Above: Houndstooth co-owners Nicholas Cohen and Kevin McKenna pose with investor Diarmuid Hogan at their as-yet unfinished new bar.

Nicholas Cohen, Kevin McKenna and Dave Renehan, the owners of West 37th Street bar Stitch, have a new bar and grill in the works. Cohen tells us that Houndstooth--located at 37th Street and 8th Avenue, in the space formerly occupied by the old Chock Full O' Nuts store--will make its debut between late March and mid-April.

Weighing in at a massive 6,800 square feet (larger than Stitch), the bi-level spot hopes to attract midtown's fashion and corporate crowds looking for a casual-chic place for lunch meetings, after-work boozing, pre-dinner cocktails, etc. And with three separate rooms, all equipped with private bars and plasma HDTVs, it should be able to accommodate everyone--even the many colorful characters who tend to populate the neighborhood thanks to nearby attractions like the DMV, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

For the gossip whores, let it be known that Houndstooth is also part-owned by the members of the Grammy-nominated band Snow Patrol, so the bar may manage to attract the occasional celebrity presence, too.

As for the food, the owners say we can expect a "fresh, local, organic, British-style gastropub," which means Houndstooth will be hoping to establish itself as an upscale alternative to midtown's many dining wastelands, without being so nice that you can't wander in to get hammered after (or during) work.

Houndstooth Bar & Grill
520 8th Avenue
No phone yet
www.houndstoothbar.com (launching later this week)