Fall Dining Preview '07: Uptown

Alex Urena scales things down at Pamplona, offering Basque tapas like white asparagus and San Sebastian chorizo

Pamplona
37 East 28th St. at Park Ave. South
Even though chef-owner Alex Urena won a following for his namesake debut just off Park Avenue South (it was heady Spanish fare with foams and shellfish gelees aplenty), people were just not buying the $100 tasting. “There are very few real three-star restaurants in New York because people don’t want to spend,” says Urena, who’s decided to close the original and reopen a scaled-down version, Pamplona, in the same narrow space on 28th Street. “I want a place that is simple and cheap and really fun to visit.” Urena is sticking with Spain, but this time focusing strictly on Basque cuisine, the region he knows best, having worked in Navarre for four years. The menu will feature tapas (white asparagus, olives, San Sebastian chorizo), appetizers (snow crabs, trout dusted with paprika and olive oil) and shareable entrees like paella, and whole Dorade and Hake for two. He’s chosen to name his restaurant after a popular frat-boy tourist destination, but has the chef actually run with the bulls? “I did run, but it was two blocks away…and still kinda scary. It was such a fun time. Everybody is drinking wine and eating chorizo with sweet peppers.” (Sept. 6)

Persephone
115 E. 60th St. at Park Ave.
In Greek mythology, Persephone is known as the queen of the underworld, a beautiful maiden abducted by Hades and later freed after being tricked into eating pomegranate seeds, a power foodstuff that forced her to return to hell each year for eternity. So the question is: Are owners Steve Tzolis and Nicola Kotsoni (of Chelsea’s Periyali) into morbid Greek myths or simply after a convoluted way to express their passion for the pomegranate? Find out later this fall. (September) 

T-Bar and Lounge
1278 Third Ave at 73rd St.
Steakhouses are usually reserved for Midtown, but Tony Fortuna has decided that the Upper East Side needed a bovine fix and will offer choice cuts, as well as a raw bar and the standard sides. Fortuna ran Lennox Room at the same location and has retained his chef Ben Zwicker. (September)

Five Guys
43 W.  55th St. at Sixth Ave.
The overhyped Washington D.C. chain finally makes its Manhattan debut. The burgers are fine (all prepared well-done per the top Guy’s edict), and the fries are better—hand-cut and cooked in peanut oil for a pleasantly crispy crunch. But with takeout champs Burger Joint and Shake Shack nearby, this may be far from a slam dunk for the new kid on the block. (September)

The Mermaid Inn
568 Amsterdam Ave. at 87th St.
"The Upper West Side has been on the rise, and I just wanted to jump in the water up there," quips Danny Abrams. Very eloquently said, coming from the man who put seafood on the map in the East Village with the highly acclaimed Mermaid Inn. Now, he’s spinning off an uptown location, which will feature more space and a larger raw bar. "I wanted the next Mermaid Inn to be as far away from the original one as possible," says Abrams, who lived on the Upper West Side for over 20 years. "I didn’t want to cannibalize the original one." The bigger space finally gives him and his chef, Laurence Edelman (The Red Cat), the chance to expand the menu, as well as to serve espresso and cappuccino, which he couldn’t do downtown. "My goal was to take the same [downtown] elements and re-create them," he says. "I wanted people to walk uptown and immediately feel at home." (October)

Nizza
630 Ninth Ave. at 44th St.
The press release promises that Nizza’s interior will recall a ‘50s-era Riviera vibe, with menu selections originating from the Cote d’Azur to Liguria. How “Talented Mr. Ripley” of them. The 55-seat wine bar and café will offer a selection of over 100 bottles (25 of them available by the glass), as well as antipasti, salads and paninis. (October)

Dovetail
103 West 77th St. at Columbus Ave.
John Fraser, the European-trained precisionist behind NYT two-star Compass, debuts as chef-owner with Dovetail, an Upper West Side restaurant with a mission: to stand out from the hood’s crowded bistro scene. “People up here have had their fill of cafés,” says Fraser. “With Dovetail, I will bring an elegant but casual experience, with a real chef in the house.” Fraser’s menu will lean European and seasonal with dishes “flavor-rich but still light.” He tipped us off on a couple menu items, including a smoked-shrimp appetizer with creamy grits and pork belly vinaigrette, and sliced whole sirloin crusted with basil, served with a croquette of seasonal vegetables. Fraser also plans a Sunday prix fixe (three courses under $40) and hearty end-of-week specials like braised lamb shank. (November)    

Alain Ducasse's Adour
2 E. 55th St at Fifth Ave.
Adour is named after the river in Southern France where all-world gourmand Alain Ducasse popped his culinary sweet/sour/candied cherry. So this outpost at The St. Regis Hotel is no less going to showcase dishes close to the chef’s roots (no menu details available at this time). David Rockwell designs the space, which features 72 seats, a private dining room (for true baller status) and a four-seat interactive wine bar where guests can read all about their selection on the actual bar (via a projection). Looks like Alain was into “The Jetsons” too! (November)
 
‘wichcraft
Rockefeller Center Concourse
Screw that $12 toss-in salad when Tom Collichio can cater your overpriced Midtown lunch. ‘wichcraft has long been a favorite of ours—when isn’t a fontina melt with white truffle oil or meatloaf with cheddar bacon and tomato relish the perfect remedy to curb that hangover? Construction has begun in the Rockefeller Center Concourse. (November) 

Brasserie Cognac du Monsieur Ballon
1740 Broadway at 55th St.
Fabio Granato and Vittorio Assaf of the Serafina Group will offer a lengthy list of Cognac, as well as bistro fare like steak frites, moules meunière and cod pistou. (November)

Eight One
45 W. 81st St. at Columbus Ave.
Seafood specialist Edward Brown (JUdson Grill, Tropica, Sea Grill) has earned a total of 14 stars from The New York Times and finally opens his first spot on the Upper West Side, which promises a modern American menu with less emphasis on fish than previous endeavors. (mid-Fall)

[Additional reporting by Rebecca Flint Marx; photo by Brian Van Nieuwenhoven]