The Hampton Bays Diner is suing the town of Southampton, its police department, and the SLA, based on allegations that, per court papers that Cityfile has obtained, cops “launched a series of attacks upon the plaintiffs, with the intent to prevent the plaintiffs from continuing to draw Hispanics into their restaurant, and to prevent them from doing so in the first place.” According to papers, the Diner, after it started a Hispanic Night, was raided more than once in order to drum up “trumped-up charges” that were then dismissed in court. However, it didn’t end there.

JoeDoe, the soon-to-open restaurant that sparked contention among neighbors when it revealed that it was bringing still more bone marrow to the block that Prune is on, was recommended for liquor-license approval by Community Board 3’s SLA & Economic Development Committee last night. Per Eater’s account of the meeting, Frank Prisinzano also addressed noise complaints about his place, Frank. We blame the bartender who was blasting the Sword last time we were there after midnight — although we’ll take cranked-up metal over U2 any day (cough, cough, Babbo).

Related: Neighbor Defends JoeDoe Against Fellow Neighbors
First Word: CB3 Approves JoeDoe, Denies Schagrin, Argues with Frank [Eater]

It turns out there’s more to tell about the imminent closing of Lotus. Earlier this month, the State Liquor Authority leveled a staggering $40,000 in fines against the club and suspended its liquor license for 21 days. Papers we’ve obtained from the SLA indicate that the club was charged with a couple dozen violations from August of 2003 (operating as a cabaret without a license) to March 2007 (failing to conform with governmental regulations regarding security guards). The latter violation is surprising to us, since Lotus’s bouncers are notoriously strict about checking I.D.'s, but then again we’re not girls in Gucci. Other charges include allowing the premises to become disorderly, selling to minors, harboring a robbery, and operating under the name Lotus without permission (the name on the license is Lulu’s). A 2002 memo claims that “a sustained and continuing pattern of noise, disturbance, misconduct, and/or disorder has existed on and about the licensed premises.”

This week Dave Kaplan of Death & Co. told the Observer that he was suing the State Liquor Authority to keep his bar open. He’s not the only one: Lower East Side dance den 205 is also pleading its case to the Supreme Court after the Authority stripped it of a license a month ago (the club is open and pouring while the case is being decided). Owner Guy Jacobson, who also operates Café Deville and Belmont Lounge, tells us he believes the SLA unfairly revoked his license after he didn't appear at a hearing to argue drug-related charges leveled at the bar in 2006.

A while back we reported that Le Souk’s liquor license was stripped by the State Liquor Authority — the club, predictably, fought the cancellation, and the Observer is now reporting that it will stay open at least until Thursday, thanks to a stay granted by Manhattan Supreme Court. Just a few blocks away, Death & Co. owner David Kaplan is suing the SLA, just like he told us he would, over its refusal to renew his liquor license. We’re all for tort reform, but in this one case we’re hoping legal red tape allows us to have many more mescal old-fashioneds.

Death & Co. Puts Liquor-License 'McCarthyism' On Trial [NYO]
Le Souk It Up! Notorious East Village Nightspot Clings to Life [NYO]

The Observer comes out with a list of the city’s real-estate power players, and, not surprisingly, plenty of restaurant folk make the cut. Scary to us is that none of them rank as high as Christine Quinn — the anti-nightlife councilwoman who will, according to the piece, help determine the fate of billions of dollars of development in the next months — or Daniel Boyle, the chairman of the New York State Liquor Authority. Nevertheless, Danny Meyer clocks in at number 24, followed by Robert De Niro (26), health commissioner Thomas Frieden (82), Tom Colicchio (84), and Keith McNally (90). Steve Cuozzo, “the Andy Rooney of New York’s real estate and restaurant worlds,” has to be smarting over being ranked several notches below Frank Bruni, the man with the “ugh more feared than any other reviewer.” We're wondering where Nicholas Gray is, who, with Gray’s Papaya stands (and their imitators), is fighting back the scourge of ATM machines with hot dogs, a noble fight if ever there were one.

