Chef Harold Moore is gearing up to open a new restaurant called Moore Food & Drink in the Empire Hotel on West 63rd Street this week. It will occupy the space that was previously home to Ed's Chowder House, which apparently shuttered when chef Ed Brown departed recently. It is an unexpected move for Moore, who has heretofore focused his efforts downtown — first at Commerce, which abruptly shuttered in July, and then with the planned openings of Commerce Sweet Shop on Bedford Street and the cafeteria style Harold's Meat + Three in the Tommie Hudson Square hotel. Both of these projects appear to be delayed.
Moore Food & Drink, meanwhile, will be a more traditional American bistro and feature many of Moore's classics from Commerce such as the lauded chicken for two with foie gras bread stuffing. It will also serve a selection of grilled proteins alongside a "raw veggie bar." Moore Food & Drink is a collaboration with Jeffrey Chodorow's China Grill Management. The restaurant will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Weekend brunch will be offered, and the restaurant will also feature a pre-theater prix fixe option. Stay tuned for the full menu and interior shots.