Manhattan: NoMeat Archives
Del Posto Lease Derailment: Related Buys Building, Intends to Honor Lease
Adam Goldman for the AP has reports today on what may be the final chapter of the 18-month-long battle between Del Posto and their landlord, Somerset Partners. Since we've haven't mentioned this story in a while, let's review: In January of 2006 it become clear that Del Posto had violated their lease agreement by building in spaces not expressly listed in their least agreement (the extent of these violations wasn't clear) and that Somerset Partners intended to use these violations to get rid of the Batali/Bastianich restaurant and the sweetheart lease they'd negotiated on the space. A back-and-forth in and out of the legal system ensued, with various rulings and such that suggested Del Posto was ultimately going to prevail in the fight.
Now, the battle appears over. The building has been sold to Related Partners for $430 million and the new owners have indicated they don't plan on perusing Del Posto's eviction:
Somerset had been trying to evict Del Posto for months, taking the owners to court in order to force them out.· Del Posto restaurant remains open after acrid dispute [Newsday]But with the purchase, Joseph Bastianich, Lidia's restaurateur son, said Tuesday that the litigation was terminated, and Related was honoring the original lease that allows them to use contested space.
"It's over as far as I'm concerned," Bastianich said.
Somerset's lawyer, Warren Estis, confirmed that the legal imbroglio had concluded.
· Molto Mario Del Evicted? [~E~]
· Eater Exclusive: Inside Del Posto's Lease Derailing [~E~]
· Del Posto Lease Battle: Your Reservations Safe for Now [~E~]
EaterWire: Schulson Leaves Buddakan for TV, Sous Symmensma Takes Over
MEATPACKING—Follow-up to last night's PM Wire: Michael Schulson has, indeed, resigned as Buddakan's executive chef. He's landed himself a TV show on E!/Style, the taping of which will prevent him from being in the Buddakan kitchen full time. But there will be no chaos at Buddakan: "This is something we've known about since Buddakan opened," Buddakan/Morimoto overlord Stephen Starr told us last night. Replacing Schulson at Buddakan is Lon Symensma, who had been Schulson's sous chef since from the outset. Schulson will remain briefly to oversee Symensma's transition and will continue to work for Starr in a less formal role, advising on the opening of new Starr venues. Symensma, for your records, also has Jean Georges and Spice Market on his CV. [EaterWire]
Friedman & Co. Taking on Seafood
The Spotted Pig team of April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman have settled on their next project. It will be a dressed-down seafood restaurant, set in between Craftsteak and Del Posto, with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich as partners. From Ken:
"April & I are working on our next project, a casual yet elegant English-inspired oyster bar/seafood resto with April as the exec chef and partner, an open kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating and the same hip relaxed hospitality that is offered at the porcine prince. Mario & Joe will be close by -- next door at Del Posto - to hold our hands when we need them to be held. We hope to be open in the fall. Address is 85 10th Avenue -- We've always said that our 2nd place needs to be within walking distance from the pig. Name tbd."The restaurant, which appeared before the community board as The Striped Marlin, has gotten the community board's endorsement for a liquor license. Opening date TBD.
Update: The restaurant will be called the John Dory.
Week in Reviews: Two Stars for Craftsteak, One for Craftbar
Kalina, 5/17/06
1) In this week's edition of the Frank Bruni takes Manhattan, the Times chief critic is at Craftsteak and Craftbar, venues he deems worthy of two and one star, respectively. Bruni's treatment of 'Steak is as expected: Tom Colicchio has gotten his act back on track and so an upgrade, from it's ten-month-old one star rating, is in order. At Craftbar, the edges remain rough, following a 2005 relocation:
Craftbar, which opened in early 2002, has moved even further from its origins than Craftsteak, having traded its nest alongside Craft for greater independence a few blocks away. The relocation in mid-2005 gave Craftbar more room: about 175 seats, including those in a private dining room, versus just 70 or so before.The Bruni's roadmap at Craftbar: "play things safe by sticking with cheeses, charcuterie, salads and finger-friendly snacks (except for the generic risotto balls) while you wait for Mr. Colicchio to patch some of the holes." [NYT] When we come back: Richman at Wild Salmon, Underground Gourmet at Resto and the Elsewhere. >>But it took away some of the restaurant’s soul. The stark space it now inhabits has a grim industrial feel that works against the intended coziness of the predominantly Mediterranean cuisine: fried oysters with a celery root rémoulade; sweetbreads in a lemon and tuna sauce; bruschetta with fontina and hon shimeji mushrooms; bucatini with pancetta and an oozing egg; hanger steak with buttery puréed potatoes.
