Eat: The Gatekeepers Archives
The Gatekeepers Superbowl XLII Edition: John Shaw, Hill Country
Noah Kalina for The Gatekeepers
Were it not for the flat-out spectacular barbecue, the live Austin-inspired music and 10-gallon hat routine at Hill Country might be a bit tedious. But it's been six months since the restaurant opened and on many nights you still can't get a table without an epic (Margarita-laced) wait. Come Sunday, especially, it'll help to know GM John Shaw (pictured above in front of one of Hill Country's giant screens). Should you be looking for a last minute answer to your Superbowl XLII viewing needs, he says come on down and have some brisket.
John Shaw, Operating Partner and COO:We have 125 seats in our ground floor barbecue marketplace, and 150 seats in our Club. We have two bars, one on each level, with a total of approximately 40 seats, and a 45 seat sidewalk café, which is fantastic in warm weather. Where should we sit? [My] favorites include the “Pitmaster Table,” which offers a great view of the theatre of the meat counters; Table 2, a nice discreet corner table for a little privacy and romance; tables 307 and 407, the community tables right in front of the stage that offer great views of the live bands and easy access to do a jig on our dance floor. 8 PM on a Saturday night. What’s the wait for a table? The wait on a Saturday night at 8pm can range from about 10 minutes to an hour, but we make it fun. If you’re still waiting at 9pm, you can join us for “Shot o’clock” – gratis shots for all at the bar. Is there anything I can say to make my wait shorter? Hill Country is all about inclusivity. To this end, all of our guests are treated equally. ...How about gifts or cash to speed things along? No sir, not at at Hill Country.
What do Steven Spielberg, Danny Meyer and El Chod have in common? They're all up next. Except for El Chod. >>The Gatekeepers: Ken Aretsky, Patroon
This is The Gatekeepers, in which Eater roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Kalina, 12/21/07.
Patroon is on a short list of East Side lunch venues that cater to people who in one way or another control a much larger portion of the world than does the average citizen. Its dining room at lunch, always packed, is a sea of bold-faced names and their guests. Tables tend to be controlled versus reserved, per se, in that reservations, which can be had, will get you though the door—but only Ken Aretsky, a man who counts his time in the restaurant business in decades, can keep you out of Siberia.
Ken Aretsky, (“Mr. A”), Proprietor: In the dining room: 125 seats; second floor private event rooms: 150; seasonal rooftop bar: 75 What are your favorites? My favorite table in this restaurant is the “Chef’s Table.” The table is in the same spot as it was when the restaurant was Christ Cella’s, a four-star steakhouse. When we bought the building, we kept “the kitchen table” as it was called then." Is there anything I can say to make my wait shorter? "During weekday lunch, we’re packed to the gills. Obviously, we try to accommodate everyone, but we do have a number of customers who book the same table three to four times a week. So, essentially, the best way to reduce your wait is to become a regular." How about gifts or cash to speed things along? "No cash or gifts, but it helps if you’re a Yankees fan, cigar smoker, and can name the photographer whose photos of old New York line the walls of the restaurant."
Tell us about your favorite customers? Are there any from your ‘21’ Club days? Any celebs been by recently?
The Gatekeepers: Dina Millan, Union Square Cafe
This is The Gatekeepers, in which Eater roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Kalina, 12/21/07.
Union Square Cafe needs little by way of introduction. Suffice it to say that while it may not be the New York trailblazer it once was, at 23 (opened in October, 1985) it remains an essential restaurant in Manhattan and certainly one of the very hardest at which to get a table during prime hours. Danny Meyer is the kingpin behind the New American, of course, but his staffers on site are your day-to-day in. Meet Dina Milan, USC "Dining Room/Guest Relations Manager." (And as a sidebar matter, compare and contrast this gatekeeper to Laura at Eleven Madison Park to see how amazingly consistent the Meyer hospitality machine is.)
Dina Millan, Dining Room/Guest Relations Manager: "USC seats 130 with an additional 15 seats at the bar counter. My favorites? It really depends on who I'm dining with and what the situation is – the banquettes in the garden room are very cozy, the mezzanine is more private and the front room is active and buzzing." 8 PM on a Saturday night. What's the wait for a table? "We are lucky enough to be reserved at prime time on a Saturday night for most of the year; however, the bar counter seats are always first come, first served. The bar wait for two can be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour – timing is everything!" Is there anything I can say to make my wait shorter? "Unfortunately, no." ...How about gifts or cash to speed things along? "Absolutely not."
The Gatekeepers: Laura Wagstaff, Eleven Madison Park
This is The Gatekeepers, in which Eater roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Eleven Madison Park is less famous than its older sisters, Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe. But with its Danny Meyer brand hospitality and three-starred kitchen, helmed by Daniel Humm, its just about has hard to score a good table here as it is at the other two. Knowning Meyer, if you called his office and had the right sob story he'd sort you out. But it's also good to know Laura Wagstaff, Guest Relations Manager and, as you're about to read, graduate of the Danny Meyer school of diplomacy.
