Show Me a Sign: Dinosaur Barbecue in Park Slope

Dinosaur Barbecue gets one step closer to opening with new signage that went up last week. It hangs off a steal frame on the east side of the building in a way that looks like it's been there for years. Windows have also been delivered and installed where plywood used to keep passersby from peeking in. Their old, wooden frames synch up with the rugged, honky tonk aesthetic the space is going for. The restaurant is slated to open next month.

Show Me a Sign: Lafayette

All sorts of things are happening at Lafayette, the massive French project from Andrew Carmellini, Luke Ostrom, and Josh Pickard that's set to open this month. There's still plenty to be done, but signage started going up and we couldn't help but give you some updates. Two of the window's have been gold-leafed, the once clunky, brown cement on the building's facade got a coat of primer, and handsome gold light fixtures are in place just inside the windows. A menu hasn't been released yet, but the culinary superhero team is in place: Damon Wise is the chef de cuisine, James Belisle, formerly of Per Se, is the sous chef, and Jen Yee, who previously worked at Gilt, Aureole, and SHO Shaun Hergatt, is the pastry chef. Can't. Wait. Click ahead for more pics.

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Show Me a Sign: Alder

Signage is up at Alder, Wylie Dufresne's second restaurant, and it's set to open this Thursday, March 28th. WD-50, Dufresne's Lower East Side atelier, will turn ten on April 9th. Though unlike that restaurant, which serves two dining options (both prix-fixes), Alder will offer an a la carte menu with items like pub cheese, clam chowder, pigs in a blanket, calamari, and ox tail stew. Nothing on it will exceed $25.

John Bignelli will be the executive chef and Kevin Denton is heading up the cocktail program. Both Bignelli and Denton are WD-50 alum. Geoffrey Fischer is in charge of the wine list, and a rep informed us "the goal of the wine program is to be ever changing, and supportive of the menu. The by-the-glass selection will showcase wines either usually offered by the bottle or from less traditional regions."

Alder will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Seating is on a walk-in basis only; no reservations at Mr. Dufresne's 56-seat East Village eatery.

Alder | 157 Second Avenue | 212-539-1900 | www | map

Update on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 11:41AM by Craig Cavallo

Menus are up online!

Show Me a Sign: Montmartre

Gabe Stulman and Tien Ho announced they were opening a project together back in September. It was learned later that the project would be called Montmartre, and at the end of last week, an awning went up outside the restaurant's 158 Eighth Avenue address.

Monmartre will be Stulman's first venture outside the boundries of the West Village, where his Little Wisco empire has quickly grown to include five restaurants. The Chelsea restaurant's name is inspired by where Stulman worked in college; Cafe Montmartre. It was here that he got his first taste of the "neighborhood vibe," and that same feeling is what's come to define his vision.

Tien Ho is creating a French-American menu for Montmartre and the restaurant will be his first full-time gig since leaving Ma Peche at the end of 2011. Ho worked at Cafe Boulud before joing the Momofuku empire at Ssam Bar. From there, he went on to open Ma Peche in the Chambers Hotel as the executive chef. He has an affinity for unique wine and obscure wine-growing regions and we will likely see that passion on the wine list when the restaurant opens in the following weeks.

Show Me a Sign: Nightingale 9

Out of all the work that goes into opening a restaurant, it's the sign going up that tells the public the space is almost ready. And with the constant cycle of restaurants opening here in the city, we thought we'd introduce a column called "Show Me a Sign." So, using signage as our informant, we'll bring you photos and news of projects as they ready to open around town. First up? Nightingale 9, the third venture from Kerry Diamond and chef Rob Newton. Signage went up recently at 345 Smith Street, and the restaurant is set to open next Thursday, February 21st.

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