SNEAK PEEK
Widely acknowledged for his masterful skills with seafood while Executive Chef at The Sea Grill, Ed Brown applies his renowned culinary talent to a new cast of impeccable ingredients when he opens his new restaurant, eighty one, on New York’s Upper West Side this fall. Through a menu of modern American cuisine, Chef Brown will introduce diners to the world’s finest purveyors of delicacies such as custom-grown lettuces, heirloom legumes, exotic white soy sauce and hand-selected peppercorns. His subtle preparations will display, not disguise, the elegant flavors of the world’s most-coveted and artisanal varieties of vegetables, meats and seafood.
A single meal at eighty one might take a diner on a global journey – from Florida where Chef Brown sources frog’s legs to accompany his Fennel and Parsley Soup appetizer; to Hokkaido, Japan, where he finds his preferred wild scallops, which he serves paired with Okinawa sweet potato; to Austria, the origin of the pumpkin oil he serves with Pumpkin Risotto with Braised Chicken Wings. Regardless of their birthplace, the ingredients receive Chef Brown’s meticulous French-style preparation and Japanese-inspired presentation.
“My culinary philosophy lies squarely in the hands of my purveyors,� says Brown. “I am inspired by what they produce and create dishes to showcase those ingredients – as opposed to simply finding the ingredients to compose a dish. The menu at eighty one will celebrate the farmers, fishermen and culinary craftsmen who make my dishes possible.�
At the heart of eighty one will be the Wine Wall, a temperature-controlled 4,000-bottle storage system lining the southern face of the main dining room. More than an elegant and eye-catching means of storage for the vintages and varietals offered, the Wine Wall will be display the bottles so that diners can easily view labels while browsing the selection; four climate zones will keep different wine styles at their required optimal temperatures. By incorporating eighty one’s inventory of wine into his restaurant’s décor, Chef Brown invites diners to become more intimately involved in their beverage experience – thereby making the service and presentation of the wine as much a part of the process as savoring the grapes themselves.
Eighty one’s dining room will be lead by Nick Mautone, former managing partner of Gramercy Tavern; author of Raising the Bar: Better Drinks, Better Entertaining (Artisan, 2004), Mautone will also oversee the restaurant’s beverage program, which will comprise wines from all regions of the world, offer pairing programs as well as an extensive list of wines by-the-glass, and a selection of artful cocktails.
In eighty one’s interior design, Chris Smith of CMS Designs (Dylan Prime, Nobu, NYC; Buddakan, Philadelphia), formerly of the Rockwell Group, has taken pains to create an environment that mirrors the spirit of Chef Brown’s vision: attentive and refined, without a hint of pretension. Eighty one will seamlessly combine the ambiance of an elegant restaurant mixed with the warm, comfortable features of home—a walnut bar and a color scheme of burnt orange, rust and grey.
Located at 45 West 81st Street, eighty one will seat 120 in its main dining room, 28 in the bar and lounge area, and 40 in The Library, eighty one’s private dining space. Visit www.81nyc.com for future updates.
