Entries from September 2008 ↓

RENOWNED ITALIAN CHEF UMBERTO MONTANO PREMIERES NEW MENU AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA’S GRAND TIER RESTAURANT

Pre-ordered intermission dining is available to ensure a quick return to the performance, along with pre-curtain dining. The Grand Tier Restaurant is open to all Lincoln Center guests. Located on the Grand Tier level of the Metropolitan Opera House, the restaurant boasts impeccable service, a view of two breathtaking Chagall paintings and a wall of windows overlooking Lincoln Center’s fountain.

The Grand Tier Restaurant is located in the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center Plaza, 150 W 65th St, New York, NY 10023.

A La Carter Menu

First Courses $14-$19

Main Courses: $29-$44

Excellent Selection of Wines, Starting around $45

9 Wines by the Glass: $14-$25

Open at 6:00 pm to Lincoln Center ticket holders for pre-curtain and intermission dining. For reservations, guests can call (212) 799-3400.

http://www.rapatina.com/grandTierMetOpera/

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Review by Nancy Walman

Patina Restaurant Group opened The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera House this season by introducing both a new chef and menu. The restaurant’s new Executive Chef, Jeff Raider, executes the menu of the Florence-based chef and restaurateur, Umberto Montano.

Montano is known for balancing sophisticated Italian cuisine with age-old, traditional techniques, set beneath world-class art – a combination that made his restaurant Alle Murate one of Florence’s most famous. Alle Murate boasts breathtaking medieval art on its ceilings and walls that were uncovered by Montano and his staff. The frescoes date to the 14th century and include the only known portrait of Dante Alighieri. (Some can be seen on the limited-edition menus and postcards).

Dante Alighieri, By Permission of Umberto Montano

Among Montano’s signature dishes are an outstanding gragnano pasta with a ragout of red snapper sauce and basil pesto. Mixed seafood stew with toasted rustic bread (noted for not including shellfish) was light and delicious, while free-range chicken, stuffed with figs and prosciutto and served with sautéed spinach, was truly unique. Beef filet arrived in an intense Brunello di Montalcino wine sauce accompanied by an airy parmesan soufflé.

While appetizers offered such tempting choices as sliced veal with oven roasted cherry tomatoes or sautéed Florida shrimp with ginger and saffron sauce, we went for the Grand Tier Signature Smoked Salmon, which was a glorious presentation, of the highest quality and perfectly sliced.

For desserts, fresh fruit was in impeccable condition and a perfect conclusion. Besides the excellent wine list, cocktails are beautifully constructed and service is smooth as silk.

If you’re going to Lincoln Center, The Grand Tier Restaurant is a must- include and rates A Major on The Walman Report.

Copyright 2008 By Punch In International. All Rights Reserved

Chef’s Bio

Chef Raider’s background includes time with Ed Brown, formerly of The Sea Grill. Raider has most recently held the executive chef position at One Restaurant in Irvington, New York.

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About Patina Restaurant Group

Patina Restaurant Group (www.patinagroup.com) is the nation’s leading multi-concept operator in the premium segments of the restaurant and food service industry. On the East Coast its portfolio features New York City’s world-famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, Rock Center Café, The Sea Grill, Brasserie, Brasserie 8 ½, Naples 45 and The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera. Other East Coast properties include Tutto Italia Ristorante at the Epcot World Showcase in Orlando, FLA and Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA.

On the West Coast the portfolio includes the renowned Patina Restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Paperfish in Beverly Hills, Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, Café Pinot at the Maguire Gardens, Zucca Ristorante, Catal and three other restaurants in Anaheim’s Downtown Disney District®, Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge at the Orange County Performing Artscenter, Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas and catering and food service in museums and cultural centers throughout Southern California.

