Results tagged “michaelpsilakis”

In more flush economic times, there were all of those jokes about the proliferation of coffee shops and fast food locations, like the new Starbucks opening in the bathroom of a preexisting Starbucks. Now restaurant owners and chefs are actually branching in, not out, opening new mini-locations inside their own dining rooms. Tom Colicchio cordoned off one part of the Craftsteak dining room to create the more economical Halfsteak, while his executive chef Damon Wise launched the similarly bargain basement Frugal Fridays. Now, Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia are opening Anthos Upstairs tomorrow night as an annex of Kefi; the new restaurant’s menu is said to be a lower-priced alternative to Anthos. Even the venerable Four Seasons is launching a luxe (yet discount) minibar, of sorts, this week dedicated to sustainable caviar: the Calvisius Caviar Lounge, where seven grams of sturgeon eggs with blini can be had for the comparatively lower-priced (for caviar) $25.

Acclaimed chef Michael Psilakis told the New York Times yesterday that he and restaurateur Donatella Arpaia will soon convert the original Kefi into a “comfort food” spot called Gus & Gabriel’s. The restaurant’s name derives from Psilakis’ late father Gus and his three-year-old son Gabriel. Psilakis also told Josh Ozersky that “the logo will be that of an adult and a child; obviously that’s my father, Gus, and my son, Gabriel, but it also a symbolic representation of the individual inner child and their appetite for the reassuring and familiar tastes, especially in hard times.” If one also counts the logo for chef Emma Hearst’s 2-month-old restaurant Sorella (translation: sisters)—which depicts two wine-quaffing, sleepy-eyed ladies, then we have a recession special, mini-trendlet on our hands: restaurants named after family members, with logos depicting family. Too bad the just-opened Grandaisy Tribeca uses its regular, floral emblem instead of a stern-looking senior holding a rolling pin.

      

Last night at the somewhat not completed luxury condo project 15 Union Square West (guests rode a construction elevator up to the entrance), chefs Daniel Boulud and Marco Moreira hosted a book party for Dining in New York City, a new, compact hardcover guide to the city’s restaurants by Dutch photographer Jan Bartelsman. Proceeds from the evening benefitted Citymeals-on-Wheels. Fifteen local restaurants—plus the 3 Michelin starred De Librije (Netherlands)—were on hand, offering small plate cityscapes of their best dishes. As the night progressed, chef Daniel Boulud appeared smiling, apparently happy with the four star re-review of Daniel published yesterday in the Times. Elsewhere, food writer Josh Ozersky—who announced to the world yesterday he has gout—showed up wearing a foot brace, albeit triumphantly.

Kefi, the insanely popular Greek restaurant (photos) with the astonishingly sane prices, was closed yesterday by the Health Department. Chef Michael Psilakis—who has never been slapped with such a serious DOH penalty at his other hit restaurants, which include Anthos and Mia Dona—says the problem had to do with a paperwork oversight, not the usual "rat rodeo" situation that has shuttered other eateries in recent years. The Health Department confirms they closed Kefi after it failed its initial pre-permit inspection:

They were found operating without a permit and a Food Protection Course certificate holder present. Other factors that contributed to the closure included holding several food items at unsafe temperatures and having no hand washing sink in the food preparation area in the basement. In order to reopen, the operator of Kefi must apply for a permit, correct all conditions that led to violations, submit an affidavit of correction to the Health Department and schedule a re-opening inspection.

       

Chef Michael Psilakis (friend of Gothamist) and partner Donatella Arpaia have finally opened the hotly anticipated, bigger location of Kefi, the Greek restaurant hailed by the Times in 2007 as "immensely appealing." The cozy original on 79th Street is regarded as one of the best deals in town, and the new location on Columbus Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets, has miraculously not instituted a price hike. The $16.95 prix fixe is shockingly reasonable, especially considering the culinary talents of Psilakis, who has also won raves for Anthos and Mia Dona.

The fleet of undercover, handlebar mustache-twirling French restaurant “inspectors” have made their rounds through New York’s dining scene, and the results are in. Only four restaurants have been deemed worthy of the Michelin Guide’s top rating (3 stars) this year: Jean Georges, Le Bernadin, Masa, and Per Se.

