New York City’s dining scene will get a major boost this fall from two world-renowned chefs who will plant their flags on the Upper West Side.
One restaurant is from a chef who needs no introduction in the Big Apple: Daniel Boulud. The other is being launched by Jesus Duron, whose Mexico City restaurant Pujol has earned two Michelin stars.
Boulud will consolidate three restaurants he has operated for nearly two decades at 1900 Broadway, near Lincoln Center, into one mega-brasserie to be named Brasserie Boulud, Side Dish can reveal exclusively.
“The vision is to offer great cuisine at a variety of price points, from breakfast through late evening, welcoming guests before and after the opera, concerts, or shows at Lincoln Center,” Boulud told Side Dish.
The 7,500 square-foot flagship over two floors, with 170 seats, was designed by David Rockwell. It features a large dining room and a sexy, 27-seat central bar, plus an “intimate speakeasy” and private dining rooms.
“There will now be one place where you can get your croissant in the morning, and it will also be open for lunch, dinner and late night,” said Sebastien Silvestri, CEO of The Dinex Group, which Boulud founded in 1993.
The pandemic was challenging, Silvestri added, but five years later “it is the right time to bring back the energy and vibrancy to this most iconic cultural destination in New York.”
About a mile north near the Museum of Natural History, Duron will open a Mexican-themed eatery called Ashi next month.
Duron, the executive chef at Pujol since 2021, was in town last month to tour the eatery at 446 Columbus Ave., between West 81st and West 82nd Streets.
“We are very excited to have Chef Duron on board,” Luis Gonzalez, one of Ashi’s owners, told Side Dish.
Duron made his name elevating modern Mexican fare from diverse regions. He earned accolades at Pujol for his seven-course tasting menu focused on seafood, corn and vegetables, as well as a more casual ‘taco omakase’ menu.
At Ashi, located where the popular Milling Room once stood, he plans to bring elevated fare that is still approachable, sources said.
Duron will join Jean-Georges Vongerichten as the neighborhood’s only other two Michelin-starred chef. Vongerichten runs the kitchen at Jean-Georges at 1 Central Park West, in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel and Tower.
The openings will coincide with the return of the 15th annual Taste of the Upper West Side, which kicks off Oct. 15 with a dinner at Ashi. The sit-down, six-course meal will feature dishes from Ashi, Gabriel’s, Essential by Christophe, Jing Fong, and Asset and Tessa. Magnolia Bakery, Levain Bakery and Salt & Straw will serve dessert, while Nobody Told Me will provide its signature cocktails.
In all, 75 neighborhood restaurants will participate in four different gatherings this fall, said Taste of the Upper West Side’s founder and chairman Donny Evans.
We hear…that top Philadelphia chef/restaurateur Michael Schulson, founder of the Schulson Collective, is opening his first Big Apple eatery, Double Knot New York, at 1251 Sixth Ave., across from Rockefeller Center. The izakaya-style Japanese restaurant is an outpost of the original Double Knot, which opened in Philly in 2016. It’s a homecoming for Schulson, who grew up on Long Island and worked at restaurants like Buddakan.
“New York is where it all started for me, and it is where I shaped my work ethic and love for hospitality,” Schulson tells Side Dish. “It feels incredible to come home — and be part of the city’s energy and creativity.”
The 12,000 square-foot bi-level space features more than 350 seats, including 270 in the dining room The rest are spread out over a sushi bar, a robatayaki grill, lounge and two private dining rooms. Signature dishes include Japanese fried chicken, black cod fried rice, and kobe beef skewers along with small, shared plates like wagyu soup dumplings, big eye tuna rolls and toro nigiri. The beverage program includes rare Japanese whiskies, sakes and a global wine list.
