The New Restaurant at the Public Theater Revives the Astor Family Name
OpeningThe AstorThe former Library, the second-floor dining room run by Andrew Carmellini and his NoHo Hospitality Group in the Public Theater, has a new identity.Named for the founding family of the building, which once housed a library and has been home to the theater since 1967, the space has been refreshed.
Woven into a custom carpet by Paula Scher are the names of the theater’s productions, and a mural by André Carrilho at the bar shows writers and Public Theater celebrities.Casual, sometimes clever food like pigs in Wellington and a French dip with mushrooms enliven the menu.
On the ground floor below, the new tambour-paneled Bar Torino along one wall, open from 10 a.m., starts with panini and pastries, then pairs Italian snacks with aperitivi.The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street (Astor Place), 212-539-8777, theastornyc.com.CreolaAt Lana Lagomarsini’s new spot, the Bravo Top Chef contender’s first, the format is a tasting menu, for 12 at a time, with multiple seatings each night.
Her food draws alluringly on the African diaspora through the Caribbean, the American South and family history with dishes like oxtail pâté en croûte, scallops with white barbecue sauce, trout in collard green potlikker consommé, elk with blackberry jerk and passion fruit tiramisù.Blue velvet banquettes add polish to the compact setting.1261 Park Avenue (97th Street), creolanyc.com.
Cafe CharmantCatch Hospitality Group’s portfolio keeps growing.Having opened the Corner Store, the Eighty Six and Or’esh, Eugene Remm and his partners are now tapping the Mediterranean as it laps the Côte d’Azur.
Bistro specialties in what’s billed as a coastal brasserie provide a somewhat muddled approach and it’s up to the executive chef Jake Tyler Brodsky, who worked at Eleven Madison Park, to sort it out.It’s French.
Steak frites anchors the menu.340 Bleecker Street (West 10th Street), 212-308-3408, cafecharmantnyc.com.Bon GaIn the brick-walled Upper East Side space ...