Something fascinating has happened on the rather staid restaurant row along Lafayette Street near the Public Theatre. After years of stagnant culinary offerings in the vicinity, along came executive chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, who offers traditional American fare highlighted and enhanced by subtle global influences with a fine touch for seasonal ingredients. In recent years, while Butter soaked up some of the trendy clientele that perhaps would otherwise have dined at nearby
Indochine, newcomer
Chinatown Brasserie will certainly absorb a decent percentage of those seeking the next big thing on Lafayette Street. In other words, cooking with oil rather than with butter. Part restaurant, part nightclub, this cavernous, windowless, sylvan celebrity hotspot aims to please both foodies and scenesters with French-American fare such as crispy sautéed sweetbreads, demure salads, along with a formidable list of entrées ranging from the traditional, Roasted Breast of Chicken, to the oceanic, Seared tuna, to the exotic, Grilled Ostrich. The night club located on the lower level, aptly named The Birch Room, features dark denim ribbed booths coupled with several dining tables, and most evenings presents DJ-driven live entertainment to a boisterous, celebrity-studded crowd of guests.
