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the buzz

“What's Really Happening at 10 Downing”

For many months, the blogs have been speculating about the opening of 10 Downing, a lovely West Village restaurant located on the corner of Downing and 6th Avenue created by three old friends West Village industry veterans—Vincent Seufert (5 Ninth, Rhone), Stephane Dorian (Waterloo and Le Zoo) and Joel Michel (5 Ninth). These three partners have had it harder with this opening than any other restaurant I’ve known of in recent history (including the now fabled E.U. disaster). In a nutshell, due to a web of nasty city bureaucracy, mostly relating to engineering issues over which the owners had no prior knowledge or control, the project was delayed for almost a year, pushing back the opening from month to month, draining the team of their resources and causing a media frenzy surrounding when the space might actually open its doors.

Thankfully, that part of the story is now behind them.

As some have already reported, 10 Downing opened for Friends and Family this week, with a roster of guests limited to friends (or friends of friends of Facebook friends) of Joel, Vincent and Stephane. This is great news and when I visited the guys today, I found things looking very good.

The space, with is located in the former STA Travel offices, is flooded with sunlight thank to walls of tall glass French doors that will, in warmer months, open up to a wide sidewalk cafe. The dining room, which was designed by the three partners in collaboration with Myer Davis, has a light, lofty, sunny Zuni Café vibe, with high ceilings and butter colored walls hung with an eclectic mix of striking artwork by James Casabere, Alex Katz and Lorna Simpson, among others, curated by Joel’s friend Tracy Williams (of the Tracy Williams Gallery).

The room is lined with soft glove leather banquettes and sweetheart chairs, with a sheet of smooth ivory marble serving as a bar where an affordable selection of wine (100 by the bottle, about 20 by the glass) and artisanal beers (Smuttynose, Victory Pils, Allagash White) selected by Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery, are served. (No liquor at the moment.)

The menu, which is drawn from Mediterranean flavors and inspiration—was created by collaboration between two well-known chefs—Katy Sparks as consulting chef and Jason Neroni as executive chef. While still a work in progress, the menu will remain locally sourced, market-driven, and reasonably priced, in an effort to create a neighborhood spot for regular visits when the place eventually opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

To give you an idea of what to expect, on the menu at the moment you’ll find a roasted celery root soup garnished with chicken livers, yogurt and pimenton croutons ($9), and a salad of butter lettuces and spot prawns with trout roe, tarragon cream and rye bread croutons ($13), along with Bobo Farms chicken served with a saffron paella stocked with morcilla sausage, mussels ($23 for one, $43 for two), ouvo ravioli filled with duck egg, sheep’s milk ricotta with market greens and crispy shallots ($18) and a grass-fed Bison hanger steak with a potato, leek and date gratin with olives and daube jus ($26). Desserts include a Meyer lemon curd with pound cake and lavender cream ($8) and bittersweet chocolate soufflé cake with malted ice cream ($9).

In the upcoming months, the partners will open 10 Downing Café adjacent to the restaurant, a convivial neighborhood spot with newspapers and magazines hung on racks that will be open for breakfast and lunch that will turn into a private event space at night. The partners are currently accepting reservations for private parties. If you're interested in speaking to someone you can call 212-255-0300 and press extension 3.

At the moment, they aren’t taking reservations for their official opening, which is slated happen in the next two weeks. Stay tuned for more. 

10 Downing is located at 10 Downing Street, corner of 6th Avenue, 212-255-0300.

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Posted: October 30, 2008 - 2:55 pm

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