Smoking Law's First Violators

The New York Times tells us which two restauarants were the first to get nailed by the no-smoking in restaurants/bars fine: Cafe Pierre at the Pierre Hotel and Senor Swanky's.

The staff at the Pierre denies any fine: "We always tell people, `Monsieur, Madame, there is absolutely no smoking here,' " said Mario Garro, a manager of the Cafe Pierre. "I have nothing against Mexican restaurants, but it seems more likely to have happened there than here."

Smoke-Free Air Act violations
First offense: $200 to $400
Second offense: $500 to $1,000
Third offense: $1,000 to $2,000, with possible loss of license
It's just like getting a speeding ticket! Lesser offenses are things like no visible "no-smoking" signs and leaving ashtrays out. Let's hope the city can make enough money off of this effort to pump back into supporting cultural institutions, if they are doing this at all.

The Times also is the first (to Gothamist's knowledge) to coin "nom de fume."