FiDi’s Next Restaurant With a View Comes from Ambitious Former NoMad Chef

The former executive chef of the Michelin-starred NoMad is opening restaurants on a whopping five different floors of a FiDi tower — including ones on upper levels that will likely sport some insane views.

Chef James Kent, who spent nearly a decade working under Daniel Humm, has partnered up with Del Posto manager Jeff Katz for the massive new project at the historic Art Deco tower at 70 Pine St., at Pearl Street.

The two will be operating restaurants on the ground floor of the property, as well as on the 62nd, 63rd, 64th, and 66th floors, according to a liquor license application to Manhattan Community Board 1. Expect wild views at those heights, outdoor space, and both a restaurant and bar/lounge on the upper floors, including a more formal operation, according to a spokesperson for the team.

They do not yet have an opening timeline or further details on the restaurant, saying it’s still in early stages. A sample menu submitted to the board includes dishes like a duck with long pepper and cocoa nibs and large-format dishes for the table, such as an oxtail with black truffle and celery root — though a spokesperson says the final menu will likely be different. See the menu that the CB saw below, as well as proposed layouts for some of the floors.

It’s the first solo project for Kent, a New York native who worked as the executive chef of the NoMad for years before leaving last March, and it’s a high profile — and extremely ambitious — one. The 67-story building’s sky-high spaces were previously slated to go toward a Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield project, but they ditched it in 2016 after developer Adam Rose wanted something fancier than what they would offer.

And Kent isn’t the only guy trying to turn the skyscraper-packed FiDi into more of a dining destination. Hospitality guru Danny Meyer will soon open a 60th floor restaurant called Manhatta in the neighborhood as well. It too will have some sweeping views of lower Manhattan. Kent’s old bosses Daniel Humm and Will Guidara are also planning a huge restaurant in the area, though further east.

Stay tuned for more.

Photo via Eater tipster

Photo via Eater Tipster

Photo via Eater Tipster

Photo via Eater Tipster

Photo via Eater Tipster