All stories about "Elizabeth"
The Week in Eater: Shake Shack Signage, Todd English's Libertine, Top Chef Spying, and More!
This Week's Stories: ShackWatch: Shake Shack's New Design Explained, Top Chef: A Peek at the Cheftestants In Action, John Iconomou Out After Four Months at Elizabeth, Todd English's Libertine Set to Open in 'Fall 08', Country Can't Catch a Break, Fails Re-Inspection,
Blue Ribbon Set to Open in Brooklyn Bowl, and
Turf Wars: Wafels and Van Leeuwen Battle it Out.
EaterWire Midday Edition: John Iconomou Out After Four Months at Elizabeth
Ed Stern, 4/30/08
NOLITA— John Iconomou, a former Country chef and the executive chef at the almost four month-old Elizabeth, has left his post at the restaurant. A tipster tells us Iconomou was fired— by none other than fellow ex-Country chef Doug Psaltis— but we're still waiting on the powers that be to confirm the conditions of the departure. What we do know, confirmed by a call to the restaurant, is that Iconomou is out, he's been gone for almost a week, and chef Ryan Grant (formerly of Ilili) is taking over for the time being. More on the why and the how as the details surface.
UPDATE: We just got official word from co-owner Jeff Mancini. He writes that the split was amicable, that Iconomou was not fired, and that he and Doug Psaltis wish him the best. Ryan Grant is in fact the new chef de cuisine, and a new menu is in the works.
· All Elizabeth Coverage [~E~]
Week in Reviews: Bar Milano Gets the Deuce
Krieger, 4/10/08
Frankie Two Stars strikes again this week, giving Jason and Joe Denton's glossy Italian joint Bar Milano the standard deuce. Like the other critics, the Brunz takes the bros to task for the pasta, along with a number of other missteps:
"Bar Milano bungles its pasta dishes. Not all of them, but too many, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in big ones...That it still manages to be impressive, and at times immensely enjoyable, says a great deal about the seriousness that its proprietors and chefs bring to it...In the end it looks like the entrees are what earn the two spot, perhaps with some help from the cocktail menu: "Desserts aren’t one of Bar Milano’s strengths, but drinks certainly are...throw back a few of these and you might not even notice the pasta." [NYT]Smooth, handsome wood surfaces define the lively bar are,..That menu channels some of the ’ino and ’inoteca spirit, though much of what I sampled during lunch there was curiously off key.
The dining room conjures a spirit of its own. One design element trumps all others, and it’s one of the restaurant’s missteps: a long, mesmerizing wall of marble strips and rectangles in different colors. The owners must have paid a fortune for it, and are still paying for it, in terms of the room’s awful acoustics.
Kobe Beach Club, Ago, and the Elsewhere, ahead.>>
Eater Match Game: Bar Milano, Bar Q, Scarpetta, and More!
For a little Wednesday fun we present Eater Match Game. Match the correct comment from all the usual sources—Yelp, Menupages, Citysearch, blog comment sections—with the correct new restaurant. The prize? You will be slightly less productive at work for the next 5 minutes.
Today's restaurants: A: Cabrito, B: Scarpetta, C: Cafe Society, D: Elizabeth, E: Bar Q, F: Bar Milano
And the reviews:
1) "The place is touting its cocktails. I had a tangy citrusy cocktail that was pretty delicious...I'm sad to say the meal was far less than great, despite the pricey check (and we left hungry)...The lamb was our best dish...The burger was mediocre, the fries were soft, and the chicken was on the dry side."
2) "Waited 30 minutes for a table (had a reservation and it wasn't prime time) and another 30 minutes between the first and second course...The short ribs and duck/FG raviolis were to die for."
3) "Secondly, this isnt a cheap place, so what is the deal with the bread presentation? Two small rolls and a spaghetti thin bread roll crossing them - sort of like a meager phallus of wheat...We ordered salads - the misto - very tasty but the kiwis were not as prominent as expected..."
4-6 next.>>Adventures in Shilling #27: Volstead, Benoit, Elizabeth, Lelabar
It's time for another edition of Adventures in Shilling, in which we fight shilling the best way we can, by shaming tasteless, unscrupulous shills into submission. Well, that's the plan, at least. Fight shills yourself by dropping offensive links to tips@eater.com.
This week we have shills from the comments, the inbox, and from another blog. Again, we'd like to commend you shillers on your feeble attempts at selling your beloved restaurants. Better luck next time.
