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As always, the holiday season sneaks up on us so suddenly we haven’t had time to make any of those coveted reservations we’ve been promising ourselves all summer long.
ADVICE: If you wish to eat at the city’s finest locales, you better start making reservations now. Seriously.
There are also the endless holiday parties and fund-raisers that we must attend. Be sure you schedule your exercise time!
And don’t forget, there are a slew of new openings coming up all over town. Everyone is waiting for Gordon Ramsay to open at London NYC. His front wave of PR claims that he is England’s best chef, but word on the streets of London and Paris is that he is one of a group of very talented Anglos, and he is distinguished only by his desire to brand himself in that mega-chef American way. My bet is there is a casino in Las Vegas just waiting to put his name on their eatery.
But I digress. I am sure that Ramsay’s eponymous spot will add yet another gem to the NYC’s crown. However, I am more excited about other openings.
First, Kampuchea Noodle Bar, set to open on the LES, Rivington Street. Why am I so happy about this diminutive opening? Cambodian cuisine is virtually unknown in NYC. I once had the most fantastic bowl of Cambodian noodle soup when I was in Paris. Honestly, it was hands down the best soup I had ever tasted. Concerned that this will be just another sloppy noodle bar? Boring?
Note: While similar to other cuisines of Southeast Asia, Cambodian fare does have its own style, and prahok, a fermented fish sauce that adds just that extra something.
(For those History Buffs out there, this fish sauce is probably very similar to the garum invented by the Phoenicians and widely prized and traded by the Romans.) While one could claim that Cambodian food is just a sampling of Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese and Chinese traditions, it does combine common ingredients in its own delightful ways.
Second, Fireside, at the Omni Berkshire Place Hotel, headed by Chef Sam DeMarco. Just in time for the cooler months, Fireside will be all about sharing.This idea appeals to me, as there are a host of stand-at-the-ledge, small plates and grad-n-go places popping up everywhere. Fireside promises to takes a deep breath, give us some space to breathe and an opportunity to talk to those we love.
Third, Blue Ribbon Bar (Downing Street) and Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill (West Park Hotel) will flesh out the Blue Ribbon brand, which we have seen with Craft and of course the big players (Danny Myers’ Union Square Hospitality, Steve Hanson’s BR Guest, and the Jean-Georges empire). Blue Ribbon, though, has a little cachet of its own, and I look forward to being able to dart into the Downing Street location for a quick bite and a glass of bubbly.
Overall, the trends in NYC seem to be going in every direction. Location-wise, the trend is to partner with a hotel, a tactic has plenty of fiscal pulchritude for the number crunchers.Flavor-wise, Asian Fusion continues to thrive (FR.OG, opening on Spring & Crosby), small plates are everywhere, and comfort food (Macbar – dedicated to Mac & Cheese) has a loyal following. One thing that we haven’t seen is more of the 3-star kitchen. Despite the giant resource & customer drain that is the Meatpacking District, there is room on the Culinary Map for another 3-Star location, be it NY Times or Michelin. So bring it on.
Unhappy Trends
Chefs leaving their restaurants. Michael White, one of my personal favorites, has left Fiamma. His replacement, Christian Fantoni, is a very talented chef, so do not despair. Still, I will miss Michael and look forward to his next project. Sascha Lyons left his eponymous digs, not surprising given that he was more like the mayor of a vertical small town than he was an executive chef. It’s hard to manager 300 employees and 3 separate businesses when you are used to much smaller digs.
Other trends are the closings of old favorites (Aquavit), unholy lease agreements, too much PR too soon, and of course the grumpy old review that is overly harsh.
But none of this is new.
For this Holiday Season look for new openings, with only Kampuchea and Fireside offering something really new to the mix, hard-to-get reservations at the city’s best restaurants (Per Se, Daniel, Alain Ducasse, etc) and lots and lots of small plates.
Tags:
Aquavit, Blue Ribbon, Fiamma, Gordon Ramsay, Kampuchea, Michael White, new openings in New York City, NYC restaurant news
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Posted on 10/24/2006
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