Hi all,
Thanks for all the lovely birthday wishes on 23 years of The Strong Buzz! It was so nice to hear from so many of you who have been reading me forever. Made my day.
Today I have some restaurant intel for you – three openings (Greek, Georgian, and Italian), and an anniversary that means 1996 prices on dim sum.
Let’s start with a new spot for Greek spot from chef Chef Nicholas Poulmentis. Kythira NP (32 Grand St, New York, NY), is named for the idyllic island of Kythira, which sits between the Peloponnese and Crete, where he was raised, and stamped with his own initials.
It’s designed by Jackie Indelicato and has a gorgeous Santorini castaway vibe imbued with the sun-bleached colors of the coastal landscape, alongside arched doorways, floor-to-ceiling windows and an open kitchen and chef’s counter.
The restaurant digs deep into the chef’s youth on the island and combines generational culinary traditions, local ingredients sourced from Greece, and Nick’s classical culinary training beginning at S.T.E. Anavyssos and Le Cordon Bleu (you may also recognize him from Chopped and appearances on Beat Bobby Flay).
“I want guests to feel as though they’ve spent an evening on the island that shaped me,” he said. “Kythira is part of everything I do, from the dishes I cook to the wines I serve, to the way people gather around a table. This is how I was raised, and I’m doing what I can to honor where I’m from and share it with you.”
His menu starts with dips like a Black Truffle Taramaalata made with octopus ink and sturgeon caviar mousse with coral tuile, fresh pita, and truffle powder, and small plates of Gogizes, a delicate, handmade goat cheese gnocchi drawn from Greek dumpling traditions in a spicy yellow pepper cream and finished with sweet blue crab. Also, Trahana Shrimp Saganaki, a reimagined Greek classic, combining fresh shrimp with fermented-yogurt pasta, fennel, fresh tomato, and barrel-aged feta, finished with an ouzo flambé.
Seafood is everywhere; there’s a dish called Perka in Paper, a twist on Kleftiko – the art of cooking lamb in paper, but here fresh fish is tucked in with Kalamata olives, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and mountain oregano. Of course there’s octopus, Chtapodi, grilled and served over black-eyed peas.
Reservations: OpenTable
I love these lamps at the bar at Bebo, a new Georgian home cooking restaurant opening tonight on Atlantic Avenue.
The stretch of Atlantic Avenue between Clinton and Henry is becoming a kind of culinary and cocktail destination, with high end cooking at Confidant and Frenzie, serious drinks at Elsa and Long Island Bar, and mom and pops like Yemen Cafe, Al Badawi, and now Bebo, which expands the city’s Georgian food repertoire in the former Luzzo’s pizza spot.
Bebo is inspired by the founders’ grandmother (Bebo means grandma) and the warmth of her home cooking. “Her kitchen was more than a place to eat. It was a place of love, comfort, laughter, and memories. Every meal carried her heart,” owners Giorgi Lemonjava and Gio Kopaliani wrote on Instagram. “Every flavor reminds us that home is not only a place, it is a feeling.”
The menu is rooted in traditional Georgian dishes and flavors, with plenty of meat alongside thoughtful vegetarian and vegan options. The space has a warm, come-in-from-the-cold vibe, decorated with raw brick walls, tasseled lamps, and vintage wallpaper. It opens tonight!
I walked by the empty storefront on Court Street (371 Court) that used to sell fake flowers and assorted knickknacks you might find at your grandmother’s next to the plastic-covered couch. All of a sudden it’s a cute little Italian grocer with wide open French Doors called Il Quartiere. My friend at The Court Street Journal has the scoop that it comes from a neighborhood fellow named Chettino and his uncle Salvatore; the name is Italian for “the neighborhood.” Love this.
Finally, this is a fun one. Ping’s, the iconic dim sum spot at 22 Mott St, is turning 30 this fall and is celebrating with end-of-the-month 1996 prices on har how, siu mai, spare ribs, and chicken feet through Sept 30!
Dining and Cooking