The 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate [NYO via Eater]

According to the Post, the CEO of the State Liquor Authority, Joshua Toas, will resign on May 22 for undisclosed reasons. The former Pataki aid’s salary was $125,000 when he took the gig in 2005 amid criticisms that the SLA was in bed with the booze industry, and has since helped increase the number of revoked liquor licenses to 239 in 2007 from 88 in 2003. It remains to be seen whether Governor Paterson will appoint a successor who is equally sympathetic to community boards, but we imagine frustrated bar owners are hoping the party animal in Paterson comes through.

Shock as NY Booze Big Quits [NYP]

East Villagers who loathe Le Souk have reason to party: After much deliberation, the SLA has cancelled the club’s liquor license. The owners can apply for a new one, but let’s face it, they’ve got their work cut out for them.

Late last month we reported that part of the 10 Downing space was a “leading candidate” for a downtown Boqueria. Despite our fervent hopes and news that the deal was "confirmed," reported by Eater, it isn't, alas, to be. "We’re glad that there's a such a sense of anticipation about Boqueria," owner Yann de Rochefort tells us, "but we are not closing at 10 Downing because the landlord is going with another tenant. We notified the community board a week ago of the fact that we are withdrawing our application." Grub Street has learned from another source near the project that the likely new tenant of the spot will be none other than Silvano Marchetto, the eponymous owner of Da Silvano across the street. It will be he, or at least his representatives, who seeks Community Board 2's approval tonight. But a new Boqueria is definitely on the way, somewhere. Just not on Downing Street.

Earlier: Coming Soon: Boqueria, Part Dos

In an article in The Villager this week, State Liquor Authority spokesman Bill Crowley claims that Death & Co. has lost its license to serve and could be closed for “illegally trafficking alcohol.” But partner David Kaplan disputes the story.

Down by the Hipster brings news that the State Liquor Authority will suspend PM’s liquor license for 30 days in January owing to a history of underage drinking, disorderly conduct, physical altercations, and yadda yadda. We’re not sure how this will affect Kyky and Unik’s plan to do something in the Sascha space (assuming they still have a claim on it), but it should make them even more eager to get their hands on 1 OAK (assuming they are indeed partnering with Emilio Barletta, the restaurateur who is suing for the space). We just called Kyky, and he says he knows nothing about the ruling, despite the documentation on DBTH — a shout-out to that site for being ahead of the curve?

Related: Breaking News: PM Lounge Shut Down [Down by the Hipster]
Earlier: PM Owners to Open Harlem Restaurant, Bistro-Bakery-Club in Sascha Space
Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano War With “Jealous Competitors” Kyky and Unik of PM

And just like that, the mystery behind Le Souk’s weeklong closure is solved. A rep from the SLA tells us that the restaurant was suspended from October 19 until the 29th and fined $12,000 for failing to produce an open-flame permit on August 13, 2005, and failing to produce a Certificate of Occupancy and an assembly permit on January 5, 2006. Seven other charges were dismissed. Is this the end of it? You bet not! “There are still open cases which will be addressed in the future,” the SLA rep assures. In the meantime the place will be open for business tonight, so undo those top three buttons and party down.

Earlier: Is Le Souk Finally Sunk?

The fate of beleaguered boîte 205 was to be decided today by the State Liquor Authority, but as tends to happen, the hearing has been held over till the next meeting. Meanwhile there’s evidence that another protracted case has been resolved: A friend of Grub Street tried to go to Le Souk last night only to find it closed. Her waiter at a nearby Moroccan restaurant (who happened to have worked at Le Souk) told her it has been shuttered for a week but didn’t know anything more. Since last December the place had been operating under a temporary license while it awaited word on the status of its renewal request. Can we take it the SLA has denied it once and for all? We’ve asked the Authority for the official word, but if you have any insight, do leave a comment.

Update: It would seem that Souk gang was merely on suspension after a nasty flame-permit issue — and seven other charges, which have since been dropped.