Tap dance
Jr & Son, Markette, SAGA, Eleven Madison Park, Pinnacle CT, The Wassaic Project, mahjong & dim sum, best craft beer bars, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Checkered past
The Skinny: Italian-American classics are reimagined in a throwback space at the recently revived Jr & Son in Williamsburg.
The Vibe: Dimly lit and comfortingly nostalgic. The location was once a boxing hangout, an Italian social club, and (from the ’70s onward) a dusty Williamsburg dive until it closed during the pandemic. Now, the interiors have been gently restored to pay homage to all those past iterations. In fact, much of the decor remains as it was in the dive bar days — framed photos of famous boxers and old regulars, vintage Mets memorabilia, and posters from Columbus Day celebrations dot the walls. The checkered floors, unearthed during the renovation, are original. Deep, maroon leather booths opposite the bar line the narrow space, opening up to more seating in the back.
The Food: Chef Patricia Vega (of Thai Diner) and pastry chef Amanda Perdomo (of Kellogg's Diner) creatively riff on classics. The vegan bread course offers fluffy, castelvetrano-laced focaccia and bouncy, herb-dusted Parker house rolls, both with plant-based butter and neither the worse for it. Another interesting twist: creamy stracciatella is topped with bottarga and served with a savory black olive caramel. Arancini salad that’s comprised of herbs and small globes of fried rice and mozzarella serves as a bright-ish contrast to more hearty mains, like chicken parm with Calabrian chili. Perdomo’s deft rainbow cookie cake slice is also sneakily vegan, swapping the traditional almond for a coconut base to light and balanced effect.
The Drink: The cocktail menu is tight, consisting of six spins on classic drinks. The Johnny Dangerously (amari, lime, cane sugar) is a refreshing low-ABV counterpart to more spirit-forward options like the House Martini, served with manzanilla in place of vermouth. Italian wines by the glass and beer from Brooklyn-based breweries are also available. Jr & Son is open late — full dinner until 11p (drinks until midnight) — in hopes of becoming a place for industry regulars to grab a post-shift drink/bite.
The Verdict: A Williamsburg red sauce spot that holds onto just enough of its heritage without holding itself back from offering diners something compelling and new. –Caitlin Pangares
→ Jr & Son (Williamsburg) • 575 Lorimer St • Wed-Sun 6p-12a • Reserve.
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RESTAURANTS • Intel
NEW CLASSIC: One of my favorite openings of the year, Markette in Chelsea (originally opened in late June under the name Haymarket) is the debut venture of an all-star team with serious pedigree.
The kitchen is helmed by London-born chef India Dorris, who co-owns the restaurant with Alex Pfaffenbach, whom she met during their time at The NoMad. Running the beverage program is Chris Figueroa, formerly bar director of Crown Shy, Saga, and Overstory. The menu is organized into snacks, appetizers, pastas, and entrées — each section tight and focused, with just enough variety to excite without overwhelming. Salt cod fritters with habanero aioli make for a perfect first bite. Grilled prawn with sungold tomato bouillabaisse and chili crisp is equally excellent — bold, bright, and satisfying. The standout main is Dorris’s signature Peri Peri chicken, an homage to both her Jamaican grandmother and the London-based South African chicken chain, Nando’s. At Markette, the dish is drizzled with a rainbow of bird’s-eye chili-peri peri marinade and a cooling buttermilk ranch.
Figueroa’s cocktails are as thoughtful and refined as any premier cocktail bar in the city. The refreshing and complex highball Blue Jean Baby mixes Irish whiskey, peach, French apéritif, eucalyptus, white cardamom, and soda. The Sol Y Playa, with sotol, basil, mastiha, tomato water, and mandarin, is essentially the perfect summer margarita — bright, savory, and effortlessly drinkable. A standalone, still unnamed bar and lounge tucked below the main dining room is projected to open shortly after Labor Day. Reserve.
NEW ERA: After a brief closure for redesign, SAGA will reopen by Wall Street on September 1 with refreshed interiors, a bold new color palette, and an atmosphere that fully embodies the vision of new chef Charlie Mitchell, who brings a seafood-focused, seasonal approach to the top of 70 Pine St. Reserve. –Lee Pitofsky
RESTAURANTS • The Ticket
Popina Summer Series | 8th Birthday Edition! • 8 years of Popina w/ dishes from friends and customers, plus live music • Popina (Cobble Hill) • Wed 08/24 @ 12p, $75 per
Lucho Martinez X Comal • tasting menu from CDMX chef Luncho Martinez • Comal (Lower East Side) • Wed 09/03 @ 530p, $135 per
Mahjong Lesson & Dim Sum • dim sum and mahjong hosted by Master Lenny An • Leland Eating and Drinking House (Prospect Heights) • Fri 09/10 @ 1p, $50 per
NYC RESTAURANT LINKS: Hot takes on Eleven Madison Park’s move back to meat: NYers really just want steak… a sign of fine dining hubris… trouble for legacy vegan restaurants… MAHA’s fault… somehow my fault.