Marketing Stunt of the Year: Outdoor Seating as New Restaurant
Old Homestead. One of the oldest steakhouses in the city, long a favorite among the meat set, a perennial go-to for large groups in search of some old school flair. And now, courtesy of one hell of a marketing stunt, the proud owners of an offshoot cafe, dubbed Prime Burger Cafe at Old Homestead. In our universe, a.k.a. reality, this is known as sidewalk seating: a bunch of tables, chairs, and other assorted mood elements set up on the sidewalk, especially during the warmer months. In the alternate reality in which Old Homestead and their PR, The Hall Company, roll, this is grounds to announce a brand new restaurant, "opening May 7th." (By the by, it's fully open now, today, this very moment.)
Plywood Report #1: Gemma, ex-Shopsin's, Ronnybrook Milk Bar!
This afternoon, there will be Plywood. In copious, perhaps even promiscuous, quantities. Let's bring some serious heat to start, shall we?
1) East Village: Above, note the progress since the last Plywood check-in on the interior of Gemma, the Italian restaurant prepping to open in the Bowery Hotel. Word is that the place is about a month out, with the wait at this point primarily furniture-related. Interior design, should you have forgotten, is by Mr. Taavo Somer. [PLYWOOD]
2) West Village: A tipster emails regarding the forthcoming Mikey Price eatery: "They have begun doing some excavation work today on the space that used to be Shopsin's. They're moving out booths and stuff, and creating a large pile of trash on the corner. I asked one of the workers what was planned for the space and he said it would be a restaurant/market. Though I'm still mourning the loss of the city's best breakfast joint, I'm relieved to find out I won't be living across the street from a new bank or a Starbucks." [PRE-PLYWOOD]
3) NoMeat: "Chelsea Market's Ronnybrook just started putting up some brown paper (not plywood per se but something like it). They are preparing for a gut renovation and a re-opening/re-envisioning as Ronnybrook Milk Bar, a take-away (and bar seating) breaky and lunch spot, with an emphasis on dairy products (obviously). So think granola and yogurt for breakfast, sammys with cheese and other accoutrements for lunch. Baked goods and milkshakes, too. [And eggnog?--Ed.] Studio a+i, a brooklyn-based team with ties to Raphael Viñoly, and the store's owner, a former David Rockwell employee, are designing." [PLYWOOD]
EaterWire: New Chefs at 5 Ninth and Craftsteak, More DOH!
It's Pi Day at Tuck Shop. Happy Pi Day.
MEATPACKING—Zak Pelaccio's fusion restaurant/cocktail destination 5 Ninth has a new chef. A tipster writes, "i heard yesterday that Billy Barlow is now the head chef at 5 ninth. Billy who's role models are mario b & emeril (worked for in olrando/new orleans), got axed by april b [ed. note, that's April Bloomfield of Spotted Pig fame] for acting like said models a week or so before sarah ochs got hired. Billy Barlow is a name you will hear again and he is only 26, just watch out for his hands." [EaterWire Inbox]
MEATPACKING—Another MePa restaurant, Craftsteak, has also chosen a new head toque. Per Cutlets, per the RG, we learn that Damon Wise, the restaurant's former chef de cuisine, is the now executive chef of all the Craft restaurants and that former 7Squarer Shane McBride has been hired to work for Damon. Restauranteur Tom Colicchio said, "Shane has been hired specifically to execute the menu that Damon created. Damon has worked his ass off day and night, and I want him to get credit for that.” [Cutlets; RG]
UPPER WEST SIDE—What would this edition of EaterWire be without a report of another DOH shuttering? Sayeth a reader, "among the recent spate of closings by the Department of Health, add Mary Ann's on the UWS to the list. Their note (below) has a similar ring to others that have been posted on your site." [EaterWire Inbox]
New Music Venue Alert: Highline Ballroom
The Chelsea building that formerly held nightclubs Glo and Powder (right) is getting remade into a new venue from the owners of B.B. King's with the au moment name Highline Ballroom.
The news comes to us from Lois Weiss, but a cursory websearch shows that the news had long since spread across MySpace (Brit buzz artist Amy Winehouse has two shows scheduled there, May 8 and 9; grand opening is set for May 1). Venue capacity uncertain, but Glo held 800 folks back in the day.
· West Side Music Story [NYPost, photo courtesy PropertyShark]
Cuozzo on NoMeat: 'things are looking up'
Steve Cuozzo uses his Food Section column inches today to check in on the NoMeat trio of Del Posto, Morimoto, Craftsteak, each of which, our man notes, has been tweaking and fine-tuning since opening. Click through for the full story of rise and fall and rise again; here are the broad strokes.
