Kitchen Dish: Allegretti, Vintage Irving, and a new Yorganic
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
THE NAMESAKE Alain Allegretti, the former executive chef of Atelier at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park and Le Cirque 2000, opened his own restaurant on Monday. Allegretti (46 W. 22nd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-206-0555) reflects on the cuisine of Provence, where the chef grew up, featuring dishes such as red snapper with toasted pine nuts and saffron broth; tagliolini with baby cuttlefish, cherry tomato, and almond pesto, and roasted Colorado lamb loin with spinach and ricotta gnocchi, prosciutto, fava beans, tomato confit, and fennel gratinée.
LOCKS OF LOVE After months of renovations, previews, and service experiments, the Redhead (349 E. 13th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-533-6212) is serving dinner five nights a week, Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant is a joint venture between the former Devin Tavern general manager Gregg Nelson and Robert Larcom, who works a day job as a special projects director for Drew Nieporent’s Myriad Restaurant Group (Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Mai House, etc.). Meg Grace, formerly of Café 2 and Terrace 5 at the Museum of Modern Art, is serving food according to what is in season, so the menu is always changing. What’s available at the moment includes bacon peanut brittle; a crab-and-leek tart with pecan crust and wild mushroom meunière sauce; tagliatelle with corn and cherry tomatoes, and, for dessert, warm berry bread pudding with Greek yogurt ice cream.
LATEST BUZZ Apiary (60 Third Ave., between 10th and 11th streets, 212-254-0888) has been testing its food on family and friends this week and is scheduled to open tomorrow. The chef, Neil Manacle, is a 16-year veteran of Bobby Flay’s restaurants: He was chef de cuisine at Bolo and Bar Américain. Opening menu items include grilled peaches with Serrano ham, and slow-cooked rabbit. The restaurant also will be offering 24 microbrews.
SIDE-TO-SIDE Vintage Irving (120 E. 15th St. at Irving Place, 212-228-4200) is scheduled to open next to its sister restaurant, Sidebar, this week. Chef Jason Bunin, who makes the wings, mini-burgers (including an actual ham burger, made with ham), and salmon nachos at Sidebar, is doing eclectic small plates, for $6-$17, at the new restaurant. Those include pan-seared foie gras with an apple and black peppercorn tarte tatin and sherry vinegar caramel, and a lobster bisque cappuccino, so-called because it is topped with a milk foam, garnished with lobster roe, and a beer-battered shrimp. Meat and cheese plates will be available, too, as well as jelly doughnuts for dessert.
IRVING REDUX As first reported in the Web log strongbuzz.com, chef John Schaeffer has left his post as executive chef of Irving Mill (116 E. 16th St., between Union Square East and Irving Place, 212-254-1600). A replacement has not been named.
HANDHELD FOOD Pita Joe (2 W. 14th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-627-7877) is scheduled to open today, serving kosher chicken schnitzel, falafel with organic hummus, and a variety of different lemonades. Erez Cohen, who also is the executive chef and owner of Delectica in Murray Hill, is in charge of the food.
ANTIBIOTIC-FREE GUMMY BEARS Yorganic, a frozen-yogurt and juice bar that has a takeout counter in Midtown East’s Crystal Pavilion, is opening a full-blown unit with seating and Wi-Fi downtown today (3 Hanover Square at Beaver Street, 212-968-9700). It is like many of the other new-style frozen-yogurt bars — serving plain and green-tea yogurts topped with fruits, nuts, cereals, and candy — but it is almost all organic, even the gummy bears. The new spot is also serving organic juices and smoothies.
Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com. For more of today’s Kitchen Dish, go to nysun.com.