Kitchen Dish: China 1, Country's Steakhouse, & Mercadito Cantina

By BRET THORN | July 2, 2008

VERITABLE MOVE A protégé of Joël Robuchon, Grégory Pugin, is the new chef at Veritas (43 E. 20th St., between Broadway and Park Avenue South, 212-353-3700). In other Véritas news, starting Monday, the restaurant will be open from 3-5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, as well as during normal mealtime hours, serving light dishes and wine.

NEW ANTIQUES Malik Fall is the new executive chef of the recently renamed China 1 Antique Restaurant and Lounge (950 Ave. B at 4th Street, 212-375-0665). The food at the eatery that used to be No. 1 Chinese is now French-influenced pan-Asian: Menu items include five-spice Chinese sirloin with truffle wasabi mashed sweet potatoes and Bordelaise sauce, and cilantro-roasted gulf shrimp over lotus root and seaweed salad that's dressed with cilantro oil and sambal aioli.

Mr. Fall, who hails from Senegal, studied French cuisine in Perignon, France, and worked at La Tour d'Argent in Paris before working at Le Bernardin, China Grill, and Asia de Cuba. He also was a private chef for the Rockefeller family.

UPSCALE STEAK At the end of summer, the upstairs area of Country (90 Madison Ave., between 28th and 29th streets, 212-889-7100) will reopen as a steak house. Executive chef Willis Loughhead will be in charge of the operations there, as well as in the downstairs area and private event rooms.

SAMBA OFF THE FLOOR The former beverage director of SushiSamba (87 Seventh Ave. South, between Grove and Barrow streets, 212-691-7885, and other locations), Paul Tanguay, has left that job to form a beverage consulting company, the Tippling Bros., with cocktail developer Tad Carducci. Replacing him is Arik Torren.

MIGHTY GOOD MICHES In fact, the Tippling Bros. developed the drinks for Mercadito Cantina (172 Ave. B at 11th Street, 212-388-1750), which opened on Monday, and whose owners are already familiar with Mr. Tanguay, as Alfredo Sandoval is a partner in both the Cantina and in SushiSamba. Those drinks include the Tric-quila — a blend of sake with citrus and herb infusions meant to replicate the taste and flavor of tequila. Also available is a range of beer-based cocktails called Miches — pronounced like "mitch's," and inspired by the traditional michelada, which is a blend of beer, tomato juice, and spices, and which tastes better than it sounds. Mexican herbs such as epazote and hoja santaare used in some of the drinks. The menu includes tacos, a half a dozen different guacamoles, eight salsas, and assorted salads and side dishes. Weekend brunch includes a variety of corn stews, or posoles.

MOCHA SUPREME Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar has opened a new store (127 E. 7th St., between First Avenue and Avenue A, 212-366-1541). For the next month, coffee there is half price.

AYE, AYE, BROOKLYN The General Greene (229 DeKalb Ave. at Clermont Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, 718-222-1510) opened yesterday. Pastry chef Nicholas Morgenstern is running the place, and serving small plates such as crispy chicken with fennel, sweet corn, and tarragon for $10, and hanger steak with smoked garlic and parsley for $11. The wine list is American-focused. The beer tap will highlight local brews, including those of Captain Lawrence of Pleasantville, N.Y.

SALUMI DREAMS Cesare Casella's mostly-Tuscan restaurant, Maremma (228 W. 10th St., between Bleecker and Hudson streets), closed over the weekend. Mr. Casella said he has plans to reopen it in a new location, and he also is working on a specialty Italian grocery and wine bar called Salumeria Rosi, which he hopes to open this fall on the Upper West Side.

A BIT OF FLORENT STAYS Meatpacking District landmark Florent (69 Gansevoort St. at Washington Street, 212-989-5779) closed over the weekend, but has reopened as R&L Restaurant (which was the name of the restaurant that was there before Florent), according to the Web log eater.com. The new restaurant is being run by landlord Joanne Lucas, and will be much the same as Florent in terms of menu and staff.

PUMP, YOU UP Pump Energy Food has opened its sixth unit (275 Madison Ave. at 40th Street, 212-697-7867), this time under new management, and with a sleeker design by Garrett Singer, who also did Hill Country and Klee. The company is seeking to move away from its previously haimishe style, and is niche-marketing to bodybuilders in order to expand its appeal.

Mr. Thorn is the food editor of Nation's Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.