When Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra shut down their Michelin-starred Contra last year, it sent shock waves throughout New York’s culinary scene. Since then, the duo has reimagined that space as Bar Contra—and now they’re back with yet another restaurant.
Stone and von Hauske Valtierra are chef-partners in Brass, which opened Thursday at the Evelyn Hotel. Along with restaurateur Nick Hatsatouris, the two have dreamt up a French brasserie-inspired spot that harkens back to both classic Parisian elegance and current New York cool.
Banana Spliterole
Carl Timpone
The menu starts out with hors d’oeuvre like moules frites with marinated mussels and chickpea fritters, as well as raw-bar items like chilled Atlantic lobster. The small-plate entrées run the gamut from Montauk ruby red prawn tartare with fried garlic, yuzo kosho, and crispy potato to ricotta gnudi with maitake mushrooms, black truffle, and chives. For main courses, you have the choice of American Wagyu steak with Armagnac-prune purée, sauce au poivre, and Stilton or crusted golden tilefish with tomato, clams, and saffron, among other large dishes. If you’re looking to go all out, there’s the golden Amish chicken roulade for two: a deboned chicken stuffed with herbs and black truffle, the breast and leg wrapped in chicken skin and roasted in garlic.
Bar director Tristan Brunel has crafted a cocktail menu for heavy and light drinkers alike. A section devoted to “classic two sippers” sees iconic cocktails like Negronis and dirty Martinis served as small pours. Then there are drinks created exclusively for Brass: The Funny Valentine has Macallan 12 and Bacardi 8 mixed with Cardamaro, honey, fig leaf, hazelnut, and cardamom. Or try the milk-clarified Sidewinder Punch, with both tequila and mezcal, plus rhubarb, péche, allspice, and hibiscus.
Classic two sippers
Carl Timpone
To complement the menu, Islyn Studio has designed a 70-seat dining room that pays homage to the former grand dames of New York. The walls feature frescoes painted by the California-based artist Jessalyn Brooks and an antique piano that was sourced from an Atlanta church. With the Evelyn Hotel being built in 1903, original details like the tiled floors and oversized skylight have been retained.
Fans of Stone and von Hauske Valtierra now have one more place where they can chow down on the duo’s cooking. And Brass sure sounds better than your average hotel-restaurant fare.
Click here to see all the images of Brass.