This month's Bon Appetit features this year's winners of the Bon Appetit awards, which honor leaders in the culinary field. The intimate awards ceremony took place at Del Posto earlier this week, where current and prior winners dined on a seasonal Italian tasting menu created specifically for the occasion. The awards presentations were held between courses, hosted by Ted Allen, who did his best to entertain the crowd.

Well, it's hardly a surprise, given Donatella Arpaia's success with Michelin-starred chef Michael Psilakis, but the team behind david burke and & donatella -- Arpaia and David Burke (pictured) -- are parting ways, at least professionally. According to the official release, Burke will run the East 61st Street restaurant (whose name will remain until the end of the year) while Arpaia "leaves to focus on her other restaurant projects." Arpaia and Psilakis have been on a streak with with Kefi, Anthos and Mia Dona. As for Burke, he will also continue to expand outside of New York, and of course, continue his consulting gig with the Hawaiian Tropic Zone.

Time Out New York’s current issue has a feature documenting ingredients used in both restaurant kitchens and industrial settings like labs and factories: The chemical methylcellulose, for instance, is not only used by chefs like Sam Mason at Tailor, but is also very closely related to a key ingredient of K-Y.

On all counts, Michael Psilakis has been on quite a roll. Though his two-starred Dona was shuttered due to a real estate snafu, he went on to earn a Michelin star at Anthos, one of only two Greek restaurants with this honor, his to-die-for gnudi recipe was featured on the cover of Bon Appetit, was named Esquire's chef of the year, and opened up Mia Dona, which just yesterday earned two stars from Frank Bruni. Now, to top it off, he's been named as one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs of the year. Congratulations! The list is definitely lacking in the New York department, though. Where's the love?

Nominees for the 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards, which are kind of like the Academy Awards for chefs, have just been announced. This year’s ceremony will take place on June 8 at Avery Fischer Hall; New York contenders include Gavin Keysen of Café Boulud, up for Rising Star Chef. For the nationwide awards, Gothamist interviewees Dan Barber and Michael Psilakis have been nominated for Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant, respectively. Gramercy Tavern, owned by Danny Meyer, is up for Outstanding Restaurant. The full list is here.

Wildly successful young chef and restaurateur Michael Psilakis – whose Anthos is one of only two Greek restaurants in the world with a Michelin star – refined his talent not in culinary school but in the kitchen beside his Greek mother during his childhood on Long Island. After earning a business degree, he found himself drawn back to the food world, where he worked his way up from waiter to owner of the Long Island restaurant Ecco. His subsequent enterprise with celebrated restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, called Dona, was one of Esquire's Best New Restaurants in 2006, but the place closed when the building housing it was sold to a developer.

tre dici STEAK: The second floor of Chelsea’s Italian restaurant tre dici has been transformed into an intimate, 50 seat dining room (pictured) designed in the style of a sexy New Orleans speakeasy, circa 1920. Heavy fabrics covering the windows evoke a feeling of timelessness in the candlelit room, which is lined with luxuriant claret leathers and sensual artwork under an antique silver tin ceiling. The food arrives via dumbwaiter from chef Giuseppe Fanelli’s kitchen and features entrees like Kobe Beef Ravioli with black truffle, caramelized onions and parmigianino; and, no surprise, a 16 oz. Black Angus Hanger Steak. A lobster salad with watermelon, avocado, red onion & yuzo vinaigrette walks on the lighter side, and an elegant bar pours a selection of bourbons and scotches. [Closed Sundays.] 128 West 26th Street, 2nd Floor, (212) 243-2085.

Once again Taste of New York lived up to its name, with a roster of restaurants serving everything from ‘cue to cevape and some well-crafted cocktails to boot. Gothamist was honored to attend this culinary blowout thrown by New York to benefit City Harvest. One of the evening’s tastiest offerings was Insieme’s tortelli di zucca, or pumpkin filled pasta. We’d love to think that this judgment was based solely on the dish’s fall theme,...

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">Bruni goes to Anthos, Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia's new Greek restaurant, and awards the restaurant two stars. "Much of the cooking is inspired," he says, "and much of it is excellent." Bruni finds the décor dreary, and the pacing of the meal a bit off, but overall thinks the restaurant is on its way to good places (and more stars in future).

