Eater Inside: Atria

One of the things we're focused on in these lean, Joe-Bastianich-post-marathon-lean, times are concepts that seem to cost more money than they're worth. Take, for instance, the West Village's Sweetiepie, where you can nestle into a human-sized birdcage and go halvsies on spaghetti and meatballs and silver dollar pancakes with a loved one. Or Pranna, which owners decided to open instead of putting a pile of cash in the middle of Fifth Avenue and setting fire to it. Or, Midtown's new 'new modern European restaurant', Atria. At chef Martin Brock's sequel to Grayz, renamed, reconceived and reopened sans chef Gray Kunz, the curiosities include: 1) the installation of seven Scrollatropes, "large open circular sculptures" that rotate; 2) their menus (lunch and dinner), which offer 'beef wraps' next to 'butternut squash potage'; and 3) the fact that the name could change from Gneiss to Atria in a matter of days. On the last, one usually fuses name to design to concept to menu to create a "restaurant," no?

In better news, the earliest reports on the food are very good. Even the beef wraps. And if the concept works, if any of these concepts work, actually, we'll be the first to note our error (see also, The Smith). But, in several months time, should you be in the market for a Scrollatrope or two, we might know where you can find them cheap.