"Opened by Major Food Group in New York in 2013, the tiny 12-seat clam bar at 169 Thompson Street near West Houston Street quickly made waves: it earned a Michelin nod a year later and kept that star until it lost it in 2022. The menu featured items like prawn ceviche, cured sardines with oranges, tuna carpaccio topped with foie gras and bone marrow, plus caviar and oysters by the half shell, and drinks that were already luxe at $20; GQ called the place “ornate, extravagant, shocking, over-the-top” and described it as “a state of mind, an affirmation of privilege.” Over the years the ZZ’s name was exported to other concepts (including Miami) and, according to Major Food Group, the brand later expanded dramatically into a members club; meanwhile the original Thompson Street location has been closed, scrubbed from the business’s pages, and repurposed to provide extended private dining for Carbone." - Emma Orlow