Openings: Recette, New York City

Those who insist they enjoy throwing huge dinner parties are also those who insist hard work is its own reward. But we know better. After a tough day slogging it out on the ruthless battlefields of New York business, having someone else do all the work for you seems like so much better a reward. And now your own little team of epicurean artistes awaits, for when just another special occasion dinner at Montrachet simply won’t do. At Brian Ghaw’s charming little Savoy Bakery up on 110th Street, he, executive chef Jesse Schenker, and pastry chef Christina Lee enthusiastically disassemble the space a couple of nights a week and turn it into Recette -- an elegant and utterly singular private dining experience.

“We give the room a bit of a romantic atmosphere,” Ghaw explains. “It’s fine dining, but with a more casual attitude.” Which is precisely how we love it: delectable dining minus the white gloves and silver trays. Five-, seven-, and ten-course tasting menus are exquisitely conceived, but hardly precious or overreachingly avant-garde. As Ghaw relates, they simply “have a passion for food.” And when it comes to sybaritic adventures, we’ll take passion over showmanship any day. Dare we say it? In Spanish Harlem, a rose.

More new restaurants in New York can be found here.