The Man Behind the Mayor’s Favourite Membership Opens a New Restaurant in Soho This Week

Sartiano’s on the Mercer lodge opens June 15, an Italian American restaurant with effective eating aptitude. It’s the namesake from nightlife aficionado Scott Sartiano behind membership membership and Mayor Eric Adams’s go-to, Zero Bond, who has teamed up with three-time James Beard Award-winning chef, Alfred Portale.

Sartiano’s is an bold switch-up from its former tenant, the swanky Mercer Kitchen from Jean-Georges Vongerichten — “some of the well-known cooks on the planet,” Sartiano acknowledges — that had resided within the area for almost 25 years. The restaurant is situated at 99 Prince Road, close to Mercer Road.

Mayoral appointee Sartiano is “very aware” that he’s “getting into very large footwear,” he says of the change at a Soho nook he calls “a middle of gravity” for downtown Manhattan. The restaurant has been not less than two years within the making, an overhaul that undoes the minimalist design within the Christian Liaigre-designed Soho lodge and leans towards maximalism from Studio Sofield, behind the appears at Gucci, Tom Ford, Zero Bond, and Soho Grand.

Portale’s menu focuses on what they’re calling lighter takes on Italian American dishes which incorporates seasonal elements and plating that evokes effective eating. In distinction with its extra fashionable intentions, the menu appears conventional with a retro script itemizing caviar cannoli; crudo; chicory salad; in addition to frito misto and steak tartare amongst antipasti. Fundamental dishes embrace pastas resembling sausage and broccoli rabe orecchiette, in addition to Manila clams with linguine ($26 to $46). There’s a decent collection of steaks resembling an eight-ounce filet in addition to a 38-ounce tomahawk. The menu additionally lists rooster Parm and the vegan Mayor’s favourite fish, Dover sole piccata ($36 to $75).

Cocktails deal with classics together with a collection of low- or no-ABV drinks whereas the wine listing leans Italian. As soon as dinner service is underway, the restaurant will roll out breakfast, weekend brunch, and lunch fare later this summer time, overseen by govt chef Chris Lewnes (previously at American Brass and Augustine).

Culinary director Portale, who outlined his profession as govt chef of Gotham Bar and Grill for 35 years — the place he landed greatest chef of New York Metropolis, excellent chef, and excellent restaurant awards from James Beard — will proceed to steer his namesake restaurant, Portale, which opened within the Flatiron in 2019.

The partnership between Sartiano and the lodge happened after famed hotelier André Balazs, one of many homeowners and the longtime face of the Mercer, had been accused of groping a number of ladies, amongst different allegations. He’s now not concerned with the lodge after Richard Born and Ira Drukier sued to take away him from the enterprise altogether in 2021.

Over a 12 months in the past, the New York Instances reported that Sartiano could be “serving to to reboot” the boutique lodge, the place he’s additionally the inventive director. Within the Instances profile of Sartiano, Born stated, “We’re solely two blocks away from Zero Bond, and the considered merging his tradition at Zero Bond into ours — his Rolodex and his curated group — could be actually good for what we’re.”

Will the restaurant tackle the membership vibes of Zero Bond? The quick reply is not any: “It’s a restaurant that may serve meals late,” however it is not going to be a nightlife spot, Sartiano says. “It’s not like something I’ve finished up to now.”

Sartiano’s is open for dinner just for now: Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Thursday by Saturday from 5 to 11:30 p.m.