Seahorse, A New Restaurant on the Edge of the Park

ByDon

The renovated W Union Square Hotel now boasts a hot new restaurant that the New York Post loves:

It took Seahorse, the new seafood spot in the W hotel, four years to open after it was first planned — and only two weeks to conquer Manhattan.

The wonderful eatery from owner John McDonald and chef John Villa is a rare, instant artistic and commercial success that’s just what Union Square needed.

The blocks around the park lost their culinary cred after Brazilian-style Coffee Shop closed in 2018 and Blue Water Grill a year later, leaving the famous Greenmarket its only claim to glory. Seahorse, on Park Avenue South at East 17th Street, puts the juice back. The corner will be even more of a food destination when a giant STK Steakhouse opens soon across the street.

McDonald’s Mercer Street Hospitality owns a half dozen crowd-pleasing eateries including Bowery Meat Company, Bar Mercer and, most famously, Lure Fishbar in Soho, which might lose its home of 20 years to Prada.

Seahorse tops them all. The stunning design by David Rockwell offers everyone open views of the sea of booths, banquettes and tables. Nautical blue trim sets the theme. Walls of rich teak refer to, but don’t copy, Lure and its yacht cabin vibes.

Villa is equally at home in corporate and individual-restaurant settings. He was recently culinary head of Tao Group, but I remember him as well for Pico — a great modern-Portuguese restaurant that didn’t survive Tribeca’s street closings after 9/11.

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    It’s a new era for iconic Union Square American restaurant Gotham Bar & Grill: Influential chef Alfred Portale is stepping away from the kitchen, where he spent 34 years leading the restaurant to a Michelin star and several James Beard awards. Replacing him will be former Chumley’s chef Victoria Blamey, the Times reports

    Owners Jerome Kretchmer, Jeff Bliss, Robert Rathe, and Richard Rathe decided to switch things up when Portale announced earlier this year that he would be opening his own Italian restaurant in Chelsea. The search for a chef led them to Blamey, who last helmed the kitchen at Chumley’s in the West Village where she earned two stars in the Times.

    Blamey plans to add more multicultural flavors to the formerly American menu, such as Indian sauces and chiles. Though she’s been there for a few weeks, her new menu will debut in September after a brief closure for a slight redesign in August.

    It’s a big change for the restaurant that for 34 years Portale has kept about upscale seasonal American fare. In that time, he’s racked up awards for both himself and the restaurant, including a Michelin star since 2006, three James Beard Awards, and five three-star reviews in the Times between 1985 and 2011.

    Now, Portale will focus on his the fall opening for his new Italian restaurant in Chelsea, to be called Portale. Portale will not be a fine-dining restaurant, the chef told Food & Wine. Rather, he wants to open a “hip and fun” place for the neighborhood, with housemade pasta and seasonal Italian classics.

    The chef lived in Italy and has been cooking French-influenced American food for the last few decades, which will all make its way into the menu here. There will be a particular focus in the 130-seat space on the “light and casually healthy” food of the Italian riviera, supplied by his deep relationships at the Union Square farmers market nearby.

    Portale says he’s wanted to open his own restaurant “for many, many years.” This “informal type of experience” is a departure from his time at Gotham Bar & Grill, where he remains a partner.

  • Latest New School Construction Update

    ByDon

    Next week (June 17 to June 21), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building. We will be working on the new sidewalks around the building on 13th st. as well as taking the sidewalk shed down on 13th st. Additionally we will be working on the roofs of the building.

    The following week (June 24 to June 28), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors as well as sidewalk work.

    This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, June 15th for interior, roof, and sidewalk activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

  • A Memo from The New School

    ByDon

    Here’s what’s happening in their building as described in a memo sent to the university community:

    June 22, 2009
    From President Bob Kerrey and Provost Tim Marshall Abatement of Hazardous Materials in the University Center at 65 5thAvenue This is a follow-up to the recent announcement of the closing of the 65Fifth Avenue. There were some questions from members of our communityand we thought it would be helpful to provide additional information. The closing occurred because our university’s trustees have approvedthe removal and abatement of hazardous materials in the building.Several Board members with considerable New York City constructionexperience recommended that abatement work be started in advance of thedecision to build since it is highly likely that decision will be madethis fall. Abatement of hazardous material will shorten the duration ofthe construction of the University Center project. However, becauseabatement results in stripping the interior of the building of allfinishes, it was necessary to close the building in order to performthis work. Please note that the abatement work would have beennecessary regardless of future building plans. The Board had previously authorized the production of schematicdrawings for a new building. This authorization has led to extensivecollaboration with the newly created University Facilities Committee.This committee is working closely with the architect, and severalsubcommittees have been formed to offer input around particular kinds ofspaces. This input will likely lead to a final Board decision in the fall toproceed with construction of the Fifth Avenue University Center. Thisdecision will depend upon evaluation of new construction cost estimates,of actual enrollment results, and of financing. We recognize that the closing of the 65th Fifth Avenue has resulted insignificant dislocation of student activities. We have accommodated someof these activities with new construction in Arnhold Hall on 13thStreet. However, more needs to be done. We are pursuing severalpromising real estate opportunities that give us confidence that we willbe able to provide the new amenities this year. In the unlikely event adecision is made not to proceed with the new construction, or to delayconstruction for a long period of time, the trustees will review alloptions for dealing with the existing building at 65 Fifth Avenue. We expect that a schedule of construction activities at the site can beannounced within a couple of weeks, when we expect the abatement anddemolition contracts approved by the trustees to be finalized. Afterworking with the University Facilities Committee to reach broadconsensus about the program for the new building, we will continue tomeet throughout the summer with the Committee and with other user groupsin developing the schematic design. We are also working to set upvenues for regular communication to the entire University communityabout the project’s progress.

  • Latest New School Construction Update

    ByDon

    DOB has granted our request to start placing our concrete at 6am, which will allow us to finish this work earlier in the evening. We have 3 more instances like this until we finish our superstructure in early June.

    Therefore, next week (April 30 to May 4), Superstructure work will continue at the 15th and 16th floor levels. Tuesday, May 1st and Friday, May 4th we will have a pour with a 6 am start time and similar end time, weather permitting. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.

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