Angie Mar has purchased The Beatrice Inn from owner Graydon Carter, the chef tells Eater. Mar has been executive chef at the West Village restaurant for the last three years. Carter, who is editor at Vanity Fair and co-owner of Monkey Bar and Waverly Inn, has operated The Beatrice Inn with his partners since 2012.
The restaurant has a long and storied history dating back to the 1920s when it operated as a speakeasy. For over 50 years it was as a neighborhood Italian restaurant run by Elsie and Ubaldo Cardia. That chapter ended when the owners passed away and the building was sold in 2006, clearing the way for The Beatrice to become a nightclub. It quickly became a hit with the Hollywood A-list set, and it was frequently the subject of lurid Page Six stories.
The party ended in 2009 when it was shut down by the city for overcrowding. Carter, along with partners Emil Varda and Brett Rasinski, took over the space and transformed it into a cozy chophouse in 2012. Although the restaurant was popular from the start, it went through two chefs in short order and did not garner the level of critical acclaim that Carter might have hoped for — Pete Wells gave it zero stars in his NY Times review.
Mar came on board in October 2013, plucked from The Spotted Pig where she says she was "tremendously happy." But the opportunity to run her own kitchen was ultimately something she couldn't pass up. Given virtual free reign to develop the menu, Mar — who worked at Marlow & Sons and Reynard prior to her stint at The Spotted Pig —developed a meat-centric affair focusing on dry aging, savory pies, and exotic hamburgers.
Mar credits Carter for helping her discover her "voice as a cook," and also finds his faith in an untested chef "incredibly humbling." She was still surprised when he offered to sell her the restaurant. "I don't think it was for sale," but she again jumped at the chance. In taking over the restaurant and operating it as a chef/owner Mar is joining a select club. "There are not a lot of female minority chefs that own restaurants in West Village," says Mar, citing Anita Lo as someone who inspired her.
Mar will shut down The Beatrice Inn next Monday, August 8, for approximately one month, with plans to reopen in the second week of September. She will spend the time developing the menu and tweaking the restaurant space, but she won't make any major alterations. Mar promises that this will be "the best iteration of the Beatrice yet."
Here is a look at The Beatrice Inn's meat pies: