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Later this month, Michael White's ex-partner Chris Cannon plans to open Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, his first solo project in years. Cannon is reuniting with chef Kevin Sippel, who worked at L'Impero and was chef de cuisine at Alto when it earned three stars from the Times. As planned, the the restaurant will be a four story farm to table Italian restaurant with two bars. The pair also plans a sausage and beer spot in the basement for special events, and Sippel will be sourcing produce, beer, and oysters locally from New Jersey farms.
The transformed Vail Mansion in Morristown, New Jersey, has a grand palazzo vibe, with some humorous touches mixed in — it's somewhere between "The Great Gatsby" and "Gravity," writes Jeff Gordinier. Guests are greeted by a statue of an astronaut floating in zero gravity pegged to the wall, and Cannon says he's taking cues from places like Roberta's and Charlie Bird, not Blue Hill at Stone Barns or the French Laundry. It has 300 seats, 120 employees, and reportedly cost around $5 million.
The whole thing opens with a charity event on September 18, and should open to the public shortly after.
· A Grand Stage for a Second Act [NYT]
· All Coverage of Chris Cannon [~ENY~]