Daily Intel tips us off to Veselka's plans for expansion (in this economy? Go, Veselka!), with a catch: Breaking through that back wall into the space next door will mean bidding farewell to the East Village eatery's wild, weird mural, a sort of Guernica-esque depiction of the restaurant at rush hour. It's as much a part of the Veselka experience as sucking on a reuben through your worst Sunday-morning hangover, and the restaurant's owners know this: That's why instead of just tossing the painting, they're putting it up for grabs.
Apparently, the work is by Arnie Charnick, and it's called Veselkhiarascuro (seriously) - Charnick completed it around Valentine's Day about five years ago, and actual Veselka regulars are included. The highest bid? So far, $5,000. Read about the mural - and the wee-hours calls Charnick's been getting from "drunk chicks" - right here.
