Results tagged: New in New York City

By Elizabeth S. Bennett

It's one thing to fantasize about opening a colossal bar / restaurant / performance space / winery smack in the middle of Manhattan. It's quite another to actually build such a venue. Michael Dorf, owner of City Winery, does not want for ambition and his new sprawling west SoHo venue is testament to an evolving vision of wine culture in New York and elsewhere.

After experimenting with producing his own wine and visiting a winery in the center of San Francisco, Dorf, founder of the Brooklyn-bound Knitting Factory (from which he broke ties in 2002), says he got to wondering if there was a way to put on a show inside a winery. "I thought, if I could combine my background of being a music producer with a winery," he explains, "it seemed like it would be an interesting model."

Let's start with the wine, the star of this extravaganza. For patrons who choose to consume it, they will have their pick of 40 by the glass and about 270 by the bottle, including selections from nearly every wine-producing region in the world. Prices range from $17 a bottle for a Spanish red to $900 for a 1982 Château Gruaud Larose.

As its name suggests, City Winery is a winemaking facility with all of the equipment and conditions necessary for producing high-quality vino right on Varick Street, including a stemming machine, fourteen 2,500-gallon steel tanks in a giant glass-encased room adjacent to the main dining area and storage space for 200 barrels.

For the most part, wine made on the premises will not be sold there.

Instead, individuals, groups or corporations with the enthusiasm and extra cash to sign up for membership in City Winery's Barrel Membership Program will be able to participate in creating their very own stash of wine. Those who can afford the $5,000 to $8,000 can work in consultation with head winemaker David Lecomte to customize their wine according to their taste. For example, the aging process can be modified to reduce tannin or acid levels by moving the wine to steel or used barrels for a time. And members can choose from six different types of wood cask to achieve the oakiness or toastiness they desire. So far, 110 memberships have been purchased and there are about 90 slots left.

For this inaugural crush, grapes were carefully harvested and trucked in from Oregon's Willamette Valley (pinot noir), California's Napa Valley (cabernet, syrah, merlot) and Russian River Valley (pinot noir) and New York's Finger Lake region (reisling). And while it could easily be seen as a disadvantage to be so far from the fruit source, Dorf delights in the upside of the arrangement. "We get to go to where the terroir is best," he says. This fall, City Winery may experiment with grapes from Chile and, if the fruit is up to snuff, from Long Island's North Fork.

On the food front: Chef Andres Barrera (late of Franny's in Brooklyn) designed the food menu to showcase the wine, according to Dorf. The Mediterranean-inspired menu of small plates includes crostini and pizza-like "flatbreads" as well as more stirring fare, such as charred octopus with potatoes and sea beans, and beef kubeh with parsely salad, tahini and pomegranate. Murray's cheeses and salamis feature prominently and diners can choose from among six cheese categories, like "supple" and "funky" and a handful of accompanying compotes and condiments.

In case there wasn't enough happening at City Winery--there are wine tastings and wine dinners, a weekly Sunday klezmer brunch and classes that dive deeply into the winemaking process -- it is also a concert venue.  Musicians of all stripes, from Marianne Faithfull to the duo of Israeli singer/songwriter David Broza and Spanish indie rocker Deleon, will perform on a raised stage in the dining room in paid concerts that are meant to be enjoyed while consuming, you guessed it, wine.

When asked why he gave his new venue the generic name of City Winery, Dorf is not shy about his plans for world domination. "It's so broad that we can do a City Winery in London, Philadelphia or Jerusalem."

City Winery

Location: 155 Varick Street, between Spring Vandam Streets
Hours: Dinner is served daily, 5pm to midnight; Sunday brunch is from 10am to 2pm.
Reservations: Call 212-608-0555 or book on the City Winery website.

View the City Winery listing on Savory Cities.

