Renowned (But Restless) Chef Scratches a Decadal Itch with New Bistro
“Ten years seems to be a personal turning point for me,” reflects chef Eduard Frauneder, who recently closed his highly regarded Austrian restaurant Schilling, after a decade-long run at 109 Washington Street, and soon after opened Cafe Fleuri in the same space. “Schilling was still doing well, but the thought of continuing with the same idea until the 2030s didn’t appeal to me. Most of my restaurants last for ten years. Then I get restless and move on.” In Schilling’s place, he has created a southern French bistro, resplendent with blossoms and herbs. (“Fleuri” translates as “covered in flowers.”)
“My goal is to reinterpret high-quality French bistro food at a very refined level,” Mr. Frauneder, who was born in Vienna, explains. “I want to offer food that is relatable, rather than abstract.” He cites the intriguing (and disputed) origins of the word “bistro”: Many assume that “bistro” derives from the brief, early 1800s Russian occupation of Paris, when the foreign troops are said to have shouted “bistro!” (Russian for “quickly!”) at waiters. But linguists believe that the word actually comes from a regional French dialect centered in the Loire Valley, in which “bistro” meant “little servant,” and eventually came to denote an innkeeper.
“Cafe Fleuri is meant to have the feel and authenticity of a local small business,” Mr. Frauneder says, “because this community is awash in a sea of corporate food chains. By avoiding the trap of creating just another modern, fake bistro, I want to bring consistency and quality to the neighborhood.”
“Everyone in the restaurant business says they want to do this,” he says, “but the difference with me is that I am here. This is not absentee ownership. I am leading the same team that made Schilling a local institution. The through-line that will carry over from Schilling is seasonality, a rotating cycle of ingredients and dishes that evolve every few months.”
Cafe Fleuri’s menu leans into regional French cuisine, with a strong Mediterranean influence. “We are doing more olive oil and fish, less dairy and meat. The fare will be lighter and more vegetable-forward,” Mr. Frauneder says. He offers as a case in point white asparagus and ramps (wild garlic from Appalachian Mountains). He also cites as a Cafe Fleuri signature, “the bread we offer, which is built around fresh sourdough, accompanied by house-made ricotta and pistou sauce”—a traditional Provençal cold topping made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil.
Reflecting on the bistro tradition he is seeking to embody at Cafe Fleuri, Mr. Frauneder notes, “our meat is a hanger steak. Rather than focus on a more expensive cut, our treatment and technique for this simple comfort food creates a soft and flavorful meal that French people would recognize and be proud of.” Natives of the Côte d’Azur would feel at home in Cafe Fleuri’s recently opened garden, at the rear of the house, where the pebble floor is surrounded by thyme, rosemary, lavender, and sage. “The best restaurants always transport the diner to another place,” he says. “That’s what we’re trying to do here.”
“What I’m really proudest of is the team,” Mr. Frauneder says. “Many of the group have been with me for ten years or more, through multiple restaurants.” This history has included, in additional to Schilling, a succession of renowned New York names: Seasonal, Edi and the Wolf, Bar Freud, and the Third Man. The first of these earned him his first Michelin star at the precocious age of 30, in 2010.
Asked to predict what comes next, he points to a new project at the historic Building 140 on Governors Island, where he is helping to create Priscilla’s (a year-round café offering a coastal Mediterranean-inspired menu) and the Riverline, an indoor-outdoor full-service restaurant—both overlooking the water. This project is expected to debut next year.
And after that? “I’ve always wanted to create an izakaya restaurant,” he says, “which is the casual Japanese version of a tapas bar. But we’ll have to see. I have about ten years’ worth of projects to keep me busy right now.”
Dining and Cooking