Kitchen Dish
PRIMED FOR ACTION
The staff at Primehouse New York (381 Park Ave. South at 27th Street, 212-824-2600) is practicing on family and friends this week in anticipation of opening on Monday.
The shtick for this steakhouse is that most of the beef served there comes from steers descended from a single Black Angus bull from Creekstone Farms in Kentucky. That bull's nickname is Prime.
The executive chef, Jason Miller, is a steakhouse veteran, having worked under David Burke first at Park Avenue Café, and then at Smith & Wollensky steakhouses across the country. Most recently, he was at David Burke Primehouse in Chicago, which was a joint venture between Mr. Burke and B.R. Guest Restaurants. That company also owns Primehouse New York and many other restaurants in the city.
Mr. Burke is not involved in the New York restaurant. He said he thought he would be, but is still waiting for the president of B.R. Guest Restaurants, Steve Hanson, to contact him. Mr. Hanson himself is no longer involved in the Chicago restaurant, having sold his shares to his partner, Danny Errico.
Cocktails, developed by Eben Klemm, include the Scotch Bonnet (habañero chili-infused Ardbeg Scotch with house-made bitters and maraschino liqueur), and the Black Leaf Special (Absolut Citron, black tea, ginger, cassis, and lemon).
The restaurant starts taking reservations from the public on Saturday.
HAPPY DAYZ
Grayz (13-15 W. 54th St. at Fifth Avenue, 212-262-4600) — the bar, lounge, and event space by chef Gray Kunz — is now up and running. While sipping cocktails such as the Toranja (Mac de Oro Cachaça with grapefruit marmalade, orange bitters, and lemon juice), guests can snack on salt stone-grilled prawns with kaffir lime rémoulade and crisp calamari with lemon-honey chutney.
MORNING SUNSHINE
Pera (303 Madison Ave., between 41st and 42nd streets, 212-878-6301) is now serving brunch on Saturdays between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Menu items include poached eggs served over sautéed spinach with yogurt and Turkish paprika, and an omelet with soujouk sausage and kasseri cheese.
BREAKFAST BITES
Perilla (9 Jones St., between West 4th and Bleecker streets, 212-929-6868) is opening from brunch, too, on Saturdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Cinnamon challah French toast will be on the menu, as well as a Cuban pork belly sandwich.
Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation's Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.
