Here's a look around the newly minted State Grill and Bar, situated in the Empire State Building. The new American restaurant from Patina Group started dinner service last week, and is open for lunch as of today. Inside it's a sleek, modern room with Art Deco touches, intended to blend seamlessly into the timeless aesthetic of the icon it lives in. There's a bar up front to lure the post-work crowd, and a big private dining room with a look that leans towards conference room.
The menu by chef Octavio Becerra hits all the right seasonal and local buzzwords, and promises to bring a "sophisticated rusticity" to the neighborhood (whatever that means). For the most part, that menu reads like your standard bistro, with a selection of oysters, a hamburger, a pappardella dish, and a steak frites. But there are also bacon and cheese tater tots listed among the share plates, so make of that what you will.
