Manhattan: Murray Hill Archives
The Shutter: DIP, Arezzo, M&G Diner, Chocolate Girl
1) Murray Hill: A few tips have come over the ShutterWire this week alerting us to the closure of Murray Hill's 'fondue lounge' DIP. Though the signs say they're renovating, locals say it's over, and DBTH has the further confirm: "According to several Little Birdys, the rumored plan to renovate the space are going forward. It seems that Shendel has either sold to/partnered with Parry Lee, and their plans are to create a new sports bar theme space called 'The Hill.'" [Shutter Inbox; DBTH]
2) Madison Sq. Park: A reader writes in with some sad news about Italian spot Arezzo: "Looks like arezzo on 22nd St recently closed - any scoop on what the plan is? It's a shame because we really loved that place (although unfortunately, it was typically not that crowded)." [Shutter Inbox]
M&G Diner and Chocolate Girl up next.>>
BruniBetting: Bar Milano
Tomorrow, Frank Bruni reviews Bar Milano, Jason Denton's post-Lupa Ital in Murray Hill. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 4-1With Lupa still relegated to the lower ranks of $25 and Under, Denton ran the show for Molto Mario and Joe Bastianich there, Bar Milano will be Denton's first restaurant to get the full once-over from the Bruni. Two stars is the lower limit aim, certainly, with three being what dude's probably hoping for at his most optimistic Me Time moments. Now, to the reality of the situation, the restaurant has gotten decidedly tepid reviews thus far, with RG's trey and Paul Adams' rant being the respective high and low marks. While the restaurant is not in any danger of getting run over by the zilch train, one star is in play; in fact, one star is probably the most likely scenario, the menu, previous reviews, neighborhood and current Bruni mood considered. However, our end of the day thinking here is that the Bruni's personal affinity for Lupa is going to get Denton the benefit of the doubt and push what is currently a one star restaurant into the deuce realm based on potential. Thusly and ergo, Eater's got a hundie on two stars at 3-1. Bettors take your mark.
One Star: 3-2
Two Stars: 3-1 √√
Three Stars: 50-1
Four Stars: 10,000-1
· Bar Milano [NYT; after 8:00 PM]
√√ denotes the Eater bet.
EaterWire Midday Edition: Upstairs at Country to Become Country Steak
MADISON SQ PARK— Geoffrey Zakarian announced today that he is turning his three starred (and Deathwatched) restaurant Country into a steak joint to be called Country Steak. The more casual cafe downstairs will remain in tact, but expect a full overhaul of the upstairs come this fall. The official press release explains the new take:
"The steakhouse will open on the restaurant’s second level following the annual summer hiatus in the upstairs Dining Room and replace its current multi-course tasting menu. The steakhouse menu will complement the European-Mediterranean cuisine served in both the Café at Country and each of the nine Private Event rooms...the new Country Steak kitchen will be headed by Executive Chef Willis Loughhead."Zakarian tells Mr. Cutlets that he is simply fulfilling a longtime dream of owning a steakhouse (not putting in a last ditch effort to save his restaurant):
What Zakarian has to say for himself.>>
EaterWire Midday Edition: Ryan Skeen Out at Resto?
MURRAY HILL— We got word this morning through the tipline that Ryan Skeen is out as chef at Resto and that sous chefs Dan Ross and Bobby Hellen are running the kitchen for the time being. The young Skeen earned the restaurant two stars from Franktastic last May and has been praised across town for his hearty Resto Burger. We're still waiting on a confirm but the response we've gotten back so far is sketchy at best. This morning owner Christian Pappanicholas was 'in a meeting with the chef' and is now MIA while the rest of the staff won't give us a yea or a nay on the matter. Perhaps he's still trying to lure Skeen back.