CAPSOUTO FRERES CELEBRATES ITS 28TH ANNIVERSARY

IN TRIBECA ON OCTOBER 16, 2008

It has been twenty-eight years since the Capsouto brothers – Jacques, Samuel and Albert – opened their classic French bistro, Capsouto Freres (451 Washington Street, at Watts Street, New York, NY 10013; 212.966.4900; www.capsoutofreres.com) on a quaint street corner in Tribeca. To celebrate this 28th anniversary milestone, the Capsoutos will be offering a 3-Course Prix Fixe Menu for $28/per person on Thursday, October 16, 2008. Each guest will also receive a complimentary glass of Yarden Brut Sparkling Wine to toast the special occasion.

28th Anniversary Celebration at Capsouto Freres

Prix Fixe Menu – $28 per person
Thursday, October 16, 2008

6 PM – 10:30 PM

Capsouto Freres

451 Washington Street, at Watts Street,

New York, NY 10013

For reservations, call 212.966.4900

www.capsoutofreres.com

Capsouto Freres

As pioneers in the hospitality industry in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, the Capsoutos have maintained their family tradition of brothers in business together since opening their charming French restaurant, Capsouto Freres, in 1980. They chose Tribeca, after settling in New York, via Egypt and France, because of the potential to evolve with a growing area, and they have successfully flourished over the years with a devoted clientele and word of mouth popularity.

Capsouto Freres has always been well rated in the Zagat Survey which has listed it as one of “New Yorkers’ Favorite Restaurants.” Situated on the corner of Watts and Washington Streets in the 1891 Fleming Smith landmark building, the restaurant is known for its harmonious combination of openness and elegant craftsmanship. The sheer charm of the bistro is felt the moment one walks in. Having designed and renovated the restaurant themselves, the Capsoutos have preserved the feeling of warmth, simplicity and timelessness which emanate from the building itself.

Leading the kitchen is Chef Jerome Charpentier, who is from Champagne, France and trained at Herriot Culinary College. He has worked at fine establishments in France, England and New York, and has acquired an excellent reputation for preparing traditional French cuisine with a contemporary twist. His execution of Capsouto Freres’ model French menu presents a diversity of choices from its signature Terrine Provencale to mouthwatering Soufflés.

KT SULLIVAN CELEBRATES JEROME KERN IN
NEW OAK ROOM SHOW SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 11

In her new Oak Room show, “All the Things You Are,” KT Sullivan explores the Broadway and Hollywood musical output of Jerome Kern, whose genius places him-with Berlin, Porter and Gershwin–among the immortals of the Great American Songbook. For her Oak Room engagement, which will run from September 23rd through October 11th, KT will perform songs that reflect Kern’s and her own astonishing range and versatility…”Folks Who Live on the Hill,” “In Love in Vain,” “Yesterdays,” “A Fine Romance,” “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” “Who?” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” and “I’m Old Fashioned,”among others. Joining KT will be musical director/pianist Tedd Firth, bassist Steve Doyle and Andy Farber on reeds. Eric Michael Gillett directs.
Shows are Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30 pm (NOTE NEW OAK ROOM SHOW TIMES…8:30 pm weeknights and 8:30 and 11 pm weekends), with a $60 cover charge plus either $30 minimum or $70 prix fixe dinner (dinner is required at 8:30 pm weekend shows). Reservations: (212) 419-9331 or bmcgurn@algonquinhotel.com.

KT Sullivan’s Broadway shows include George Abbott’s Broadway, Threepenny Opera with Sting and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1995. She appeared in the national company of Annie Get Your Gun, in workshop in Easter Parade with Tommy Tune and received Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations and a MAC Award for American Rhapsody: George Gershwin to the World. Regionally she appeared at Old Globe Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Municipal Opera in St. Louis, Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse and Great Lakes Theater Festival. She recently appeared with Michael Feinstein at Zankel Hall and will appear in Palm Springs, San Francisco and Princeton. She will receive the prestigious Mabel Mercer Award November 1st at the Cabaret Convention at the Rose Theatre.