Laura Wagstaff, Guest Relations Manager: "We have 39 tables and 114 seats. My favorites are the corner tables and the tables by the windows overlooking Madison Square Park." 8 PM on a Saturday night. What's the wait for a table? "For walk-ins, the wait for the dining room is most likely around an hour and a half. But, we do serve an a la carte menu at our bar where we don't take reservations and the wait is considerably less." Is there anything I can say to make my wait shorter?
The Gatekeepers: Rebecca Kelly Arnold, Socialista
This is The Gatekeepers, in which Eater roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Socialista is a relative newcomer by Gatekeepers standards, but its front man, Armin Amiri, was trained by the reigning queen of nightlife, Amy Sacco. Upstairs, getting into Socialista requires a personal relationship with someone on the inside or the air of celebrity; downstairs, at the cafe, things are more democratic, but not by much. In either setting, Rebecca Kelly Arnold, maître d', is really someone you ought to know.
Rebecca Kelly Arnold: "There are 65 seats in the restaurant. My favorite is the round table in the back corner because it is cozy for two and you have a nice view of the restaurant." 8 PM on a Saturday night. What’s the wait for a table? "There is an hour to an hour and a half wait, but there is a bar with a full menu, great drinks, and the bartenders always show the guests a great time." Is there anything I can say to make my wait shorter? "I do my best to seat everyone in a timely fashion, but a polite attitude and understanding is always appreciated." ...How about gifts or cash to speed things along?
A-list Scene, Armin Amiri, Sacco School
505 West St, West Village; (212) 929-4303
Closed Sundays; website
There was a party of six with no reservation that wanted to sit so badly that they offered to sit on each other’s laps...>>
The Gatekeepers: Diego Castillo, ápizz
This is The Gatekeepers, in which Eater roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
ápizz, John LaFemina's first solo restaurant (he'd previously opened Peasant with Frank DeCarlo), turned five in September of this year. It's no longer much of a secret that the pint-size Ital is one of the best small boxes in the city, especially if we're talking about John's meatballs—or his flatbreads or the evil chicken Milanese. With waits that routinely exceed an hour on weekends, the only way you're getting in here without a LaFemina name drop is to know GM Diego Castillo:
Diego Castillo, Manager: There are 38 seats in the dining room and 20 additional seats in the wine bar and lounge. Usually we are fully booked for the evening, but we do have tables for walk- ins at the wine bar and lounge. The wait for those tables are around 1 hour on Saturday." Is there anything I can say to make my wait shorter? "Just be polite and I will take care of you as soon as possible. I try to take care of everyone who comes to the restaurant." ...How about gifts or cash to speed things along?
Italian, John LaFemina, meatballs
217 Eldridge St, LES; (212) 253-9199
dinner Mon-Sat 6-11 PM, closed Sundays; website
What’s the most outrageous request from a customer you’ve had to accommodate? >>
Live from Red Hook: The Gatekeepers Team Baked
This is The Gatekeepers, Special Red Hook Edition, in which Eater operatives roam the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
[co-owners Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito]
In The Hook, from morning coffee to afternoon cake, the go-to spot is Baked, a quirky, much-loved bakery/café at 359 Van Brunt Street. Insofar as they've been nice enough to let Team Curbed set up shop here for the day—serving us a complimentary plate of cookies while we rack up their bandwidth bills—we thought it might be nice to get to know the co-owners, Renato Poliafito and Matt Lewis, a little better.
Matt: The crowd here, Monday through Friday, is all locals. People who work down the street on the piers.
Renato: Locals, artists, craftsmen, curiosity seekers. You occasionally get one to two customers from Carroll Gardens, Dumbo, Park Slope. They're fair weather customers.
Matt: The weekend's completely different. The place gets mobbed. We call them tourists—people who come in, asking, 'Where's the street of shops?' And there are only like four stores here in Red Hook! But they're amazing stores! And of course we get people looking for Ikea: 'Is it open yet?'
Renato: We had a woman from Elle Italia in recently because she saw us in some guidebook.
Matt: Yup, Red Hook's in the guidebooks now.
The Gatekeepers: A Voce's Dante Camara
This is The Gatekeepers, Season Two, in which Eater contributing photographer Michael Harlan Turkell roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
A Voce opened in March 2006 and, having gotten three stars from the Bruni despite what is generally considered to be a mediocre dining room design, is a bona fide success. The food is excellent, the Madison Square Park vicinity location prime, the tables fairly impossible to book during prime time table. You'll see below, "the staff only has tables for 6PM or 10PM," and ownership, and Maitre D' Dante Camara control the rest.
Dante: It’s taboo to discuss real estate and give up table numbers, we note the request, but only taxes are guaranteed. Our “power tables” are 30, 16, and 20 – 23. Near the window and flanking the café. We’re sitting in 43; it’s slightly secluded—and where Brad and Angelina sat. Uma (Thurman) was just at 44.
People who have been in lately: Wine Spectator, Food Art, NY Life and Credit Suisse, and book agents. Gramercy Park Hotel, the Waldorf and Four Seasons. Brad and Angelina, as I said, were recently in town. Mary J. Blige, Clive Davis, Tom Brokaw and his circle. Quite well rounded, as our restaurant’s central location lends itself to such a diversified portfolio.
