[Krieger, 2/24/08]

This pretty little thing you see here is South Gate, the first restaurant to go in the Jumeirah Essex House since the Big D (er, Alain Ducasse) pulled the plug on his operation in the building last year. This new spot, cheffed by Eleven Madison Park's Kerry Heffernan, opened to early swooning reviews, and like most other major operations opening in early '08 the wine is a big focus, a bar menu makes an appearance, and the ubiquitous pork belly can be had glazed or braised. However, the early menu is keeping most entrees under the $40 mark, a surprise for a restaurant in the very upscale and pricey Essex House.

But let's move away from the food and just bask in her good looks for a moment. What you see above is a floor-to-ceiling glass case filled with the restaurant's 2,000 bottles of wine. And below you get a little communal table action, a fractured mirror installation, leather upholstered table tops, and ample windows offering views of the park. The SG is circa six weeks out from getting any big reviews, but based on the design cred (Tony Chi), the chef's pedigree, and the prominence of the place, it'll start with a deuce.