Del Posto: "Alas, the discounts are over; Del Posto doesn't need them anymore. And the pasta was better this time than the last.
With a buzzing full house on a bitter-cold Sunday eve, Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich seem finally over Del Posto's well-reported hump. Although still ensnared in a lease dispute that may outlast World Trade Center reconstruction, the place has hit its stride."
Morimoto: "Morimoto was packed at 9 p.m. last Thursday but was not nearly as full at 8 on Sunday, even though "Mr. Cipriani and his party are on their way," an aide promised the hostess.
The guy you want there, Mr. M, was not around; "He's in Japan," we were told."
Craftsteak: " When I popped into Craftsteak without a reservation at 9 p.m., the only table left was in a freezing corner of the lounge. The place now has a grill to sear beef properly, and my 18-ounce, 28-day dry-aged strip steak hit the spot.
The menu remains dense despite paring down 20-odd (some very odd) steak choices to a mere dozen. Craftsteak crowed last week that it has a new executive chef; it didn't mention it's dropped lunch "until further notice" and is now open for dinner only."
· For Richer or Poorer [NYP]
The Gatekeepers: Erin Rogerson
On we go with The Gatekeepers, a photo series we've commissioned from Michael Harlan Turkell. For the next several weeks, we'll be presenting portraits of The Gatekeepers: the very folks that stand between you and some of your favorite impossible-to-get tables.
Tia Pol open in July of 2004. It started as a somewhat secret cult place (in no small part due to its miniscule size), then people started talking, and soon thereafter it became a massive hit. Now, the waits are often two hours at dinnertime. Erin Rogerson is your lady of the list.
Erin: "We're friendly to everyone. Sometimes it gets hairy in here. I take down the time you came in, and your number, but since it's such a small place, we have to get some people out of the door during their wait. We have a new place opening on 24th St between 8th and 9th avenues, which will help with overflow."
"There are only 3 tables that seat 4, a wait for 4 can be up to 2 hours, if you're a party of 2 or 3, come in early, say 545PM, or late 945PM."
"Older men try and slip me money, there are big name droppers, and they tell you they know Mani and/or Heather, but they could have very-well read that somewhere. It's hard to know whom they know, since they know so many people."
"We don't have a real reservation station, so you feel a little exposed. It's a really very little space in the restaurant. People walk in the door, and you have to be an assertive hostess to keep order. We try to get them to start drinking at the "standing" bar, a similar procedure as they do in Spain."
Tapas
205 10th Ave, NoMeat/West Chelsea; (212) 675-8805
lunch (except Monday) and dinner daily; website
Continue reading "The Gatekeepers: Erin Rogerson"
Del Posto Lease Battle: Little Bald Men
Been awhile since we checked in on the feud between Mario Batali's crew and his NoMeat landlords at Del Posto. From the Hot Seat interview in this week's TONY:
Q: You're fighting with your landlords at Del Posto. How's that going?Okay, let's file that under "status quo," then.
Batali: Their lawyer is a smart guy. He has been on us every day. The landlords are little bald men with small penises who live in Greenwich. We're never going to leave, and they're never going to come in my restaurant.
· Del Posto Lease Battle: Your Reservation Safe for Now [~E~]
Eater Inside: STK
[Kalina, 10/24/06.]
Located at the very center of the Meatpacking District, in geography and spirit, this is STK. It is officially “a steakhouse with a conscience and sex appeal,” though the steakhouse has thus far taken back seat to the sex appeal--namely the design, scene, and even the menu, where steak and non-steak offerings are given equal playing time (to sate less carnivorous, more tightly-clothed eaters most likely).
Though there are bright spots, especially among the more adventurous side dishes, STK as a place for serious beef enthusiasts falls short. But, again, that's mostly besides the point. Take this choice bit from official press materials:
In creating STK, Icrave took their greatest inspiration from the world of theater, specifically, from the starkly lit set designs of Robert Wilson. In the dining area, for example, theatrical barn-door lights drop a soft spot of light onto each table, illuminating parties of diners, while bubbles of light sparkle in the darkness overhead. To encourage interactions among guests, casual open seating is equally comfortable as a meeting spot for after-work drinks as for an informal meal. Smoky mirrors allow patrons to catch glimpses of each other and a catwalk sneaks between banquettes providing space for impromptu encounters.Capishe? Further reading at Bloomberg, Gridskipper and Restaurant Girl.
Steakhouse, MePa, Todd Mark Miller
26 Little West 12th Street, MePa; 646-624-2444
official site; dinner menu
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