The Consulate, the French and American restaurant at 519 Columbus Avenue at 85th Street, the former home of Trattoria Machiavelli, plans to open this weekend for brunch, according to Howard, who sent the photo above. The “official opening” is on November 6, according to the website. The brunch menu is here. Brunch specials include standards like Eggs Benedict, with some wild cards like “Mommy’s Grilled Cheese” (whose mommy makes grille cheese with Humboldt Fog and brie?). The dinner menu isn’t up yet, and Howard says dinners won’t start until November.
Moonrise Izakaya, a Japanese gastropub at 774 Amsterdam Avenue (West 98th Street), opened last week. It’s got cool spray-painted murals all over the walls and is “clearly gunning for the Columbia crowd,” wrote Gothamist’s Scott Lynch.” The Moonrise menu is impressively lengthy, even ambitious, and most of the dishes I sampled were good. There are snacky things like Charred Edamame, Vegetable Gyoza, Ankimo (‘chilled steamed monkfish liver), Shrimp Shumai, and a Pork Belly Bao Bun, which probably could have used more of the former and less of the latter. A couple of Sashimi appetizers make an appearance here as well.” There’s also space for customers to keep their own bottles of liquor above a false ceiling — a part of Japanese izakaya culture. The website has some popular menu items. And check out the “epic bathroom mural” below.
The Wing, a co-working space with several locations in the city, is getting set to open at 380 Columbus Avenue between 78th and 79th Street, the old Ocean Grill space. The Wing was initially known as an all-women space, but has changed its membership policy. The Wing tends to have extra amenities beyond offices, including cafes, showers an dlockers “Should be a nice addition to that area of Columbus Ave, which has been feeling all too quiet lately,” wrote our tipster G. “We don’t have anything to announce yet but thanks for reaching out — we will be in touch as soon as we are!” the company’s communications manager told us.
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I will never forgive that developer for causing so many issues with the building that housed Ocean Grill and basically forcing all the restaurants to close. The bar at Ocean Grill was such a great combo of cozy and classy.
And now it’s a co-working space. Sigh.
One hundred percent agree!
THAT area of Columbus, from about 77th down to 72nd, feels like an abandoned zone lately. Once you go south of Shake Shack there’s nothing there any more.
Asset opened between 75 and 76th 2 weeks or so ago.
Getting rave reviews from our friends and fam. Will try it next weekend.
Moonrise looks great. Can’t wait to try it out! Gyu Kaku also has to be real close to opening. Looks all finished from the outside. Great to see some new restaurants opening up that aren’t Mediterranean.
Hear hear Zanarkand. Excited to try Moonrise. That stretch of the UWS is getting solid for pub+ stuff, like the tapas place at 95th and Nobody Told Me. Also curious about Gyu Kaku.
I do wonder how Consulate will fare so close to Petit Rooster, Milling Room, Maison Pickle, that French place at 86th that closes early, and all the wine bars.
WSR: OK, “Mommy’s Grilled Cheese” clearly refers to what Mommy EATS, not what she makes for her kids. As in, “What are you drinking, Daddy?” “Don’t worry about it, son, it’s Daddy’s Special Drink.”
YESSS more Japanese (adjacent) restaurants in the neighborhood please.