Peter Poulakakos and his team debut a couple new dining and drinking spaces today at their downtown restaurant megaplex Pier A Harbor House. An oyster bar and beer hall opened on the first floor of the newly renovated, historic building in November, but it's taken until now for the second floor venues to get up and running. One is the Harrison Room, a clubby upscale bar with drinks from The Dead Rabbit’s bar manager Jillian Vose. Next to it is a restaurant simply called The Restaurant, which sports some sweet views of Lady Liberty and New York Harbor, along with a semi-open kitchen and a chef’s table.
The Menus: The menu for the Restaurant puts a lot of emphasis on its local ingredients, but the main course section also has all the hallmarks of an American steakhouse. And, in what seems to be a popular move these days, the menu is broken down into an "earth" and "sea" categories, like some sort of homage to Earth, Wind and Fire. In the "earth" section, here’s a tomahawk ribeye for two, filet mignon, and a brined pork chop, all of which come with sauces and sides. From the "sea" category there’s king salmon and day boat cod. In The Harrison Room, the food fits the Wall Street club vibe, with dishes like wings doused in barrel aged hot sauce, foie gras torchon, and scotch olives.
Also Opening: The Loft, a private event space on the third floor is now open for booking. Meanwhile, The Commissioner’s Bar, an aperitif bar with a French/Italian feel and a balcony overlooking the water, is currently being used for private events but will open to the public later this summer.