For all the props Alex Stupak receives as the chef behind New York’s Empellón mini-empire, the city can still be a tough environment for him. After opening the nominally “new American” Mischa in April 2023, he had to close the restaurant less than a year later—despite (or perhaps because of) the hubbub surrounding the $29 hot dog.
Mischa’s quick shutdown hasn’t scared away Stupak, though: He just debuted two spots at the newly opened Manner hotel in Soho. The Otter is his take on a neighborhood seafood restaurant, while Slone’s upstairs is an elegant cocktail bar. Both concepts may seem played out in N.Y.C., but Stupak’s eclectic take on the classics makes them stand out.
Lobster roll
Yudi Ela
At the Otter, Stupak has drawn on his New England roots to develop a seafood-heavy all-day menu. You can expect his version of oysters on the half shell, fried fish with tartar sauce, and the quintessential lobster roll. A dressed seafood platter shows off oysters, razor clams, tuna and sea urchin, trout roe and smoked salmon, and octopus. Salt-roasted head-on prawns come accompanied by black pepper dipping sauce, while steak is replaced by swordfish in an au poivre preparation. Even landlubbers can chow down at the Otter: Stupak offers a double cheeseburger with remoulade and a New York strip with crawfish béarnaise.
Journey to the second floor for the cocktail-forward Sloane’s, with a drinks program dreamt up by Jenny Willing. Extravagance is key, so you can indulge in the ocean’s finest at the oyster, caviar, and Champagne bar. Or pair a classic dirty Martini with Stupak’s grown-up chicken nuggets. Sloane’s is envisioned as a highly social space, so table hopping and dancing are recommended as you chow down and imbibe.
Chicken nuggets at Sloane’s
Yudi Ela
The updated classics at the Otter and Slone’s are a long way from the world of molecular gastronomy where Stupak got his start. (He was formerly a pastry chef at Alinea and wd~50.) And it’s a completely different cuisine from the Mexican fare being served up at Empellón and its attendant spots. If anything, the Otter and Sloane’s feel more of a piece with Mischa and what it was trying to be. Midtown wasn’t quite the right scene for Stupak’s reimagining of the classics. Maybe New York’s downtown crowd will find more to like at his two latest openings.
Click here to see all the images of the Otter and Sloane’s.