· The Gatekeepers: Resto's Christian Pappanicholas [~E~]
The Shutter: Grand 275, Nicola Paone, and Dosa Hut
It's been a strange week in shutters. We had both the long planned closure of Cafe Grey and the last minute sale of Bette. Then there was of course the mysterious shutter/non shutter over at Savarona. As usual there are still a few stragglers left:
1) Clinton Hill: Clinton Hill Blog reports on the shuttering of a beloved bar: "I have received word from TWO different sources that Grand 275 (located at 275 Grands, obvs) is closing. Fear not — it doesn’t seem to be an issue with poor business or rent increases, but more that the owners are ready to do something new (hopefully in the same space?)." [ClintonHillBlog]
2) Murray Hill: Crain's brings the news that Murray Hill old timer Nicola Paone will close tomorrow: "Nicola Paone, the favorite Italian restaurant of a long line of mayors including Rudy Giuliani, celebrated its 50th anniversary in April. This Saturday evening, the Murray Hill stalwart—a victim of old age—will serve its last mealss..Mr. Auriana says he will either sell the building at 207 E. 34 St....or lease it to another restaurant." [Crain's]
Dosa Hut, next.>>The Plywood Report: Pinkberry, Fatty Crab, The West Branch, and More!!
1) Midtown West: If a small restaurant closes in this town these days, it's almost inevitable that some sort of frozen yogurt chain will be moving in. This time it's Pinkberry coming to 596 9th Ave at 43rd St. [PLYWOOD]
2) Upper West Side: Here we have an exterior plywood shot of Tom Valenti's newest venture The West Branch. He says it's too early to spill the details on it now, but we're hoping for some nice interior shots once construction gets going. [PLYWOOD]
3) Upper West Side: We decided to check in on the Fatty Crab space on 77th and Broadway, and let's just say there's not much to report. The space is large, unfinished, and you can spot a kitchen in the back of the room. [PLYWOOD]
4) Murray Hill: A tipster writes in with some Murray Hill news: "Passed by the construction of the new Brother Jimmy's on 31st and Lex this afternoon…..slated to open in 2 to 3 weeks according to one worker….looks like they better start working over-time." [PLYWOOD]
Chelsea, the West Village, and More.>>Week in Reviews: One Star Each For Gottino & Terroir
The Bruni files a two-fer this week in honor of the Times annual Drinks Issue, awarding Jody Williams' Gottino and the Marco Canora/Paul Grieco project Terroir one star each. He thinks these wine bars are so good they shouldn't even be called 'wine bars':
"With stool seating, a focus on small plates under $10 and lengthy selections of wines by the glass, Terroir and Gottino are better described as wine bars, though that term, too, doesn’t fit, because the best of the food rises so far above the gussied-up sandwiches and glorified snacks with which wine bars once made do.Strangely enough, Bruni spends little of his word count on the libations. However he makes a point to say that while the food is decent, you'll never have the comforts of a real 'restaurant': "...space is tight, the mood is agitated, reservations aren’t accepted and you could easily wind up standing and waiting 45 minutes for the privilege of straddling a stool." [NYT]Terroir and Gottino exemplify a wine-bar evolution so thorough that nomenclature can’t keep up. And they reflect the increasing degree to which distinguished cooking pops up in the unconventional, informal settings that many food lovers often prefer...to force the question, are Terroir and Gottino restaurants in wine-bar drag?"
Scarpetta, Ago, and the Elsewhere, up next.>>
San Domenico Update: SD26 Renderings Revealed
Courtesy of Tânia Branquinho, Barteluce Architects & Associates
Just two short hours ago we all learned about the new location, the design, and the concept changes for SD26, the new and improved version of San Domenico, set to open in spring '09 off Madison Square Park. If you have problems visualizing the "contemporary", "timeless", and "elegant" design described earlier by SD's patriarch Tony May, take a look at the renderings of the new space above. We still don't have shots of the main dining room and the entrance leaves much to be desired, but they get bonus points for the ghostly figures they have hanging at the bar.
