5. The wine offerings will be très Français.
Pruitt has a well-established history in natural wines — both at Libertine and at the now-shuttered natural wine bar Anfora. But his approach at Chateau Royale is less dogmatic, he says. “Here, and what I’m drinking myself these days, is well farmed, consciently farmed wine, but not necessarily as hardcore, dogmatically natural. I don’t want funky wine. I don’t want wine that needs to prove something anymore, I just want deliciousness.”
Besides sake and dessert wine, his list here is exclusively French. He’s focusing on wines from regions that were popular at French restaurants in New York in the mid-20th century including Bordeaux, Alsace, and the Loire Valley. About 40% of the list across both floors is from Burgundy, including parcel-specific aligoté from producers like Pierre-Olivier Garcia. There are also prized bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
Expect a mix of old guard and younger upstarts, Pruitt says. “Oftentimes they’re farming very similar or neighboring land to the old guard, and not doing weird, idiosyncratic versions of that, but they’re doing something that’s specific to their own terroir. For me, it’s important to highlight both sides of that coin, which is kind of what we’re doing here in general.”
Chateau Royale will be open for dinner service every day from 5 p.m., with the final seating at 10:30 p.m., and the Bar Room will be open for beverage service until midnight. Brunch will likely debut right after Labor Day, with mid-week lunch to follow down the line.
Devra Ferst is a Brooklyn-based food and travel writer who has contributed to The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Eater, NPR, and numerous other publications. She is co-author of “The Jewish Holiday Table: A World of Recipes, Traditions & Stories to Celebrate All Year Long.” Follow her on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.
Dining and Cooking