New York - August 03, 2009

Tipple the Morning to Ya

Joseph Leonard Cafe and Bar Opens

They were some good romances, weren’t they?

Your first pub. A whirlwind weekend with the fancy cocktail lounge. That string of quick, cheap dives.

Then you found your one true haunt. A quiet, unassuming neighborhood charmer. A French-tinged gastropub with good manners, by the name of Joseph Leonard.

Gabriel Stulman (The Little Owl, Market Table) opens the cafe and bar tomorrow (assuming the liquor license gods comply). It’s polished but not overly styled (antique fixtures, stacked luggage, portraits of old people), with a U-shaped bar at its heart.

Seven tables line the perimeter, where hardworking chef James McDuffee (Bouchon Bakery, La Esquina) will present sophisticated (yet approachable) plates morning, noon, and night. (This week it’s only dinner.)

Affordable craft ales and raw bar requests made at 2 a.m. make it all the more alluring. Breakfast goes beyond batters and bloodies (gravlax, egg sandwich with grits). Lunch means oysters, chilled lobster, and barkeep banter. After a round of scotch, beef tartare and roast chicken is served with a loving touch.

Just wait until you introduce him to your parents.

Joseph Leonard, 170 Waverly Place, at Grove Street (646-429-8383).