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Mundo plans to reopen in LIC boutique hotel

By Bill Parry

Red Sonja is checking into the Paper Factory Hotel.

Mundo, a popular Astoria restaurant, is reopening this summer after a two-year hiatus in a larger space in the boutique hotel, at 37-06 36th St.

Owners Guillermo “Willy” Lucerofabbi and Canalp “Jon” Caner were frustrated by their old space on the corner of Broadway and 32nd Street.

“We needed a break,” Caner said. “The old place was always too busy without much space, we weren’t able to do all the things we wanted, we never felt comfortable.”

The new space has two levels with room for 100 diners on the first floor with an upstairs bar space that can accommodate 80 more.

Their vegetarian menu mixes Argentinean and Turkish flavors that created a devoted following, especially for their signature dish, the Red Sonja.

“It’s a vegan red lentil dish with bulgar and scallion on a bed of greens that we created when we opened in 2005 and it’s quite addictive,” Caner said, adding that the menu will be expanded because there’s more room to be creative in the kitchen.

The biggest addition is the bar space upstairs where they will serve South American cocktails.

“The cocktails will be amazing and we’re also going to have live music performances — that’s something else we couldn’t do at our Broadway location because it was just too small,” Caner said.

Caner is not concerned about losing their followers with the move to the industrial section of Long Island City.

“We’re counting on our Mundo customers that built up over eight years at the old location,” Caner said. “They’ll follow us to the Paper Factory and we’ll have the guests at the hotel.”

The Paper Factory Hotel is also inside the newly designated Kaufman Art District.

Mundo will eventually offer room service to the hotel’s guests as well.

The hotel opened, at 37-06 36th St., in December in a renovated 100-year-old paper factory. The five-story building has 122-guest rooms and features cement and metal elements plus actual factory machinery to add to the industrial feel of the place.

“We thought the whole feel of The Paper Factory fits our concept,” Caner said. “It has really cool architecture,” Caner said.

The hotel’s director of operations, Sophia Goodman, is looking forward to Mundo’s opening.

“I can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about,” Goodman said. “I have strangers stop me on the street and ask me about Willy and Jon and how excited they are. I was never at their old restaurant so I can’t wait to try the food.”

Caner cannot wait for the construction to be finished in about two months.

“I’m super excited,” he said. “We took our long break and now our people are waiting for the comeback. It will be great to see all our old Mundo friends, and all our new ones, too.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry at [email protected] or by phone at 718-260-4538.