BlackBook Magazine

Who says the French surrender too easily? Le big shot chef Alain Ducasse, for one, is a Gaul with gall. After his eponymous and debut New York restaurant finally raised the white flag in 2007, he quickly staged another invasion, with his universally feted and palpably less vainglorious new Adour at the St. Regis. On April 21, he further ratchets down the snoot factor with Benoit, an outpost of his decidedly more casual bistros in Paris and Tokyo. In the space that once held La Cote Basque (the 1960s society scene for lunching ladies, which legendarily hastened the downfall of one Mr. Capote), the new restaurant opts to recreate the resplendent aesthetic glories of the Belle Epoque, with engraved glass, antique posters and red velvet banquettes—as well as offering a menu of lusty French classics. Unfortunate phonetic double entendre aside, this one looks like une certaine victoire pour M. Ducasse.

Turtles will fly before Sirio Maccioni runs out of tricks to keep his fabled New York eatery from ever veering into dullsville. His latest is the new Wine Lounge at Le Cirque (note avoidance of use of shopworn word Enoteca), tapping into the backlash against uppity, overpriced cuisine by offering a decidedly more hip, laid back experience. One may even nibble on tarte flambé sans jacket, a radical philosophical (or maybe just aesthetic?) departure for the charmingly classically inclined Sirio. Still, never one to ever make a middling gesture, the décor features a mod and massive Tower of Babel of sorts, containing untold bottles of undoubtedly very-well-selected wines, and the lounge’s ceiling design could only be described as a full-scale invasion of fashionable UFOs. But of course.

New York has no mercy for those unable to reinvent. But moving backwards to go forwards might just the pinnacle of cheeky cool. And slouching elegantly back to the 1930s or thereabouts is the new and yet oh so classic Edison Ballroom (240 W. 47th St, 212.201.7650), New York’s most glittering new event space. Replacing the Supper Club, which replaced the old historic Edison Theatre and Ballroom (got that?), the newly re-glamorized Art Deco space seems now poised to overtake Cipriani 42nd Street as THE place to fete the fabulous. 

Originally hailing from Washington DC, the Five Guys burger chain has established several footholds in New York. One location opened stealthily in the West Village and has already carved out a loyal clientele. Says one: “It’s just ... great. Fat burgers with toppings like jalapenos and BBQ sauce. Hand cut fries that are right off the Jersey boardwalk. Worth a pop in if you live in the nabe. It’s self-service, takeout, not a restaurant. They only make them well done, which is the only setback. I like rare. But there is flavor and grease in that there meat.”

Formerly Theresa’s Hair Salon, the distinctive triangular building at 18 Bedford Avenue (and Lorimer Street, across from McCarren Park) was (is?) recently on the market for $2.6 million. New York magazine noted back in November that Dumont bartender/waiter Jud Longell and a “silent partner” had hired designer John McCormick to trick out a new bistro at the location—the vibe somewhere between “sunken transport ferry” and “English butcher shop.” Progress may be observed in the Flickr photo at left, taken in February. Apparently Longell is still talking the place up, as he related to a BlackBook operative that the silent partner is in fact a “well-known celebrity.” He refused to spill details when pressed, though he did admit that the new restaurant would be “similar to Dumont.” Though the resto is planned to open with only the small front space, they hope to expand into the adjacent “old man bar” at the first opportunity. Developing.

The frenzy over reservations at newbie Momofuku Ko has finally borne peachy little fruit. The online-only rezz system is open for business at reservations.momofuku.com. Good luck scoring one without early morning vigilance, however. Scalping the precious reservations has become a cottage industry for some—so much so that the Momofuku Ko website requires you to enter credit card info to make any reservation, and all diners must show ID upon arrival to make sure the names match. Eater has all you could ever want to know and more.

In Los Angeles, check out new restaurant profiles for Nobu Los Angeles (another outpost of the Matsuhisa empire), Urth Caffe Beverly Hills (reliable lunchables), and Katsuya Hollywood (LA’s second high-end sushi temple by that name). See full restaurant listings online in our Los Angeles guide.

In New York, check out new restaurant profiles for Lomito ("rustic Italian Argentinean") and Eletarria ("Nouveau American” by way of “Kentucky and India,” initially previewed in First Word). See full restaurant listings online in our New York guide.

David Chang, lord of noodles at Momofuku and of gourmet burritoids at Momofuku Ssam Bar, has masterfully hyped his newest restaurant Momofuku Ko. Previews have been positive bordering on worshipful, but the irresistible draw is the anti-exclusive exclusivity. Reservations will only be accepted online at a currently undisclosed website, and only one week in advance. “No phone. No favorites. No exceptions,” warns Chang. Eater has a preview of the rez system that’s being lapped up by fans with the enthusiasm of industrial-grade pornography. Another indicator of the frenzy—“momofuku ko” is currently the 86th most popular search term on Google, right after “chicken recall” (but well before “clinton obama ticket"). Momofuku Ko opens March 12, with the reservation system supposedly going active by this weekend.

On Monday night, the Taxi Driver became restaurateur (again) with the opening of Italian trattoria AGO at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Veags, named after executive chef partner Agostino Sciandri. On hand to celebrate were sleeved sports star Carey Hart (who, it turns out, is also venturing into nightlife with his new club Wasted Space, and is rumored to have split with estranged wife Pink over the endeavor), ever-hungry Mike Tyson, and Bob Saget. Most exciting, however, was the appearance of lion king Siegfried of Siegfried and Roy. Images of the restaurant after the jump. —N.H.