Nolita: After two other operators—Vegas' Ivan Kane and Barmarche's Chris Eddy—were ruthlessly denied approval for the restaurant space at 19 Kenmare, new owner Danae Cappelletto finally won over Community Board 2. And she's been working for the last five months to turn the gutted space, onetime home to Little Charlie's Clam Bar, into an actual restaurant. The sizable upstairs kitchen and downstairs pastry areas are in place, a raised platform has been constructed off the main dining room for possible private dining room use, bathrooms are in, and upstairs and downstairs bars are on their way to being finished. All in it will hold 58 seats and Cappelletto—a young Aussie taking her first shot at New York—says she hopes it will be ready by mid to late July.
As for the menu, it will feature Italian inspired Mediterranean fare and will be split up into eight aps ($11-16), four pastas ($14-20), and eight entrees ($21-35). Cappelletto chose Top Chef alum Memo Trevino to run the kitchen out of 450 applicants and notes, "We wanna get stars. This is big deal food." To commemorate former and longtime tenant Little Charlie's Clam Bar, Trevino plans to put a "Little Charlie's linguine" on his menu. Stay tuned for more updates as the team moves closer to a solid opening.
· First Word: 19 Kenmare Finally Approved by Divided CB2 Full Board [~E~]
· All 19 Kenmare Coverage [~E~]
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