What to Know About Crane Club, Opening This Week | Eater NY
"Led by acclaimed chef Melissa Rodriguez and manager Jeff Katz — the New York duo who landed two Michelin stars for Al Coro shortly after opening — this new venture in the former Del Posto/Al Coro space at 85 10th Avenue (at 15th Street) is set to open November 20 under Tao Group's operation and high-end investment from Mohari Hospitality (acquired April 2023 by Mark Scheinberg). The menu is no longer a tasting menu and is no longer strictly French or Italian; it is shaped by a Spanish Mibrasa grill Rodriguez custom-designed for the restaurant, with an emphasis on grill-driven dishes and about 10 vegetable plates she’s “especially partial to.” Rodriguez says, “It’s the first time in 13 years I’m not cooking in a strictly Italian kitchen,” and cites a team that includes Georgia Wodder and Katherine Rock — colleagues from the Del Posto era — and notes a “huge overhaul” for the space and the menu. Noah Tepperberg, co-CEO of Tao Group, emphasizes the luxury approach: “We have taken a five-star approach to every aspect of this project from décor to table settings to the culinary experience,” and adds, “This is by far the most formal restaurant we’ve ever been a part of.” The group retained the core team of about a dozen Al Coro front- and back-of-house staff to tend to fine-dining details like uniforms, plates, and ingredient sourcing. Background: Katz and Rodriguez bought the restaurant in 2021 from Lidia, Joe, and Tanya Bastianich (alongside the late James Kent), with subsequent ownership and partnership shifts leading to the current arrangement. Mohari’s luxury lean helped enable Tao and Katz to join forces; Mohari also owns properties such as the Four Seasons in Madrid and the Waldorf Astoria in Miami. The 24,000-square-foot redesign — by Tao Group Hospitality’s in-house design team with Laseu Studio — tucks a much larger kitchen behind closed doors, scales back seating to create cozier, more intimate spaces, adds three private dining rooms, and will include a members-only club at a later date. The dining room is described as paprika red with textured gold-leaf walls, velvet seating, and herringbone wood floors. Rodriguez expects 150 to 200 employees to allow for very high-level service despite not operating a tasting menu. The menu examples preserve specific dishes and prices: appetizers such as a savory sfogliatelle ($23), white-truffle arancini ($17), roasted cherrystones with garlic bread ($29), chicory salad ($19), and a $60-per-person raw bar delivered via tableside cart; pastas like spaghettoni with saffron-laced seafood ($36) and gnocchietti sardi with buffalo butter and Parmigiano Vacche Rosse ($22); grill-forward mains including a wood-fired Dover sole ($100), a Frenched, bone-in filet mignon ($115), and grilled, marinated mushrooms served with einkorn farro ($23); and desserts such as a banana layer cake with guava sorbet and a Good Humor–inspired chocolate Vienetta. Wine and beverage: the cellar will hold over 1,000 bottles, with a bar program led by Chris Lemperle (of Crown Shy and Overstory), and cocktails that revisit the classics alongside riffs on the restaurant’s theme, including the vodka-and-Genmai matcha Field Notes, the mezcal-and-bergamot Two Birds One Stone, and the Flight Pattern (tequila, pear, white chocolate, and lemon). Tepperberg reflects on the undertaking: “After opening 40 restaurants, I’m still learning: A lot is familiar, and a lot is new.”" - Melissa McCart
