Waldorf Astoria’s new restaurant Lex Yard…
Famed chef Michael Anthony has grand plans to restore the Waldorf Astoria as the epicenter of the Big Apple’s crowded eating scene – and he’s beginning by reimagining the famed lodge’s iconic dishes, Side Dish has discovered.
Anthony, the longtime government chef at Gramercy Tavern, helms Lex Yard, the 220-seat restaurant that hopes to satiate locals and well-heeled company as the Waldorf finally reopened its doorways Tuesday following an eight-year renovation.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment,” Anthony advised Side Dish.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment,” chef Michael Anthony advised Side Dish. Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria New York
“The menu was created to draw people in — to make this a busy restaurant, a great addition to the New York dining scene.”
That begins with a reinterpreted Waldorf salad, which was reportedly invented at the lodge’s unique location in 1893 — where the Empire State Building now stands.
His take on the basic apple, grapes, walnut and celery salad consists of including some crunchy romaine lettuce, New England cheddar and toasted sunflowers – and then swapping out the stodgy mayo with an edgy aioli made with honey, saffron, grapeseed oil and lemon juice.
“When you are working with the perimeters of history, there is some pressure,” Anthony admitted.
Anthony will helm Lex Yard, the 220-seat restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria that hopes to satiate locals and well-heeled company. Waldorf Astoria New York
“But rather than build a salad that belonged in a museum, I wanted to create one that people would crave.”
Another menu merchandise popularized at the Waldorf, a purple velvet cake, has been remade as a purple velvet soufflé tart.
The reinterpreted Waldorf salad, which was reportedly invented at the lodge’s unique location in 1893 — where the Empire State Building now stands. Paul Quitoriano
The restaurant, described by Anthony as an “American brasserie.” Pan roasted black bass, above. Paul Quitoriano
Another menu merchandise popularized at the Waldorf, a purple velvet cake, has been remade as a purple velvet soufflé tart. Paul Quitoriano
The restaurant, described by Anthony as an “American brasserie,” will also offer classics like lobster rolls and herb roasted chicken, with ingredients sourced from the Union Square farmers’ market.
Lex Yard, named for the Lexington Avenue practice line that once ran under the lodge to Grand Central Terminal, also boasts personal eating rooms, including Track 61 and FDR.
They are named for president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would secretly enter the Waldorf via the undergrounds to disguise the ravages of polio that left him in a wheelchair.
The iconic Waldorf reopened on Tuesday after years of renovations. Waldorf Astoria New York
Urban legend also claimed President Kennedy used the tracks for secret visits to paramour Marilyn Monroe, while Andy Warhol was stated to host wild events below ground.
Aside from Lex Yard, Anthony will also oversee the menu at the famed Peacock Alley – a title derived from the trail that used to join the Waldorf to the Astoria when the Gilded Age properties opened.
“It is an interesting opportunity to thread the needle … and to bring back such a beautiful and elegant part of New York City. Hopefully this will become everyone’s favorite neighborhood spot,” Anthony stated.
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