New York Restaurant Openings - Week of Oct. 1, 2001
 Restaurants
EDITED BY ROB PATRONITE AND ROBIN RAISFELD
Week of October 1, 2001
Bodum Café & Homestore
Why schlep all the way to Jersey for Ikea's Swedish meatballs when you can snack on salmon lasagna with garlic-Parmesan béchamel at Bodum Café & Homestore, the American flagship of the Danish kitchenware concern? When you're done browsing among the stylish bean grinders, milk frothers, ice-cream scoops, and fondue sets, belly up to the blond-wood bar or snag a seat on the sidewalk to sample one of Bodum's ten signature coffee blends, 100 teas, and light bites provided by Aquavit's AQ Café and Sarabeth's bakery.
413-415 West 14th Street
212-367-9125
·
 Cuisine: Cafe


Blue Grotto
While the original Grotta Azzurra on Broome Street has been closed indefinitely for renovations, a new, entirely unrelated Blue Grotto has opened uptown, in the loungelike, skylit space formerly occupied by Dakota Bar and Grill. Chef Eric Kleinman used to cook at Lupa, which accounts for the marked Italian accent in dishes like house-cured cod with bread salad and grilled tuna with sweet-and-sour chutney. But the selection of Spanish-inflected small plates like spicy warm potato salad and bacon-wrapped dates indicates a kitchen that speaks more than one culinary language.
1576 Third Avenue, near 88th Street
212-426-3200
·
 Cuisine: Italian



Notable Closings
Though not a comprehensive listing, here are a few favorites that have bid adieu...
Peacock Alley at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
301 Park Avenue

Meigas
350 Hudson Street
Q Bar
267 W. 4th Street
Tarabya
351 Second Avenue

 
Looking Ahead...
October

Fiamma, 206 Spring St., 212-653-0100
Set-up: Tri-level space in SoHo with exterior glass elevator and 130 seats
Cuisine: Italian
Chef: Michael White (formerly at the four-star Spiaggia in Chicago and chef di cucina at Ristorante San Domenico in Imola, Italy)
Owners: Stephen Hanson (Blue Water Grill, Park Avalon, Ruby Foo's)

Marseilles, 630 Ninth Ave at 44th St., 212-333-2323
Set-up: Two-story, 4000 square-foot space designed in 1940's French-Moroccan style with zinc bar and ebonized mahogany accents.
Cuisine: French/Mediterranean
Chef: Alex Urena (Blue Hill)
Owners: Simon Oren (Sushi Samba, Le Express, Maritime)


The Minnow, 442 Ninth St., Park Slope, Brooklyn
Set-up: Cozy 60-seat space with exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and private garden.
Cuisine: Eclectic American/Seafood
Chef: Aaron Bashy (Slate, Alva)
Owners: Aaron Bashy and wife, Vicki (Former pastry chef at Boston's Four Seasons Hotel)


Suba, 109 Ludlow St., 212-982-5714
Set-up: Subterreanean, multi-level grotto with moat, underwater lamps, and floor-to-ceiling glass-paneled doors. Designed by Andre Kikoski.
Cuisine:Pan-Latin
Chef: Stephane Bucholzer (L'Actuel)
Owners: Yann De Rochefort and Phillip Morgan


The Harrison, 355 Greenwich St., 212-274-9310
Set-up: Designer Mark Zeff creates a 100-seat dining room filled with wainscoting, handmade chandeliers, and a walnut bar. Nine French doors will open onto the street, with an additional 40 seats available for sidewalk dining.
Cuisine: Eclectic American
Chef: Joey Campanaro (prot�g� of Jonathan Waxman)
Owners: Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams (The Red Cat)

April, 2002

Blue Smoke, 116 East 27th St.
Set-up: Jazz joint with a built-in barbecue pit at former 27 Standard space.
Cuisine: Barbecue
Chef: Pitmaster Kenny Callaghan (Sous Chef, Union Square Cafe)
Owners: Danny Meyer (Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe, Eleven Madison Park)

TISA COEN

Hear about a restaurant opening? Post an announcement - even a rumor - in the Food Forum.

 


Openings Archive
Week of September 24
Jo Jo
Week of September 17
Tarallucci e Vino, Salute!, Cicchetti Bar at Scopa
Week of September 10
Bid, Long Tan, Enoteca at Sapori d'Ischia
Week of September 3
La Corniche

and more ...

Photos: Patrik Rytikangas.