This week Bruni visits Keith McNally's Morandi, which has been getting creamed by critics of late. He awards the restaurant one star, says "the food has been getting a worse rap than it deserves," but also that it's erratic. He doesn't love the desserts, but doesn't hate them; same goes for the wine list. Overall, McNally has "miscalculated with this restaurant," says Bruni, "which doesn't have enough atmospheric magic to distract you from the insane decibel level, absence of elbow room and uncomfortable chairs."

We were fortunate enough to be at the Time Out New York Eat Out Awards last night to watch the winners of both the Readers' Choice awards, chosen by readers who made over 14,000 submissions, and the Critics' Picks awards, selected by the TONY staff. The coveted plates hang on restaurant and bar walls throughout the city.

This week, Bruni visits Rosanjin in Tribeca for kaseiki, finds it "strange and sometimes wonderful" and awards the restaurant two stars. The meal of many small courses is supposed to provide spiritual uplift in its ceremony. For Bruni, "the glory is in the details," like the uni wrapped in a shiso leaf, then battered and fried. The later courses were letdowns, however, and sometimes the small courses left him hungry two hours later.

Bruni goes to Varietal, calls it "an epicurean Advanced Placement exam" and awards the restaurant one star. He says, "Varietal can become so entraced with the unusual ingredients it's deploying, the unconventional ideas it's hatching and the uncommon pose it's striking that it seems not to ponder the off-kilter or underwhelming results." He does love the wine selection, and, when combined with the best dishes, says eating there can be an exciting experience. Just order carefully, and skip dessert.

• The foie gras battle rages on sparked by a sign at Fairway on the Upper West Side.
• Jacques Torres is in a hot chocolate war in DUMBO (his use of exclamation points is also noted).
• Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia find a new home at Anthos, in the former Acqua Pazza space on 52nd Street. Restaurant Girl gets an early peek.
• And with Japanese Restaurant Week starting today, we find Grub Street's guide very handy.
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Bruni goes to the Penthouse Strip Executive Club to try the steaks at its restaurant, Robert's Steakhouse. He receives offers from the staff to get naked for him, but--more to the point--also finds "some of the very best steaks in New York City," and gives the restaurant one star.

Bruni starts off the new year by two-starring Drew Nieoporent's Vietnamese/Asian-influenced Mai House. He finds the menu "rife with surprises and out-and-out delights." Chef and co-partner is Michael Huynh, formerly of Bao 111. Bruni doesn't like the sides or desserts, but finds most appetizers and entrees pleasing.

Gothamist received some very distressing news in our inbox moments ago -- it appears that Dona is closing. The building in which Dona is currently located is being sold to a real estate developer and Donatella Arpaia is actively searching for a new spot in which to showcase Chef Michael Psilakis' cooking.

Adam Platt has started of 2007 with a bang -- New York magazine has released his "Where to Eat 2007" lists, a compendium of his picks for the year, divided into categories. "Haute Barnyard," a phrase that Platt coined a while back, is his term for restaurants focused on suppliers and the origins of the food, with countrified leanings. Cookshop, Peasant, Hearth, and Blue Hill qualify, among others. He takes us on two rambles, one through Brooklyn, stopping at favorites Franny's, iCi, and Applewood, as well as at newcomers The Farm on Adderly and Porchetta, and the other for breakfast, with stops at Balthazar, Egg, Cafe Cluny, Crema, and more.

Okay, so slaving in the kitchen for hours on end isn't for everyone. If you want to leave the entire Thanksgiving planning, shopping, prep, cooking, and cleanup to someone else, or if the thought of eating aunt Irma's dried out excuse for a bird throws you right over the edge, dining out might be for you. Grab the family and a few friends for good measure and instead of making a turkey or a pumpkin pie, make a reservation.

Where can you taste dishes from Bobby Flay, Lidia Bastianich, Dan Barber, Tom Valenti, Joey Campanaro and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto all under one roof? At New York Magazine's annual Taste of New York, a fundraiser for City Harvest. The cocktails (from some of the city's best: Pegu Club, Flatiron Lounge, and Little Branch) were flowing and the crowd was on a mission to taste everything these chefs could dish out.

Today in the Times, Frank Bruni gives Greek-Italian Dona two stars, says it reaches high and far--too high at times. As predicted by the oddsmakers at Eater.