Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
An Upper East Side wine bar that was forced to shut down by the city’s Health Department late last year will be re-welcoming its patrons on Monday evening.
Heidi’s House By The Side Of The Road, located at 308 East 78th Street (between First and Second avenues), failed a routine health inspection on December 6, 2025 and was issued 77 violation points, according to city records. Under the city’s grading system, scores between 0 and 13 receive an “A,” 14 to 27 earn a “B,” and anything 28 or above results in a “C.”
Advertisement
The inspection cited several sanitary violations, including improper food temperature control, cross-contamination concerns, evidence of mice, insufficient cold storage equipment, and conditions conducive to pests. Inspectors also noted that a required Food Protection Certificate was not available at the time of inspection.Now, co-owner Beth Hazan tells East Side Feed that on Friday, the business received approval to reopen the Heidi’s House side of the operation and will be welcoming guests back on Monday night. The adjacent bar, Ed’s Elbow Room, will remain closed until an amended liquor license is approved.
In a conversation with East Side Feed, Hazan described what she called a long and exhausting process following the closure.
“Basically, what happened was a routine health inspection turned into a nightmare,” Hazan said, adding that the inspection extended late into the night and ultimately led to the bar being ordered to close. According to Hazan, city agencies later required the two neighboring spaces — which operate under the same ownership — to be physically connected, triggering what she described as a complicated and costly series of construction requirements, permit filings, professional inspections, and licensing changes.
She said the process stretched on for months, with new requirements being added along the way.
“Had DOH told us in December when they first closed us all of the things they required, we would’ve done them within the first few weeks,” Hazan said. “Our timeline for reopening kept getting crushed as they gave us more and more tasks to complete.”
Hazan added that the business ultimately hired contractors, architects, engineers, expediters, and other professionals to meet the city’s demands, while also navigating changes to their liquor licensing.
“Finally, they approved us today to reopen on the Heidi side,” she said. “The Ed side cannot be reopened until the final new license comes through.”
The prolonged closure, Hazan said, has taken a heavy toll on both the business and its staff.
Advertisement
“We’re a small family-owned business. We’re a local Upper East Side family with kids in the local schools,” she said. “Our staff has been out of work for two months. The expenses are out of control to get this all done. Finally, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.”Heidi’s House originally opened in 2011, founded by Heidi Goar and Ed Webster as a neighborhood spot focused on conversation, food, and wine rather than televisions and sports broadcasts. The bar is known for its cozy atmosphere, jazz soundtrack, and comfort-food favorites like their mac and cheese and chocolate soufflé. Beth and her husband bought the business during the pandemic. “Heidi and Ed retired and we wanted our favorite place to live on,” she tells us. “So did they.”
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
