The Nomad Chef May Be Opening Restaurant in FiDi

Former Nomad executive chef James Kent may soon be opening a restaurant in the 70 Pine St. Financial District Tower. Eater has been hearing that his recent departure from The Nomad is to open a solo restaurant at the Art Deco building, a space which previously was going to April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman.

Now, Steve Cuozzo at the Post says he’s hearing similar things. He writes today that building’s owner is in “heavy talks” with Kent to run both a ground-floor restaurant and a lounge and outdoor terrace near the top of the building. Both Kent and the landlord declined to comment.

Back when The Spotted Pig team was on deck to open in the building in 2015, Bloomfield and Friedman were planning a four-floor project with room for casual dining, fine dining, and private events. Ultimately, the collaboration fell through last summer because the restaurateurs and landlord couldn’t come to an agreement on how casual or upscale the restaurants would be. “April and I don’t do fine dining,” Friedman said at the time.

Kent would be joining a slew of other big-name chefs who have opened in the neighborhood. Danny Meyer recently announced a sky-high restaurant at 28 Liberty St., and Kent’s former employers, Will Guidara and Daniel Humm, are plotting a casual restaurant at 3 World Trade Center Tower.

Already, the 70 Pine St. building has a location of Black Fox Coffee and a gourmet market. Vegan sushi restaurant Beyond Sushi is also opening an outpost in the market. Stay tuned for more information on the other 70 Pine St. restaurant space as it becomes available.