The Copenzepi Takeover

New York Mag's Adam Platt awarded Atera four stars (out of five) last week.  That puts the restaurant at Exceptional, just one star away from the pinnacle, Ethereal category.

Atera chef Matt Lightner is an alum of Noma, Copenhagen's/The World's most fascinating restaurant since the closing of Spain's El Bulli.  Rene Redzepi is Noma's chef and he is a founding father of what is being referred to as New Nordic Cuisine.  Platt's review of Atera is another wave in the tsunami of attention being thrown in the general direction of Scandinavia.

Acme was awarded two stars by Pete Wells a few weeks ago.  The chef?  Noma vet Mads Reflund.  Frej is a pop-up at Kinfolk Studios in Williamsburg, serving a $45, five-course, Nordic influenced tasting menu three nights a week to anyone lucky enough to land a reservation.  The guys at Lucky Peach hung out with Rene in Issue #2, and in Issue #3, David Chang himself mentions the significance a stage at Noma means to an aspiring chef, and that commitment and discipline in the kitchen are just as relevant to technique and ingredients when it comes to Noma's success.

An article in The Wall Street Journal talks about "Life Beyond Noma," and discusses the culinary trend that has resulted as more and more chefs are passing through Noma's kitchen.

The Salon at Per Se's $65 Sweet Tooth

The Salon at Per Se is one of GQ food writer Alan Richman's favorite restaurants in New York City.  The Salon is a walk-in only, a la carte, no jacket required extension of Per Se's dining room and they recently introduced a $65, five-course dessert tasting. 

Seriouseats takes us on a first look at what is a frequently changing dessert display from pastry chef Elwyn Boyles.

Andy 'Pok Pok' Ricker

Andy Ricker is the man behind the Portland based Pok Pok restaurants.  The east coast got its first taste of his Thai food in January, when Pok Pok Wing opened in the Lower East Side.  Last week, with the opening of Pok Pok Ny in Cobble Hill, the city gets its first full menu from the Thai food genius student.

In this interview Andy does with Eater, he talks about his past, his present, and his future, and how annoying it is to get shit for making Thai food without being of Thai descent.

"There's always going to be someone that will say that I'm a white dude doing fusion food, and I can tell you that that's absolutely not the case."

"There's been a lot in the press that calls me an expert on Thai food. None of that came from me. I'm a student and that's how I feel about it. I've got a lot to learn, even about the stuff that I already understand."

Andy Ricker is a perfect example of what succeeds in current restaurant trends.  He is a man obsessed with a particular cuisine who has gone to many reaches learning, studying, and ensuring that the food he is presenting is the closest thing you'll find outside its country of origin.  The incredible success of his restaurants is proof that, while he may not consider himself a master, he most certainly knows what he's doing.

Do the Gran Electrica, Boogie Woogie

Colonie is a seasonal, small-plates restaurant that opened on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights a little more than a year ago.  Tamer Hamawi, Emelie Kihlstrom, and Elise Rosenberg make up the trio responsible for the restaurants success.  The momentum of which has lead to their latest venture, Gran Electrica.

Bradford McDonald is the executive chef for the restaurant group.  He and chef Sam Richman, an ex Fat Duck and Jean Georges employee, spent some time in Mexico learning the food so they could present an authentic product at Gran Electrica, which opened about a month ago at 5 Front Street in DUMBO.

Gran Electrica is making a lot of their own products in house, i.e. tortillas and chorizo.  The food and drinks all look pretty good as the restaurant fills the zapatos left by Hecho en Dumbo, the neighborhoods previous restaurant to serve Mexican fare that crossed the river and settled in NoHo a couple years ago.

The Wick and the Well is Going to Be, Well, Wicked Awesome

The Wick has been on the radar for some time now.  It's going to be a massive music venue in Bushwick that will share a space with The Well, a 4,000-square-foot beer garden with an 11,000-square-foot backyard.  The Well is set to open first, hopefully sometime this summer, with The Wick planning to host its first show in the fall.

Joshua Richolt and Shay Vishawadia are the two behind the project, and both are alums of the Knitting Factory.  There will be 60 tap lines and a selection of 200 bottled beers, and supposedly every New York brew house will be available at The Well.

The gigantic backyard space will hold 1,000 people and offer Schaller & Webber sausages and food from Urban Rustic.  When the space isn't full of thirsty enthusiasts, the yard will be home to farmer's markets and food events.

All is well, and a little wick, at 260 Meserole Street.

A Somm On Somms

Eater brings us this great interview with Paul Grieco, the man behind the wines at Terroir.  He runs us through the changes he's seen in New York City's wine world since he moved here in '91 and started working at Gramercy Tavern.

When asked what it feels like to have someone look at his wine list and not recognize a single thing on it, he says, "That makes me feel good. That makes you feel uncomfortable. I realize I am in the hospitality industry so I know making you uncomfortable shouldn't be a goal, but if I am going to do that then it is my charge to take you by the hand and educate you. Find a way to drink and eat what we're doing so that at the end of the experience you're satisfied, but you can also say, "Fuck, I learned something too."

You'll be able to catch him, and his goatee, at The Great Googa Mooga next month.  An Extra Mooga ticket will get you access to the Spiegel Tent, where Grieco and Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery Brew Master, will host a chat about wine vs. beer.

Two Stars for Empellon Cocina

Pete Wells makes it over to Alex Stupak's Empellon Cocina and awards it two solid stars.  There were a few "stammers" in a salad with avacado and toasted grains, and a "kind of queso fundido made with lobster and tetilla cheese was buttery and rich, but also so watery that eating it became a three-napkin job."

Wells stresses that tapas may not be the proper format to present the food, but decides "Mr. Stupak’s cooking at Empellón Cocina resembles the food of Mexico the way a dream resembles life."

Paulaner Brewery Bowery Beer Garden

Early yesterday morning, Bower Boogie had this bit about what's to become of the space at 265 and 267 Bowery.  The addresses were once home to two of the many restaurant supply companies, Attias Oven Corp and Cannon Co., that line the Bowery and are being forced to move due to ever increasing rents.  It turns out Paulaner Brewery is going to open a 4,000 square foot flagship to be called Paulaner Brauhaus and Restaurant.

The Brauhaus is hoping to open in time for Oktoberfest.  In the meantime, here's some news about the above rendering by Morali Architects.