"We do a lot of Open Table, but it still behooves brokers to establish those relationships." >>The Gatekeepers: Team Mermaid Inn
This is The Gatekeepers, Season Two, in which Eater contributing photographer Michael Harlan Turkell roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
At the Mermaid Inn there is but one dessert, a chocolate pudding, and it is gratis. And if the fortuneteller fish curls up and rolls over, it means you're a passionate person. These things, and generally excellent, fresh seafood, are what regulars have come to expect from Danny Abrams' East Village seafood shack, which he opened, in 2003, while he and Jimmy Bradley were still partners. Coming up on its fifth birthday, Abrams is celebrating by opening an Upper West Side branch of the restaurant by the end of the fall season. At the original, waits can be daunting during primetime, even if you know gatekeepers Peter Crippen, Anna Ferrara, or Micheline Gaulin.
M: All rules are bendable, most particularly for regulars and the neighborhood.
Danny Abrams, Seafood Shack, Fortuneteller Fish
96 Second Ave., East Village; (212) 674-5870
Mon-Thu, 5:30pm-11pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30pm-midnight; Sun, 5pm-10pm
website
Continue reading "The Gatekeepers: Team Mermaid Inn"
The Gatekeepers: John Winterman of Cafe Boulud
This is The Gatekeepers, Season Two, in which Eater contributing photographer Michael Harlan Turkell roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Cafe Boulud, Daniel Boulud's somewhat casual Upper East Side eatery is the proud owner of three stars from Frank Bruni and is one of the great neighborhood power scenes above 57th Street. It is casual as compared to Daniel, which makes it more of a place for regulars, who all know maître d' John Winterman.
John: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are the hardest days to get in here. We get the city's "who's who" from politics and the media. Barbara Walters, Cindy Adams, Mort Zuckerman are familiar faces who have their regular tables. We'll name only a few names. Our discretion is an part of our appeal. The art scene is also heavily represented. While some of it migrated to Soho and then Chelsea, there is still a major core group uptown. We get the Madison Ave gallery owners, the big private collectors, the occasional museum curator and the well known auctioneers from Sotheby's and Christie's. It’s not really a "scene” restaurant, but a place where bold faced names know they will enjoy privacy and discretion, almost like a private club, but a very democratic one.
"A lady of a certain age came in asking for one of the aforementioned tables." >>
The Gatekeepers: Alicia Nosenzo of Perilla
This is The Gatekeepers, Season Two, in which Eater contributing photograher Michael Harlan Turkell roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Perilla opened in early May and is at present still the only restaurant owned and operated by a winner of Top Chef, which is a credit to both Harold Dieterle and his business partner, Alicia Nosenzo. In its West Village digs, the place attracts a combination of Top Chef junkies, restaurant junkies and locals—and the place is generally packed. Sure you can slip in at 6 on a Tuesday, but for primo slots, Alicia is a damn good person to know.
Alicia Nosenzo: Once you meet the bartenders, you find the bar to be central to all of Perilla’s action. I can talk to our regulars easier. There are only 10 seats and they are most attractive at the moment because you do not need reservations, and people request and wait for those spots. People eat quicker at the bar, so there is a high turnover. It’s never impossible to get in here though, because we’re always calling our wait list. We will not leave a message, but if you put your name on and you’re around and hungry and we have cancellations.
Harold Dietrele, Top Chef sightings, Bradley Alum
9 Jones St., West Village: (212) 929-6868
Open for dinner seven days; website
Continue reading "The Gatekeepers: Alicia Nosenzo of Perilla"
The Gatekeepers: The Harrison's John Paul
This is The Gatekeepers, Season Two, in which Eater contributing photograher Michael Harlan Turkell roams the city meeting the fine ladies and gentlemen that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
The Harrison opened in 2001, then a product of Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams' partnership, now Bradley's outright. It's a neighborhood canteen for the Tribeca set, but also a default for dates, casual drinks and such, especially on the early side. It's not so much that it's an impossible table at this point in its lifespan, but hit it at the wrong (right) hour and your dreams of walking in for an impromptu great meal will be shattered by a 45 minute wait. Plus, those choice seats outside are strictly for walk-ins, which means GM John Paul is an important man to know.
John Paul: We do see a lot of celebrities. If people feel comfortable dining here, we don’t want to give up names. I can tell you this: Mission Impossible 3 (MI:3) tried to have their premier party here, which we turned down.
We firmly turn down gifts/money. We have some big regulars, from financial groups such as, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and others, which have dined her 200+ times. There have been occasions of a bottle of wine during the holidays, but as a friendly gesture rather than a bribe.
Jimmy Bradley, Neighborhood Canteen
355 Greenwich St, Tribeca; (212) 274-9310
Dinner, M-Th 5:30pm-11pm; Sat 5:30pm-11:30pm; Sun 5pm-11pm
..."one time Selma Hayek made a reservation for 7 and showed up with 15... >>
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