For this Monday morning, I’m reporting on a steakhouse that’s been shuttered by a fire, a 10,000 square-foot Greek restaurant on the way, a fourth location of a popular sandwich shop, and more. Plus, if you sign up for the Eater New York Substack —where we’re reporting entirely different stuff than what’s on the home page — you can enter the drawing for two tickets, worth over $300, to the opening party for the New York Wine and Food Festival, on Wednesday, October 15. All you have to do is tell us your favorite new restaurant of the year. And signup is free.
A two-alarm fire broke out on Friday, October 4, at Monterey steakhouse, the Art Deco spot at 37 East 50th Street and Madison Avenue. Flames broke out shortly after 1 p.m.on the first floor and spread to the second-floor walls. Over 100 firefighters fought the blaze, who had it under control by just after 5 p.m., with no injuries reported, according to the FDNY. The restaurant is run by chef James Tracey — formerly of Gramercy Tavern and Craft — and is known for big-ticket plates like a dry-aged tomahawk for two, lobster thermidor, and a throwback wedge salad. Monterey is part of the larger group led by Simon Oren and Dudi Sasson. It opened in 2022.
Chipotle founder opens fourth location uptown
A new outpost of Counter Service — a sandwich shop founded by Chipotle’s Steve Ells — is opening on the Upper East Side at 1302 First Avenue, at East 70th Street, on October 14. The shop serves breakfast and lunch sandwiches (priced around $16–$19), including orders like the Baron (roast beef, white cheddar, watercress, horseradish mayo) and the Smokeshow (house-roasted chicken, barbecue sauce, triple jalapeños), plus the vegetarian Gigante. This will be Counter Service’s fourth NYC location (joining spots on West 14th Street, Park Avenue South, and East Fourth Street).
A giant Greek restaurant is headed for Soho
A lease was signed for a 10,000-square-foot ground-floor space at 23 Grand Street, near the foot of Sixth Avenue, inside the ModernHaus SoHo hotel. The space will house a seafood restaurant called Selene by Kyma, a collaboration between James Ragonese, formerly with LDV Hospitality, and Reno Christou of the Kyma restaurant group, which runs locations in Flatiron, Hudson Yards, and Roslyn.
Five NYC restaurants and bars — including Taku Sando, Bessou, Raku Midtown, Rice & Miso, and Kato Sake Works — are rolling out limited-time dishes and drinks from October 1–15, to showcase how Japanese dashi, sponsored by Kayanoya USA, can transform everything from sandwiches and curries to cocktails.