In Hell’s Pantry, Legacy Records closes after eviction settlement • Kisa team signs lease for new Korean restaurant on 1st Ave. • What to expect from the East Village Corner Bistro • UWS food hall Harry’s Table will shutter 11/01 • Are private label oysters the next restaurant trend? • August’s long, lazy, boozy lunch renaissance.
WORK • Tuesday Routine
Peak summer
CAROLINE KLEIN & BETSY GOLDIN • co-owners • Pinnacle CT
Neighborhood you work in: Washington Depot, CT
Neighborhood you live in: Warren, CT (CK), Manhattan & Warren, CT (BG)
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
We recently opened Pinnacle, our Litchfield County boutique, seven days a week since it's full-on summer and everyone is out and about — especially the city dwellers who relocated for the season. So at 10a, instead of restocking, we’re greeting the first customers of the day dashing in with their coffees from The Pantry next door. Our early customers are usually overnight guests from local hotels like The Mayflower Inn, Winvian, and Belden House after they finish a hike or are on their way to an activity.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We are finishing up the logistics for our upcoming Mahjong Night, finalizing the buying for winter, and putting the finishing touches on upcoming trunk shows featuring ski wear and Thanksgiving entertaining. Events have been a big hit and demand for Mahjong Night is so great that we have to move it from the store to the Washington Depot Town Hall down the block.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
We have dinner with our husbands at Community Table tonight, one of our favorite local spots started by a super successful finance exec from the city who has made the place really special (and inspired us about how high-end local destinations excite the community). We are thinking about our kids who are all at sleepaway camp. We each had fun “last suppers” the night before they left — Betsy, her husband, and their two kids went to The Polo Bar where the children ordered the biggest steak (and finished it); Caroline, her husband and their two kids were at Materia just up the road from the store where the family favorite is linguine alle vongole.
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
Betsy: I just saw John Proctor is the Villain on Broadway, and can't stop thinking about it or listening to “Green Light” by Lorde. Run and get tickets!
Caroline: I took a few days away from the store to escape with my husband to Twin Farms in Vermont… lots of hiking, lots of reading (just finished Wild Dark Shore, which I loved) and lots of amazing food.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Betsy: I splurged on new dishes from DBO Home in Sharon, CT. They create the most beautiful handmade pieces and visiting their studio/barn is a true highlight. The craftsmanship is amazing and the pieces are beautiful for entertaining.
Caroline: I’m very involved with the local arts organization, The Wassaic Project, and just purchased a piece from their summer show by Cassandra Chalfant, an emerging artist whose photorealistic paintings are just captivating.
What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
The best tailor! Ignacio’s Tailor on East 60th Street. They can work magic on anything and everything. (No website!)
The best personal shopper! Bella Hellin at Bergdorf Goodman, who we’ve been seeing for 16 (gulp!) years. We supplement our Pinnacle wardrobes with her picks and rely on her for everyday, special occasions and everything in between. (Call BG personal shopping for an appointment.)
Where are you donating your time or money?
We both support the New Milford Hospital’s new Women’s Center and are really excited by the work they are doing.
When we started Pinnacle, it was really important to us to give back to this community we love so we created a tote bag in partnership with FEED that donates all the proceeds back to the Warren/Washington Food Pantry. It’s been really amazing to see the excitement and momentum in the community. You can buy them online here.
GOODS & SERVICES LINKS: Vintage hip-hop apparel retailer In Vintage We Trust moving to LES • World of Flowers closing after 30 years in Greenpoint • Inside private wine club New York Vintners bonkers new 20K space • Great bags report.
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WORK LINKS: Midtown is hot: JP Morgan preps for move to new Park Ave HQ and two towers sell for ~$1B each • Office space Refinery at Domino is half leased, up 2x over last year • The Farmer’s Dog takes 58ksqft at 568 Broadway • What to do when your work coffee shop bans work • Taking the human out of human resources.
BARS • The Nines
Craft beer, Manhattan
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of NYC's best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundny.com.
Beer Culture (Hell’s Kitchen), 13 beers on tap, including great Czech-style pilsners