Two Danny Meyer vets head to the 'Burg with Huckleberry Bar
(Credit: Mea Tefka )
File this one under “Are We There Yet?”: Originally set to debut last year, Richard H. Friedberg’s much-delayed Lower East Side restaurant screeched to a halt when an investor reportedly backed out two weeks before opening, leaving it $200,000 short. Then, Friedberg jettisoned A&D’s original chef, Akhtar Nawab, telling the New York Times that “he had problems with Nawab's management decisions.” (Nawab, who had planned a Mediterranean menu at A&D, ended up moving on to E.U., in the East Village.) Now, the restaurant is back on track, this time with a modern American menu from Neil Ferguson, the original chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay at The London. Keep an eye out for interesting items like slow-roasted pork belly with pickled pear, parsnips and fenugreek syrup, as well as caramelized bone marrow with caviar and shallot puree. The space, which features a 70-seat dining room plus a lounge area, meshes old and new with swank decor (beveled mirrors, darkwood paneling) and artwork that references the Lower East Side’s past. 115 Allen St. at Delancey St., 212-253-5400
Huckleberry Bar
Co-owners Stephanie Schneider and Andrew Boggs have both logged plenty of time at branches of the Danny Meyer empire—they met at Blue Smoke, and Schneider also worked at Gramercy Tavern. So they come by their description of Huckleberry Bar, their way-east Williamsburg outpost, as “the bar at your favorite Danny Meyer restaurant” honestly. “It fulfills a niche,” says Boggs. “There’s nowhere like this around here.” The place specializes in classic cocktails, with an emphasis on whiskey, rum, tequila and port—not to mention a few $17 tequilas and rums that’ll make you wonder if you’re still in Brooklyn. “It’s similar to an experience you can get in Manhattan,” Boggs adds. “Great meal, good cocktails, no real wait. We wanted that experience here, without pigeonholing what we do.” Chef Seth Johnson, whose resume includes 5 Ninth, Eleven Madison Park and Resto, will be on hand to prepare a menu of British and Southern-inspired small plates. Service runs until 4 a.m., much to the delight of party hounds looking to kill those late-night munchies. 588 Grand St. at Lorimer St., 718-218-8555
Shorty’s.32
The name may be an inadvertent jab at the well-received but short-lived New American restaurant that used to occupy the space, Goblin Market, but Shorty’s 32 rejiggers the karma with pleasing, accessible comfort food from Jean-Georges vet Josh Eden. The ultra-compact menu—about a dozen dishes, plus sides—offers uncomplicated but discerningly selected items like braised short ribs with elbow macaroni, and baked skate with tomatoes, bacon and onions. 199 Prince St. at.Sullivan St., 212-375-8275
Primehouse New York
The carnivorous takeover of Manhattan continues apace, with prolific restaurateur Stephen Hanson throwing his hat in the ring. Like Primehouse Chicago, Hanson’s New York chapter combines classic steak-house fare with dishes like Berkshire pork chop with black-fig glaze, and “Unrack of Lamb” served with spiced citrus jam and grilled eggplant. Befitting the restaurant’s outsize claims, the beef will get its own spa, of sorts: It will be dry-aged in the steak house’s custom-built Himalayan-rock-salt-tiled aging room. Executive chef Jason Miller, who made signature dishes like pretzel-crusted crab cakes with poppy-seed honey at the Chicago Primehouse, will oversee the menu for the 300-seat dining room and outdoor cafe. Hanson, whose B.R. Guest group is responsible for big-ticket restaurants like Fiamma and Blue Water Grill, knows how to make an impact, and Primehouse will undoubtedly offer plenty of flash with its flesh. 381 Park Ave. S. at 27th St., 212-824-2600
Park Avenue Autumn
Apparently, white isn’t the only thing that goes out of style after summer: The ever-morphing space that was once Park Avenue Café has ditched its Park Avenue Summer veneer and unveils Park Avenue Autumn—part of its high-concept plan to evolve with the seasons. (Next up: Park Avenue Winter, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.) Acclaimed design firm AvroKo has reworked with space in warm woods and earthy tones, while chef Craig Koketsu takes advantage of the season’s harvest to deliver a menu with a playful twist: roasted chicken and pumpkin pie; lamb shank with saffron cauliflower, mint and pistachios; and sauteed foie gras with roasted apricots, among others. Start scarfing them down: Park Avenue Autumn will only be open until late November. 100 E. 63rd St. at Park Ave., 212-644-1900
[Additional reporting by Rebecca Flint Marx]
