C H E F P R O F I L E — W H A T W E ’ R E L O O K I N G F O R

The ideal candidate is a classicist—someone trained in the French-Italian tradition who excels at

grill and broiler cookery (steaks, chops, whole fish) and can simultaneously run a high-level raw

bar and seafood program at volume. Not a wood-fire or hearth specialist. The cooking is

about technique, temperature, and product rather than smoke and char.

— Strong classical French-Italian technique as a foundation

— Fluency in grill, broiler, and plancha cookery—not reliant on open flame or wood fire

— Deep comfort with raw bar operations: oyster programs, seafood plateaus, caviar service,

crudo

— Experience with high-volume hotel restaurant operations in a major metro market

— Sourcing-obsessed: direct farm and fishery relationships, an eye for provenance and

quality

— Affinity for the British grill tradition and/or exposure to UK dining culture is a plus

— Philosophy aligned with restraint and timelessness over trend and novelty—the kind of

chef who gets excited about sourcing directly from farms

C U L I N A R Y D I R E C T I O N

The menu bridges raw bar and grill traditions with a broader French-Italian sensibility. The grill

is the format and the philosophy—not a fuel source. The kitchen works with plancha, flat-top,

and broiler in the tradition of the classic hotel grill kitchen, emphasizing precise heat control,

proper searing, and the care that goes into dry-aging and sourcing.

Raw Bar — A centerpiece of the restaurant, not an afterthought. Oysters (10 daily varieties),

littleneck clams, lobster (chilled half/whole), caviar service, Ligurian tuna crudo, shrimp

cocktail (Bayou style), and house seafood plateaus. This draws directly on the infrastructure and

sourcing relationships built through Maison Premiere’s acclaimed oyster program.

From the Grill — Serious sourcing with a focus on quality over novelty. Butcher’s steak

(Kinderhook Farm), NY Strip (Washugyu Wagyu & American Angus), Flannery ribeye and dry-

aged porterhouse (Holstein Dairy), dry-aged pork chop (35 days, Brunson’s), Feisty Acres quail.

Seafood on the grill: whole fluke (char-grilled), lobster à la plancha, grilled seafood platter for

two.

Entrees & Pasta — Composed plates that reflect the French-Italian lineage: halibut beurre

blanc, swordfish sausage au poivre, duck breast with cherries. Handmade pastas: fettuccine

alfredo, lobster à la plancha spaghetti, linguine alle vongole.

Appetizers & Salads — Gazpacho, cod chowder (saffron & fennel), herbed Caesar salad, hand-

cut steak tartare, lobster salad with leeks and artichokes, razor clams casino, jumbo lump crab

cake. The range here signals a kitchen with classical depth, not a grill-only operation.

Sides, Breads & Desserts — Potatoes: Duck fat chips, crispy smoked potatoes. Creamed

spinach gratin, wild mushrooms with shallots and Madeira. Parker House rolls with herb butter,

grilled focaccia with anchovy and trio of OVO. Desserts lean nostalgic: chocolate soufflé, cherry

jubilee sundae, genepy soft serve, strawberries Romanoff, seasonal pies and tarts.

S E A F O O D A S T H E K E Y D I F F E R E N T I A T O R

This is the strategic play that separates us rom every other midtown grill. Most grill rooms

treat seafood as a token offering—a fish on the menu, a shrimp cocktail to start. makes the

raw bar a co-equal anchor to the grill, backed by our direct relationships with oyster

farmers and the sourcing infrastructure built over time.

The combination of a serious raw bar program running at volume alongside a full grill kitchen is

rare in this market. It’s the competitive moat and it’s what distinguishes us from the rest.