New York - September 03, 2003

Finders Keepers

Mystery Restaurant

We’ve been down this path before. Scouting a restaurant. Waiting for it to open. Walking by it daily (for, like, two years).

Finally, signs of life. Construction. Open doors. Pretty windows. We meet the owner. He (understandably) pleads no press until everything’s in order. We say, “Um, okay…”

But we couldn’t resist: The place looks like a gem. The bar is now open (a pretty one, too; a nice copper baby). Initial dishes (we pilfered the “beta” menu) include tuna tartare with hearts of palm and chorizo, fried goat cheese with honey and lavender, Manila clams with caramelized cauliflower, and sweet-potato croquette with balsamic dipping sauce.

Still, to be fair, no names. But in the spirit of the hunt, a few hints. Put on your thinking caps pronto, because till further notice seating is limited. (Basically, the bar.) So hurry up and find it.