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NoHo's Bank Heist, making clever use in turning a onetime bank into a pretty decent restaurant in a neighborhood starved for pretty decent restaurants, had a short-lived tenure before a fire shut it down. For a while locals hung on, baited by word they would rebuild and reopen, only that day never came. Now the space in the heart of the NoHo Arts District will have a new lease on life when it debuts later this month as The Federal Bar.GrubStreetLA has some details about the Knitting Factory Entertainment endeavor, which will be a two-level bar and restaurant with a "gastropub" bent and 20 beers on tap, along with a fully stocked bar. On the menu will be booze-inspired dishes (Wild Turkey Meatballs, IPA Spare Ribs) made with organic ingredients.
"I want it to be a neighborhood pub, a good restaurant and have range of indie and alternative music," proprietor Morgan Margolis told North Hollywood Patch in a recent interview. He has plans to enliven the space, and hopes to have "local art to hang on the walls, local poets to read their work, and even performances by kids who have their own school band or combos."
The restaurant is slated to open January 28th, though a celebratory event, complete with 10 food trucks showing up, is planned for January 15th.
