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SHO Shaun Hergatt
SHO me the money! Consider it the unofficial tag line for this luxurious and recession-averse French-Asian eatery from Shaun Hergatt…in the Financial District. No bailouts necessary here: A lavish, glass-walled wine gallery leads diners into a Zen-like dining room filled with artwork flown in from Tibet and statues from mainland China. It's a dramatic backdrop for Hergatt's Indochine-y bites, like steamed black bass in a ginger broth, peekytoe crab with galangal geleé, and Tasmanian ocean trout (imported twice weekly from Australia) in kalamansi dressing. "There's really no other restaurant at this level down here," Hergatt says about his decision to colonize a culinary dead zone with a luxury eatery during a shaky economy; he'll be prepped "as soon as the economy changes." He's also being superstitious: To bring good fortune, he's added a Tibetan bell near the entrance, thrown salt through the front door and added sculptures of foo dogs to ward off bad spirits. Begone, toxic mortgages, begone! (The Setai, 40 Broad St. near Exchange Place, 212-809-3993)
DBGB
Four-star clubster Daniel Boulud goes casual(ish) at this brasserie-meets-diner at the Bowery, with a menu from exec chef Jim Leiken that swings from Francophilia to Americana with signature Bouludian flair. Which means: You get over a dozen housemade sausages of varying regional origins (Basque, English, Tuscan) AND homemade hot dogs. Hot dogs! At a Boulud joint! You'll also find three kinds of burgers, including one inspired by Boulud alum (and Daisy May's BBQ guru) Adam Perry Lang: "The Piggie," which comes heaped with Lang's luscious pulled pork. DBGB will also be Boulud's most beer-centric spot, with 22 on tap and 30 by the bottle (Colin Alevras is the sommelier). The main draw, however, at this industrial-looking space are wooden shelves that display an array of pots owned by the world's top toques—Ferran Adria, Jacques Pepin, etc.—which Boulud says makes DBGB "the Hard Rock Café of cooking." Another first: an open kitchen. Why? "Because there's no room!" the chef tells us. "If I separate the kitchen"—smack!—he slaps his hands together, showing how tight things would've been. Keep it tight, Chef, keep it tight. (299 Bowery at First St., 212-933-5300)
Pierre Loti West
There's a lotta more Loti these days: The Irving Place wine-and-small-plates bar has expanded into Chelsea with a charming 30-seat sequel. Unlike Loti No. 1, which serves cured meats and small plates, this one's got a full menu of eclectic bites that owner Orhan Cakir says "all have a little something Turkish about it: a Turkish spice, a Turkish something." Those Turkish somethings include a lemony sumac spice that infuses salads and hummus, as well as a very Turkish sautéed eggplant that's spiffed up with tofu tempura. The rest of the offerings swing from Mediterranean to French, including whole grilled branzino and lamb-confit spring rolls. (258 W. 15 St. near Eighth Ave., 212-645 5684)
Public Fare
Danny Meyer knows an opportunity when he sees one—he built a restaurant empire in and around one of NYC’s most understated/rated parks, Madison Square. So when the chance came to open a concession stand at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, our man was on it, and fast. Public Fare serves both light and decadent “picnic fare” daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (and remains open through intermission when the theater hosts Shakespeare in the Park). And that’s really where Meyer’s genius comes in: Scoring tickets to a free SITP performance requires a lot of standing around. For breakfast, Murray’s bagels and a Benton’s bacon, egg and cheese sandwich compliments a line of smoothies and fresh berries. Sandwiches are park-perfect—chicken salad, BLT, roasted veggies and ricotta. The sweets, or “second act fuel,” include sorbet, gelato and the next big dessert trend: whoopie pies. “Adults have been reminded of the whoopie pies of their youth and it’s become an early favorite,” says David Swinghamer of Hudson Yards Catering. He likens the $2 pastry to “an amazingly awesome Oreo cookie, but a lot better.” (Delacorte Theater, Central Park; mid-park at 80th St.)
Also open:
A spin-off of an incredibly popular Paris restaurant, midtown bistro (deep breath) Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote serves just one main course: steak, topped with the restaurant's famous porte maillot herbed butter sauce and served with fries and a green salad with walnuts. (590 Lexington Ave. at 52nd St., 212-758-3989)
A Felidia alum, Roberto Patriarca, is at the helm of East Village pasta specialist Spina, which has got its own in-house pasta maker who crafts cavatelli and maccheroncini right in the dining room for public display. (175 Avenue B at Eleventh St., 212-253-2250)
Food Fight owner Danny Omari is working overtime: He's just opened two new restaurants in the same space next door. Part 1: tiny sandwich shop Rino Ceronte, serving build-your-own sandwiches with fillings like rib eye, portobello or shrimp wrapped in flatbread and pressed on a flat-top grill. Part 2: Super Hot Dog, offering gourmet variations like bruschetta (with chopped tomatoes) and nacho cheese (self-explanatory, amigo). (111 Macdougal St. between Minetta Lane and Bleecker St., 212-375-0800)
Bed-Stuy pizza shop Saraghina is now turning out serious Neapolitan pies from its L.A.-made Earthstone wood-burning oven. For now it's exclusively 12-inch pies with simple toppings like prosciutto and mushrooms, with plans to expand the menu soon. (435 Halsey St. at Lewis Ave., no phone)
Meals, deals, specials:
Fatty Crab Uptown: Zak Pelaccio's Upper West Side spin-off will be serving lunch starting Monday, on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (2170 Broadway at 77th St., 212-496-2722)
Scarpetta: Beginning next week, Scott Conant will be serving a late-night menu of small plates inspired by his days at Bar Tonno. It'll be available Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 1 a.m., through Labor Day. (355 W. 14th St. near Hudson St., 212-691-0555)
Inakaya: The flashy Japanese newcomer is offering 20 percent off its sushi and rolls every Sunday night from 5 to 11 p.m. (231 W 40th St. between Broadway and Eighth Ave., 212-354-2195)
Additional reporting by Matt Rodbard; photo by Sam Horine
What other people are saying...
SJD from Downtown - June 11, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Amazing dining spot - a first for this neighborhood - the food and service was impeccable! Will be back!
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