Momofuk-two: David Chang’s noodle nirvana moves a few doors down, with roomier digs
(Credit: Noah Kalina)
"The Upper West Side has been on the rise, and I just wanted to jump in the water up there," chides 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, as well as popular dishes from the downtown spot, including lobster sandwiches and skillet-roasted mussels. "I wanted the next Mermaid Inn to be as far away from the original one as possible," Abrams tells us. "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." 568 Amsterdam Ave. between 87th and 88th Sts., 212-799-7400
Community Food & Juice
Looks like Abrams isn’t the only one making the pilgrimage uptown this week: DeDe Lahman and hubby Neil Kleinberg, the duo behind Clinton St. Baking Co. on the Lower East Side, open this unassuming joint, whose straightforward name belies their straightforward approach to food and dining. “We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel,” says Lahman, who’s lived on the UWS for the last six years. “I think people are looking for a simple meal that’s made with the highest quality ingredients, that’s absolutely delicious and reasonably priced.” It’s a philosophy that suffuses their down-home menu, which retains the same mom-and-pop spirit of CSBC (blueberry pancakes, buttermilk fried chicken, B.E.L.T.—there’s an egg thrown in), with subtle Asian accents like Hunan chicken salad. (“We go back and forth and we usually yell a lot and we end up with a great menu,” Lahman laughs.) Their approach is also conscientious: The green-minded restaurant, with its bright and lofty interior, sports takeaway cutlery made out of potato starch and tables crafted from reclaimed wood. “We’re not into pretension,” says Lahman. “In Manhattan, everyone’s wearing costumes, and there’s a lot of emotional costumes as well. We’re not interested in providing a haven for people to be false. We’re interested in a place where people can be real. It’s kind of a simple philosophy.” 2983 Broadway between 112th and 113th Sts., 212-665-2800
Momofuku
Actually, it’s more like Momofuk-two: You’ll probably do a double-take at the Momofuku photo on this page and wonder if anything seems…different, other than the fact that it looks like it was flipped in Photoshop. Ding! It’s actually a different space, but hey…why mess with a surefire formula? It was only a matter of time before the restaurant outgrew its old location, and so David Chang has carted his uber-popular noodle nirvana a few doors down and to much roomier digs: twice the space, with—get this—tables. Which means that now you can hopefully snag a seat in, oh, under an hour before munching on those Berkshire pork buns. Chang is converting Momofuku 1.0 into a prix-fixe restaurant for a limited number of guests, with a menu that changes regularly. 171 First Ave. between 10th and 11th Sts., 212-777-7773
Clubhouse Café
There’s no shortage of grub around the Rock Center area, but how’s this for a switch-up: kosher pub food. That’s the pitch at chef-owner Jose Meirelles modern-ish bar-slash-café just south of Rock Center, which he hopes fills a nice niche for kosher food. “There is a big gap between traditional delis and restaurants,” he says. “There’s nothing that’s cozy, that's what I consider a café.” The menu, which Meirelles calls “more of a diversified, good pub food,” includes bar standbys like sliders, fish-and-chips and empanadas, as well as heartier fare like pot roast braised in red wine. 55 W. 46th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., 212-354-3838
Five Guys Midtown
Gimme Five: The overhyped Washington D.C. chain finally makes its Manhattan debut, with its famous over-the-top-gimmicks (posting the town in Idaho where the fries were born) and well-done burgers (“regular” with two patties, “little” with one). Fortunately, loads of fresh, free condiments are available, like fried onions and quality mayo. Nobody will argue about the fries, though: They’re memorable, cut medium thick and fried to a golden brown in peanut oil. Manhattan’s a bit late coming to the party—there are over 200 locations in the region, including one in Brooklyn and another in Queens—but we don’t hear the hordes of Midtown cubicle dwellers complaining, since the place will likely get its fill of office traffic duking it out with the Midtown tourist crush. 43 W. 55th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., 212-459-9600
[Additional reporting by Matt Rodbard]