There are a couple of suspect comments on Midtown Lunch's post about Volstead's free lunch on Tuesdays. This is tricky however because a) the restaurant is already commenting under its own name in the thread, and b) since the commenters are getting free lunch they are likely to be fans. Here's the shilliest of the bunch: "Just came back with a group of 7….excellent appetizers, very solid lobster roll, and a great experience for the whole group….we have always had a great time there after-work for happy hour but now this just adds another dimension!""Surprised Lelabar hasn't hit the Eater radar", ahead.>>
Shill Probability: 47%Telling people to stay away is a little reverse psychology trick beloved by shillers everywhere, including this one for Ducasse's Benoit: "If you don't like Benoit then stay away because it is already hard enough to get a table at this great place. BTW, the staff was great on my visit. From the host to the waiter, all had welcoming smiles and provided gracious service...Plus it's next to MOMA so it makes for a great lunch place after the museum."
Shill Probability: 55%
Good News/ Bad News: Elizabeth
Elizabeth is the new creation by the owners of defunct Rialto, a sweet but unsuccessful restaurant that shuttered in that Nolita space a few months ago. It's also the newest project of Doug Psaltis, who consulted on the small plates menu. The garden alone will bring in the Nolita crowds, but only if the management works out the service problems mentioned in almost every early report. Luckily, reviews of ex-Country chef John Iconomou's cooking are much kinder. But let's get to the good news and the inevitable bad news:
1) The Bad News: A Chowhounder publishes the first online review of the place and it. is. not. good: "I'm hoping it's just first-week jitters that made our experience with both the service and the food barely mediocre. I'm sad to say the meal was far less than great, despite the pricey check (and we left hungry)...The lamb was our best dish...The burger was mediocre, the fries were soft, and the chicken was on the dry side...We waited forever for the food and for our drinks to come though." [Chowhound]
2) Okay News: The first Yelp reviewer gives Elizabeth the benefit of the doubt and writes off her bad experience to first week jitters: "...all kinds of disorganized from not taking our name from the get go, seating people in an area without heat lamps and the waitress didn't know the menu well...despite all the snafus the food was delicious...beautiful space but there aren't many tables so be prepared to wait. it's a good place, just needs to work out the newbie kinks." [Yelp]
The suspiciously good news, ahead. >>Eater Inside: Elizabeth
Ed Stern, 4/30/08
What you are looking at here is Elizabeth, the week-old restaurant in the old Rialto space on Elizabeth and Prince. The owners are the same but the architect is new, as is the consultant, the always popular Doug Psaltis (though we're guessing his involvement ended with the creation of the menu). The full time chef is ex-Country man John Iconomou. Like its predecessor, the backyard here is a major selling point, and it could help to draw in the early fans in the upcoming warm months.
To the brass tacks: the banquettes are leather, the bar, marble, and the menu, rife with small plates. Cocktails also seem to get a heavy emphasis, as is the norm these days. With its location and that backyard, all they have to do to bring in the people is serve some decent food. But that's probably what people said about Rialto, and the early word isn't great so far. They better smooth out the kinks before the gorgeous May weather hits. Further reading here and here.
Small Plates, Doug Psaltis, Backyard
265 Elizabeth St., Nolita; 212-334-2426
Open daily 5:30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Board Wrap: Gettin' Meaty Wid It
· Early Word on Elizabeth: 'Barely Mediocre' [CH]
· What to Name a Meat-Centric Blog? "Marrow Me", "Gettin' Meaty Wid It" [SE]
· Going Beyond Wired's Go Go Curry Piece [Yelp]
· The Babbo Bartender 'Reacharound' Explained [eG]
· The Rash of Krispy Kreme Shutterings Due to Trans Fats? [CH]
Thursday Opening Report: Cafe Society, Harlem Vintage, Tet Certified Open, Franklin Park, Elizabeth Tomorrow
This is the Thursday Opening Report, a regular feature that provides the precise status of venues reported as open elsewhere. As per standard operating procedure around here, your contributions are so very welcome.
Cafe Society
1) Union Square: TONY reports that Café Society is to open this week off of Union Square. Here’s the lowdown: “Restaurateur Andrew Silverman has replaced his relocated Union Square stalwart Steak Frites with this 110-seat eatery. An eclectic menu from chef Matthew Jaffe (Brasserie) ranges from a deconstructed Spanish bocadillo to fried squid with crispy ginger and garlic.” Status: Certified Open with limited menu this week, full menu next week. 9 E 16th Street; 212-675-4700. [TONY]
2) Crown Heights: Brownstoner is reporting that the much anticipated bar and beer garden, Franklin Park will open tomorrow, indicating an initial 2am closing time. They write: “Franklin Bar co-owner Matthew Roff, who also co-owns Southpaw in Park Slope, told us the earlier closing time was more of a business decision to initially gauge the street life in the area before staying open all night.” Status: Not open. Opening Friday according to website. 618 St. Johns Place, Crown Heights; no phone listed. [Brownstoner]
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