KT SULLIVAN

“ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE”
A CELEBRATION OF JEROME KERN
OAK ROOM AT THE ALGONQUIN SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 11

Eric Michael Gillett, Director
Tedd Firth, Musical Director
Andy Farber, Reeds
Steve Doyle, Bass

JUST LET ME LOOK AT YOU (Dorothy Fields)
I’M OLD FASHIONED (Johnny Mercer)
LAND WHERE THE GOOD SONGS GO (P. G. Wodehouse)
DON’T EVER LEAVE ME/CAN’T HELP LOVIN’ DAT MAN OF MINE
(Oscar Hammerstein II)
***
LEFT ALL ALONE AGAIN BLUES (Anne Caldwell)
WHO? (Otto Harbach & Oscar Hammerstein II)
RAGGEDY ANN (Anne Caldwell)
APRIL FOOLED ME (Dorothy Fields)
IN LOVE IN VAIN (Leo Robin)
A FINE ROMANCE (Dorothy Fields)
ALL IN FUN (Oscar Hammerstein II)
***
YOU COULDN’T BE CUTER (Dorothy Fields)
BUNGALOW IN QUOGUE/NESTING TIME IN FLATBUSH (P. G. Wodehoue)
LIFE UPON THE WICKED STAGE (Oscar Hammerstein II)
THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE HILL (Oscar Hammerstein II)
MY HUSBAND’S FIRST WIFE (Irene Franklin)
IN THE HEART OF THE DARK (Oscar Hammerstein II)
NOBODY ELSE BUT ME (Oscar Hammerstein II)
THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (Oscar Hammerstein II)
CLEOPATTERER (P. G. Wodehouse)
OL’ MAN RIVER (Oscar Hammerstein II)
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE (Oscar Hammerstein II)
***
YESTERDAYS (Otto Harbach)
CAN I FORGET YOU? (Oscar Hammerstein II)

Savor Fall’s Earthy Treasures at Patina Restaurant Group’s

Mushroom Festival

Patina Restaurant Group announced its first Mushroom Festival to take place this October at its East and West Coast restaurants. Special menus featuring a range of mushrooms will be launched, with a focus on regional American varietals. Autumn is the prime time for mushrooms, when many of them grow in the wild.

“Many of my favorite mushrooms are in season in the fall,” said Patina Chef & Founder Joachim Splichal. “It’s the ideal time to enjoy them, and they complement the heartier fare that comes as the weather gets cooler.”

Wild mushrooms have complex, earthy flavors, mostly sourced at local greenmarkets and via small distributors. The darlings of the chef world, the rarest kinds rival truffles as they are sparse and hard to find. Beautiful yellow chanterelles and spicy, aromatic matsutakes are prized when available. On the East Coast, hen of the woods, king oyster, yellow trumpet and portobello mushrooms can be found. On the West Coast, black trumpet, chanterelles, lobster and matsutake mushrooms grow. Temperature and rainfall typically determine the amount and availability of the mushrooms, with many coming from Pennsylvania in the East and Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest.

Patina Restaurant Group will be featuring the mushrooms in both a la carte and prix fixe selections, both appetizers and entrées. Examples include Café Pinot’s Shiitake velouté with tarragon and crayfish timbale in Los Angeles, and Matsutakes with shrimp and foie gras dumplings and ponzu at The Sea Grill in New York.

Below is a sampling of the restaurants participating in the celebration. The complete list is available with menus at www.patinagroup.com.

