Here we present a first glimpse, via spycam, of the finished product at Abe & Arthur's, the Eugene Remm/Mark Birnbaum restaurant tracking to open to the public on September 18 (Update: It's now been pushed to the first week of October), in the former Lotus space on West 14th Street. The Meatpacking District "contemporary-American" restaurant is the partners' first solo effort in the food category (STK is a collaboration with the One Group)—the two, backed by cash-man Michael Hirtenstein, having first made a name for themselves at the club, Tenjune. All this is, of course, us just reviewing the key specs, the last of which being the chef, Franklin Becker. As the opening nears, attention will certainly turn to the food. But in the end, shortly after Gael Greene gets her comp, this restaurant will become about the people and the setting, Remm and Birnbaum's forte. Speaking of which, here's the official language on the iCrave build-out:
The iCrave-designed space boasts a 202-seat, bi-level restaurant· All Abe & Arthurs Coverage [~E~]
that is intended to create an environment as vibrant and stimulating as its surrounding Meatpacking and Highline neighborhoods. Upon entering the restaurant, a bar area welcomes guests who will find antique bar stools at a varnished zinc bar. Tumbled herringbone marble floors, glossy, midnight-toned walls and aged antique mirrors lead into the main dining room. Up a flight of stairs and perched on the mezzanine level, additional seating lets guests observe the dining room from above. Tanned leathers, waxen, oak flooring in the main room and dark carpeting on the mezzanine,
and clean, white tablecloths accent the room, while custom light fixtures engulf the space in intimate, canopied light. Anchoring the room are layers of graffiti-like scrims, which either hang loosely or are pulled back to reveal the wall's authentic detailing.