis may be endangered. I expect to learn more soon--and I sure hope there will be good news for everybody.

In the meantime, you might want to pull out some stationery and keep the evening of June 18 open. And I'll try to figure out if Heathers should be spelled with an apostrophe. (That's been bugging me for a while.)


















Photo: David Marc Fischer