East Coast

The Sea Grill: Chef Jawn Chasteen – 19 West 49th Street, NY, NY 10020. 212-332-7610

Rock Center Café: Chef Antonio Prontelli – 20 West 50th Street, NY NY10020. 212-332-7620

Brasserie 8 ½: Chef Julian Alonzo – 9 West 57th Street, NY, NY 10019. 212-829-0812

Brasserie: Chef Luc Dimnet – 100 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022. 212-751-4840

West Coast

Pinot Bistro: Chef Hugo Veltman – 12969 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. 818-990-0500

Café Pinot: Chef Gypsy Gifford – 700 West Fifth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. 213-239-6500

Pinot Provence: Chef Hugo Veltman – 686 Anton Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. 714-444-5900

About Patina Restaurant Group

Patina Restaurant Group (www.patinagroup.com) is the nation’s leading multi-concept operator in the premium segments of the restaurant and food service industry. On the East Coast its portfolio features New York City’s world-famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, Rock Center Café, The Sea Grill, Brasserie, Brasserie 8 ½, Naples 45 and The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera. Other East Coast properties include Tutto Italia Ristorante at the Epcot World Showcase in Orlando, FLA and Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA.

On the West Coast the portfolio includes the renowned Patina Restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Paperfish in Beverly Hills, Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, Café Pinot at the Maguire Gardens, Zucca Ristorante, Catal and three other restaurants in Anaheim’s Downtown Disney District®, Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge at the Orange County Performing Artscenter, Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas and catering and food

service in museums and cultural centers throughout Southern California.

Desires Hotels, A New Modern Boutique Collection, Launches Desireshotels.com
Delivering Unexpected Amenities in Stylish Settings

Desires Hotels, a collection of independently created, modern boutique hotels, has just launched their new, comprehensive website. The brand boasts an unwavering commitment to service, unique architecture and design, and delivers unexpected amenities in the most stylish settings. Whether it be the world class art collection at The Sagamore in Miami Beach, the rooftop lounge at the San Juan Water and Beach Club, or The Mela Hotel, just steps from Times Square, each of the Desires Hotels provide a unique experience through their own aesthetic and design. Just as color slowly washes over the images on the website, we invite you to color your experience however you wish. Whether you take in the aqua blue waters of Miami Beach while at The Betsy or the golden dome of Atlanta’s City Hall atop the rooftop of The Glenn Hotel, we offer every opportunity for you to find comfort and sophistication catered directly to your desired preferences.

DesiresHotels.com features everything you need to make your stay at a Desires Hotel anything but ordinary. With the ability to book reservations directly through the website, guests will have exclusive access to podcasts that outline current events in and around each hotel, specialized music playlists, virtual tours, special offers and packages, and a host of other features, making DesiresHotels.com among the most innovative in the industry.

Savvy travelers seeking a lifestyle-oriented experience will appreciate the “Your Desires” loyalty and concierge program which ensures that every guest has an exceptional experience. The unique and individualized loyalty program is designed to provide special care and attention to guests before they even arrive at the hotel. Create your personalized profile on the website to ensure that no detail is overlooked throughout your stay. Whether you seek information on popular museums, cultural events, the latest restaurants, business accoutrements or nightlife, a special Manager of Desires will ensure that all of your personalized preferences are arranged before you arrival. Guests who register for the program online, will become privileged members, receiving an extra-ordinary level of service that goes above and beyond that of a normal concierge service.

We recognize that beautiful hotels must be combined with attentive yet unassuming service. For both leisure and business travelers alike, Desires Hotels are poised to cater to the needs of each and every client. Simple touches can turn an ordinary stay into an extraordinary experience, and Desires aims to provide a level of service to help make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Log onto DesiresHotels.com to explore the vast array of opportunities available to you before booking your stay at a Desires Hotel or call 866.593.4330.

About Desires Hotels

From the neon lights on Ocean Drive in South Beach to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta to the cobbled adoquine streets of Old San Juan, or right in the heart of Times Square, Desires Hotels is a unique collection of independently created modern boutique hotels. High in style, distinct and creative, each of these lifestyle hotels have one-of-a-kind architecture and interior design, allowing guests to expect just as much from their hotel as they do from their destination. Savvy travelers seeking a lifestyle-oriented experience will appreciate the “Your Desires” program that tailors a unique experience to every guest. Desires Hotels deliver unexpected amenities in stylish settings.

For more information about Desires Hotels and their locations, call 866-593-4330 or visit Desireshotels.com.