Photo: Francis Dzikowski / ESTO

By Laren Spirer

Chef Cyril Renaud of Fleur de Sel has opened up a more casual venue, Bar Breton - a tribute to his native Brittany. Thin buckwheat crepes, knowns as galettes, are offered at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Renaud serves them with a range of savory and sweet fillings, from traditional to contemporary. The remainder of the menu is brasserie comfort food, Breton-style.

Breakfast offerings include Eggs Over Easy with Fingerling Potato Apple Glaze & Bacon or a version of eggs Benedict with grilled ham and black trumpet mushroom, while lunch and dinner options include a main dish of Bone Marrow Crusted New York Strip Steak with Shallot Confit and Red Wine Sauce or a Berkshire Pork Chop with Roasted Beets. Renaud's small plates, or niacs, including Salt Baked Potatoes with Petit Gris and Oxtail and Parmesan Chips, and Suckling Pig and Fois Gras Terrine, are a perfect complement to both the French and local ciders he serves in addition to the full bar and wine list.

Pastry Chef Yvan Lemoine brings a touch of Renaud's childhood to the table with his grandmother's recipe for Foutimassons, a fried pastry along the lines of beignets. The "new rustic" décor is also a mix of old and new, with a communal table, pictures of Renaud's ancestors, and hand-crafted bar stools.

For an extra special touch, much needed in these turbulent financial times, Bar Breton has committed to donate five percent of its annual profits to charity. Citymeals-on-Wheels is the inaugural beneficiary, but the recipient will change each year.

Chef Pedigree:

• Served as the Chef de Cuisine at Bouley restaurant.
• In 1996 he became the Executive Chef of La Caravelle, where he received a three star review from the New York Times in 1998.
• Nominated for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year award in 1998.
• Opened Fleur de Sel (watch our video) in 2000, where he serves as Executive Chef, and has earned a Michelin star.

Location: 254 Fifth Avenue between 28th and 29th Streets.

Hours: Bar Breton serves breakfast, Monday-Friday, 7-11:30 AM; lunch, Monday-Friday, 11:30 AM-4 PM; dinner, Sunday-Thursday, 4-11 PM and Friday-Saturday 4 PM-midnight; and brunch, Saturday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM. Takeout is available at all times.

Reservations: Call 212-213-4999 or book on OpenTable.

A Brief Chat with Chef Renaud

How did you come up with the name for the restaurant?
We spent a lot of time thinking about the name. It was influenced by the space itself, which has a bar upfront, plus the casual concept I was envisioning. I also liked the alliteration of Bar Breton and the way the back-to-back double "B" logo looked when we were considering it.

Has it been challenging to open a new place while running Fleur de Sel?
Yes, it's been an adjustment splitting my time between the two restaurants, but I have an excellent staff that's helped make the transition as smooth as possible.

What's your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Right now, I'd say buckwheat, which goes into our galettes.
 
If you could collaborate with any chef, alive or dead, who would it be?
Paul Bocuse.

What food-related book or cookbook would you recommend to a young aspiring chef or adventurous home cook?
Jacques Pepin's "Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook."

When you're not in the kitchen what do you do to blow off steam?
I paint and sculpt (some of my pieces are in Fleur de Sel) and like to fish when I have a long stretch of free time, which is not often.

View the Bar Breton listing on Savory Cities

Photo: Francis Dzikowski / ESTO

It appears that Brian Bistrong learned well from Jimmy Bradley, owner of The Harrison, where Bistrong was head chef prior to opening Braeburn, his new contemporary American bistro in the far West Village. The Harrison is a model of neighborhood restaurant success with its warm, convivial atmosphere and accessible menu focused on local and seasonal ingredients. 

Not surprisingly, much of the same cultivated comfort and ease has been worked into the atmosphere and cuisine at Braeburn. According to Bistrong he wanted to offer a menu that, "excites diners looking for accessible fare and intrigues those with more adventurous palates."

