Chez Sardine Gets Ichi Star

[courtesy chezsardine.com]Gabe Stulman opened Perla at the beginning of 2012. Former Babbo chef Michael Toscano commands the kitchen there, and in May last year, Pete Wells filed a two-star review on the restaurant. Chez Sardine, Stulman's fifth, opened in November, and today Wells gives the restaurant one star.

Chez Sardine is the restaurant group's first Asian restaurant, loosely inspired by Japanese izakayas (restaurants we love to eat in). Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly is the chef, and he's got four years at Au Pied De Cochon on his resume. Between there and Sardine, he created a menu with American and bistro leans at Fedora, another restaurant under Stulman's umbrella.

Pete Wells' review has more than one reference to "Asian Stoner Food," but the menu is not without well-executed food. "Hamachi with chicharrones reads like a declaration of war," Wells begins, "but no. The pork skins add crunch and a savoriness that deepens as you chew and that is kept in check by pickled ginger. And Arctic char, cured with sugar and lime zest and smoked, makes for sushi you could happily eat for breakfast." "And there are lovely little grace notes," he continues, "like the brussels sprouts in brown butter with apple purée, good enough to make you wish Mr. Brunet-Benkritly would take an interest in vegetables more often."

Despite snack, sushi bar, small and large plate options on the menu, "There are, in fact," Wells writes, "very few ways to put together a balanced meal at Chez Sardine." But Stulman's Little Wisco empire has grown even since Chez Sardine. Montmartre opened in Chelsea just three months later; proving, if there were any doubts before, Stulman's got his formula down to a science. Maybe Wells will check in on Montmartre and find more to like on Tien Ho's menu. [NYTimes]

Chez Sardine is Open

Chez Sardine opened last night at 183 West 10th Street. The restaurant is Little Wisco emperor Gabe Stulman's first forray into Japanese cuisine and the izakaya-style restaurant is the next to go from our Taste of Tastes to Come list.

Izakaya is a Japanese drinking establishment where the food is designed to go with the drink. To help make that happen, Stulman called on talent from other Little Wisco restaurants. Fedora chef Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly is in charge of the food at the new 30-seater. The menu hasn't been released yet, but some of the dishes Brunet-Benkritly is serving are smoked arctic char, beef with sea urchin, sushi rice balls with avocado and fish roe, and chicken with kimchi. Perla sommelier Jen Sgobbo put together the list of sake and wine for Sardine. We'll get back to you with more very soon.

183 West 10th Street | 646-360-3705 | www

1, 2, 3, 4, 5... 6?!

Chez Sardine will open in the West Village sometime this winter. When it does, it will become the 5th installment in Gabe Stulman's Little Wisco empire. The restaurant will also be Stulman's first foray into Japanese food; drawing inspiration from a Japanese Izakaya, which is a type of casual Japanese drinking establishment that serves food to go with the booze. Chef Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly, who is currently at Fedora, will take the toque at Chez Sardine.

Work hasn't started on the 183 West 10th Street storefront yet, but today we get word that Stulman has partnered with former Momofuku Ssam and Ma Peche chef Tien Ho and plans on opening a bristo.  A location has been chosen but isn't being revealed just yet.  Is it safe to say it'll be somewhere in the West Village?  Before work starts on the 6th Little Wisco project, Tien Ho will be working with Stulman at his other West Village haunts.