· EaterWire: San Domenico To Become SD26, Moving to Madison Sq. Park [~E~]
EaterWire: Free Cupping Events, New Club in Murray Hill, Bar Q's Atrium
EAST VILLAGE— According to a NYTimes piece last week, cupping is all the rage with coffee geeks these days. Accordingly, Kobricks is offering some up this week: "On Friday the 13th, Kobricks Coffee will begin a series of informal tastings (or cuppings) that are open to the public. The first, at 2pm, takes place in Manhattan at Arlo & Esme; the second begins at 4pm in Brooklyn’s Oslo Coffee. Each cupping includes an introduction to the coffees and a hands on education of sniffing slurping and spitting." [EaterWire]
MURRAY HILL— DBTH brings word that nightlife gurus Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss will be opening a new space in, of all places, Murray Hill: "'New Strategic Group project in Manhattan will be an event space/restaurant/small lounge to be located in the 30's on the east side. Is Murray Hill the new meatpacking?' With the tightening of liquor licenses and high downtown rents, people in the know look for opportunities on the fringes..." [DBTH]
WEST VILLAGE— Bar Q's glassed in atrium is finally open. It's like eating al fresco with the benefit of some serious AC. [EaterWire]
Fro-Yo Wars: 3rd Ave is the New Fro-Yo Row
Photographer Kathryn Yu writes in to tell us about the new surfeit of frozen yogurt options in Fro-Yo Row a.k.a. 3rd Avenue between 22nd and 34th Streets. Yes, it's a sign that this trend has gotten out of control, but what we wouldn't give for just one ice cream/fro-yo/snow cone stand by our offices right now. That 12 block stretch now has (or will soon have) a Pinkberry, a Red Mango, a Berrywild, a Flurt, and something called Yoqua Bar. And we're betting this isn't the end of it.
· Two is a Trend: Self Serve Fro-Yo [~E~]
Week in Reviews: Onespot for Elettaria
Krieger, 3/2/08
Mr. Frank Bruni weighs in on Akhtar Nawab and Noel Cruz's East 8th Street experiment Elettaria and gives it the old onespot. It's cute, it's darling, and the food is somtimes good. But the design just does not work for the Brunz.
"Elettaria doesn’t work as well practically as it does visually. A lack of any real division between the dining room and an open kitchen means that you have to step into the kitchen and sometimes even squeeze past a cook to descend to those restroomsAnd of course the Bruni never misses a chance to have a little fun: "...when every second restaurant calls itself 'market-driven,' Elettaria describes itself as “spice-driven.” (I’m waiting for the restaurant that’s driven by Morgan Freeman.)" [NYT]...The ostensibly individual tables bisecting the dining room are essentially one way-too-long communal table, which makes for odd traffic patterns.
...Elettaria is lovely but awkward, and its awkwardness undercuts Mr. Nawab’s impressively creative cooking. But then his cooking also undercuts itself, some dishes mirroring the setting: seductive in the abstract, less so in actuality."
Pans for Ago & Palm Court and the Elsewhere up next.>>
DOH Chronicles: Bao Noodles Closed by DOH?
Murray Hill: And the Murray Hill shutterings continue. The latest victim: Bao Noodles. This is a more mysterious case than Curry Leaf or Popeye's however, because we can't say with complete certainty that this is a DOH'ing. We received a tip late last week that the Vietnamese noodle joint was sporting an ominous yellow sticker, and the restaurant's inspection in April was bad enough to require a follow up compliance inspection. The evidence isn't in the Bao's favor. Sadly by the time Eater correspondents arrived on the scene, the gate was down, construction sign up. But we know better than to believe those signs. Official DOH word is forthcoming.
UPDATE: From the DOH: "Bao Noodle was closed on Wednesday, May 14 following an inspection that found a vermin infestation. An estimated 15 flies were found in four separate areas of the restaurant. Other conditions contributing to the closing were over 10 lbs of food kept at hazardous temperatures."
· DOH Chronicles: Curry Leaf [~E~]
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