Short Stories, a wine bar with 56 options by the glass, and more restaurant news.
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Short Stories, a wine bar with 56 options by the glass, and more restaurant news.
Find out what's opening today, plus Untable, Radio Star, and Mighty Quinns coming soon.
Short Stories, the former bar and cafe in Noho, has reopened as a contemporary American restaurant helmed by chef Raphael Khutorsky (Gramercy Tavern, Marea, Rich Table, and Quince). The team of talent running the restaurant also includes Director of Operations Jeckson Leonardo, Ilan Khutorsky, and Thatcher Shultz, the same folks behind Make Believe at the Sixty LES hotel, as well as the nightclub Virgo.
The team has transformed Short Stories into a gorgeous jewel box warmed by amber lighting and antique mirrored walls, olive green leather banquettes, and art deco-style tiled floors (and yes, the disco shark is still there).
“We liked the original Short Stories concept,” said Chef Raph, “but as we evaluated what we wanted to do with the space, it was important that we struck a beautiful balance between being the bar that people knew and loved, and the neighborhood bistro that we aspire to be. Our overarching approach was to fuse an intimate, but playful nightlife setting with an elevated yet approachable, seasonal culinary experience.”
Short Stories’ summer menu features a lot of vibrant farm-to-table fare: Parker House Rolls with house-cultured green garlic butter; Fluke Crudo with melon gazpacho, trout roe, rosemary; and a salad of Heirloom Tomatoes with crispy boquerones, idiazabal cheese, and juicy market peaches.
Larger plates sound like this: Lamb Chop Milanese with pecorino, mint chimichurri, and summer greens; Squid Ink Fried Rice with saffron aioli, crab, and crispy calamari; Cavatelli with lobster, Sungold tomatoes, and Calabrian chillies; and a show stopping Porchetta for Two with homemade giardiniera, roasted garlic aioli, and grilled polenta bread.
For dessert, there’s a Basque-style Cheesecake with Jersey blueberries and Ritz crackers? Hmm. Might have to taste that one to understand it. Also: Almond Crumble with caramelized pears, whipped oat milk, and a Chocolate Budino with amaro and preserved cherries.
At the twelve-seat marble-topped bar, overseen by Jeckson Leonardo (formerly of Marea), you can dip on a roster of classically inspired cocktails, such as the Vice City, which features Japanese whiskey, Aperol, and Bourgogne de Cassis; and the Claro Que Sí, their take on a margarita.
In addition to dinner service, Short Stories will be hosting weekend brunch shortly after opening. Chef Raph also plans to turn Short Stories into a daytime takeaway sandwich shop, offering a selection of six regularly changing sandwiches.
Short Stories is located at 355 Bowery. It is open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner service until 10:30 PM, at which point it will shift into bar service with a late-night menu until 2:00 AM.
bar56
bar56, an elegant new wine bar and restaurant housed in a landmark building dating back to 1892, is opening today in DUMBO.
The name of the restaurant and bar, located just steps from the Brooklyn Bridge, comes from the 56 wines the bar offers by the glass which you’ll find organized by palate characteristics—Bright & Crisp, Balance & Finesse and Rich & Full, Smooth & Silky, Round & Fleshy, Tone & Backbone and Powerful & Extracted.
The list is collaboratively curated by owner and wine professional James Fantaci (also the founder of taste56 wine store + tasting room), sommelier Aaron Fusco (previously of Oxalis and Restaurant Daniel), and general manager Michael Brown (previously of Jeju Noodle Bar). If you like what you’re drinking, head next door to taste56, the new wine store and interactive tasting room (opened last month) where all of the wines at bar56 are available for purchase. Love this.
There’s more than just wine in case you might like a cocktail; bar56 has a creative list that includes Tradewinds with light and dark rums, apricot, coconut and lemon; Up Gorgeous with London Dry Gin, carrot eau de vie, corn and lemon; and That Pink Drink with blanco tequila, agave, watermelon and grapefruit juice; among others.
The kitchen is under the care of Executive Chef Vincent Cortese (previously of Del Posto, Bar Boulud and Restaurant Daniel) who offers a Modern American seasonally-driven menu with Italian and French influences. Starters include Fried Artichokes with roasted garlic labneh and urfa; Potato Croquettes with speck and taleggio; Hiramasa Crudo with orange, black olive and pistachio; Baby Beets Panzanella with pine nuts and sourdough croutons; and Langoustine with Sorrento lemon, garlic, parsley and Tajarin Pasta.
Mains include dishes like Anson Mills Farro Piccolo with chanterelles, roasted corn and salsa verde; Raviolo al Uovo with BKLYN Ricotta, Meadow Creek egg, guanciale and black pepper; Black Sea Bass with kombu, mussels, saffron and Thai basil; Grilled Lamb Neck with marinated summer vegetables and spiced yogurt; and Dry Aged Strip Loin with grilled gem lettuce, cherry tomato and Parmesan.
For dessert, Vanilla Panna Cotta with fresh strawberries, olive oil, sea salt and basil; Chocolate Torte with cherry semifreddo and toasted almonds; and La Tur with summer peaches and a fresh baguette.
bar56 is located at 53 Water Street and is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5PM to 12AM, and Friday and Saturday from 5PM to 1AM. Reservations are available on Resy, and tables are held for walk-ins. For more information, please visit bar56dumbo.com and follow along on Instagram @taste56wines.
Glasserie Team to open Radio Star
Sara Conklin, the restaurateur behind Glasserie, will open Radio Star at 13 Greenpoint Ave in Brooklyn this fall. (The team is working out an estimated opening date; it hinges on the arrival of the liquor license, which is approved.)
Sara loves Greenpoint; she has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years - operating Glasserie for 10 years - and was ready to dive into a new project to share with everyone. Her latest is a Mediterranean-style diner with a 1940s vibe that honors the history of WNYC radio which transmitted from 1937-1995 in the abutting Transmitter Park.
"Radio Star is for the people; a place you can go for an espresso anytime, or a full meal,” says Sara. “Pop in for a cocktail at 4pm and then maybe back for a breakfast sando at 8am the next day. We are here for everyone and always good for a chat across the bar."
Chef Yusuf Lovett (also the chef at Glasserie) will create a Mediterranean menu on a fully gas-free stove: flatbread with anchovies and Calabrian chilies, chicken and pistachio croquettes, lamb and nigella seed filo rolls, and pear tart almondine (pictured above).
There will be 40 seats inside Radio Star, 12 seats on the front patio and seating for 50 on a side patio. Walk-ins are welcome and encouraged. Reservations will be available on Resy for certain times of the day.
Untable
Untable, a new Thai restaurant, will open at 529 Henry Street in Carroll Gardens in the former Francesca’s Pizza spot. Located just down the street from Farmacy (so you can have a nice sundae after din din), the restaurant plans a menu of “unconventional Thai food.” A funny sign in the window offers a recipe and a conversation with ChatGPT. I love it already.
Mighty Quinns
A branch of this fabulous low and slow barbecue joint will open at One Boerum Place in Downtown Brooklyn. Mighty Quinns already has locations in Gowanus and Williamsburg, and this one will offer Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Downtown Brooklyn a taste of the good stuff.
Short Stories, a wine bar with 56 options by the glass, and more restaurant news.
looks like a peach tart almondine not pear!