On the opening menu most dishes at Braeburn lean more toward accessibility rather than adventure, such as the peeky toe crab salad with a bosc pear puree, the quail "sausage" with figs and quinoa, and a pan-roasted Pennsylvania chicken in a chanterelle stew. The wine list offers more to those seeking adventure, with selections on the 120-bottle list available from small Hungarian, Lebanese and Cypriot producers.

In the spring months expect to see menu items crafted from produce from Bistrong's family farm in Connecticut, and perhaps a few more adventurous items on the menu. In the mean time you can check out the current menu on the Braeburn web site. 

Price Range: Appetizers, $10 - $14; Entrees, $22 - $32; Desserts, $8

Drinks: Three seasonal cocktails are featured regularly. 17 wines are available by the glass.

Location: 117 Perry Street at Greenwich Street (map)

Hours: Mon-Thu, 5:30-11pm; Fri-Sat, 5:30-11:30pm; Sun, 5-10pm.

Reservations: Call 212-255-0696 or visit OpenTable.

Update: Tasting Table has the lowdown on Braeburn's artisanal cider menu pairing.

New Murray Hill Mediterranean tapas restaurant, Prespa, is now open and serving specialties of veteran NYC chef Richard Farnabe. In a bid to appeal to budget conscious diners Prespa is offering small plates for a broad range of creative dishes. Although the focus is on smaller portions, entree-sized portions of most dishes are also available.

Menu highlights include black risotto with beet tartar, a roasted lamb chop with Moroccan spices, braised faro, fraiche dates and pomegranate yogurt sauce, and a paupiette of John Dory served with foie gras, chanterelles and a yellow wine sauce. More adventurous diners may want to opt for the sauteed frogs legs with coriander chutney and apple ginger sorbet. A prix fixe lunch menu and chef's tasting menu are also available.

The two-story space seats 75, including 10 seats at the bar, and has a small, elevated lounge area in the front.

Chef Pedigree:

• Farnabe was most recently chef de cuisine at Picholine in NYC.
• Private chef for fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger.
• Executive Chef at Montrachet
• Late-night chef at the Manhattan nightclub Lotus New York
• Got his start in NYC at Restaurant Daniel and later worked with Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Jean-Georges and then Mercer Kitchen.
• Worked for Jacques Maximin in France for ten years.
• Studied cooking at the Ecole Hotelier Beliard in Paris.

Location: 184 Lexington Avenue, between 31st and 32nd streets

Hours: Prespa is open for lunch Monday through Friday and every night for dinner.

Reservations: Call 212-810-4335. 

View the complete Prespa listing on Savory Cities.

Archipelago will open in far west SoHo this Monday and will serve chef Hisanobu Osaka's take on French-Japanese nouvelle cuisine. The menu features a slight twist with the addition of shokuji, a rice or noodle course traditionally served at the end of the meal. Though it offers a unique format and creative set of dishes, general consensus is that only strong reviews will draw a consistent crowd this far off the beaten path.

Signature Dishes:

• Usuzukuri - fresh fluke thinly sliced and rolled with scallions, shiso, jalapeño, and clam gelee, served with hot scallion oil.
• Himeji - two filets of rouget slow cooked in hot olive oil with shiso mousse, garlic foam and parsley emulsion.
• Chawan Mushi - traditional Japanese egg custard atop sticky rice risotto with a green curry ravioli. 

Chef Pedigree:

• Sous-Chef at Morimoto in New York City. Supervised the omakase menu.
• Executive Chef at Horinoya and Owner-Chef at Le Printemps, both in New Orleans.
• Came to the U.S. from Japan in 1997 to serve as Executive Chef for the Counsel General of Japan in New Orleans.
• Trained in French cuisine at Tsuji Culinary School in Japan.

Location: SoHo, 333 Hudson St between Vandam and Charlton Streets (map)

Reservations: Archipelago will serve lunch and dinner Monday to Friday and dinner only on Saturday. Call 212-243-3345 or visit OpenTable to book a table.

For more details see the Savory Cities listing for Archipelago.