John DeLucie's Crown Now Open

24 East 81st St., Upper East Side
Phone: 646-559-4880
Web: Crown81
Status: Now Open
Crown, chef John DeLucie's swanky follow up to The Lion, is now open in the old Bruno Jamais space on the Upper East Side. DeLucie has assembled a talented team here: his head chef is Jason Hall (formerly of Gotham Bar & Grill), his pastry chef is Heather Bertinetti (formerly of the Michael White/Chris Cannon kingdom), and the sommelier is Jordan Salcito (formerly of Daniel). The menu of "continental" fare includes things like tuna Niçoise, organic roast chicken, halibut en papillote, and a sirloin of veal.

Housed in a turn of the century mansion, the space features dark wood, a large skylight, working fireplaces, and vintage drawings and photos on the walls. Crown officially opened last night, and as of this morning operators were standing by to take reservations.
Previous Coverage: Fall Tracking 09/07; ResyWire, 09/07; Fall Tracking, 09/02; Chef Shuffles, 05/24; Crownwatch, 05/04.
Further Reading: GS, NYT, WSJ, Zagat.
[Photo: Vogue]