Café Gray - Closed Now, But 2009...

[Sneakeater]

I actually was there with the intention of ordering that menu. But then I got distracted by some things I'd never had before on the a la carte menu.

I'm a moron.

PS -- I have to add that some of us consider Grayz to be fine dining.

Edited June 13, 2008 by Sneakeater (log)

[Nathan]

do they serve that tasting menu to solo diners at the bar?

[Sneakeater]

Absolutely yes.

[Fat Guy]

Anybody know what the "special thank you treat from Chef Kunz and the team at CAFÉ GRAY" is?

[Fat Guy]

Noticed via Eater, from the Snack blog, Cafe Gray may close earlier than the end of the month. I really need to look at my calendar:

http://snack.blogs.com/snack/2008/06/hotsnack-cafe-g.html

[ulterior epicure]

Noticed via Eater, from the Snack blog, Cafe Gray may close earlier than the end of the month. I really need to look at my calendar:

http://snack.blogs.com/snack/2008/06/hotsnack-cafe-g.html

←

Knowing that the restaurant would be closing soon, I made it a point to stop in to Cafe Gray, this past weekend, on my way to dinner. I wanted to get a look at the restaurant before it was no longer Cafe Gray. Now I know what everyone is talking about: those chefs on the line have the best view of any chefs in the city!!

At the time, I was told that Cafe Gray would be closing as of June 28. The above-linked blogpost obviously indicates otherwise.

Edited June 13, 2008 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Fat Guy]

According to exec. pastry chef Chris Broberg the restaurant will be open until 21 June. And to confirm what Sneakeater said, yes, they will serve the tasting menu to solos at the bar.

[Fat Guy]

According to the Sun, Grayz will close for August and reopen as a real restaurant.

http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/kitchen-di...way-east/80186/

[ulterior epicure]

In essence, the spirit of Cafe Gray will now merge with that of Grayz?

Funny, I wonder if he will change the name; I mean, I assume that as a "real" restaurant, customers will be encouraged to do more than just "grayz."

Edited June 18, 2008 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Fat Guy]

Grayz is a pretty good name. I wouldn't give it up.

[Nathan]

I tried the "greatest hits" tasting menu last night with a friend at the bar.

three-way amuse: chickpeas, pork belly and tuna. tuna was best. chickpeas were boring. pork belly was crispy and tasty but slightly overcooked.

the mushroom risotto is of the creamy, soupy variety so popular in NY restaurants. this dish is incredibly rich. don't want to think about how much butter is in this dish. very tasty (how could it not be?) but I was about ready to call off the meal at this point.

next was the best dish: the coconut-crusted red snapper in some sort of papaya sauce. cooked perfectly. very Indian in flavor...could see this as a Tabla or Devi dish. everything works.

shortrib in a meaux mustard mayo....my dining companion didn't like the texture of the short rib...he's wrong. the sauce is elegant and shows lots of technical skill. but it was too much of the same thing. just richness...needed acidity for balance.

lemongrass soup is very nice.

hazelnut souffle looks impressive. too sweet.

I certainly appreciate the skill and touch of this food. but I guess it just doesn't do it for me. too much richness...not enough contrast.

[Fat Guy]

next was the best dish: the coconut-crusted red snapper in some sort of papaya sauce.  cooked perfectly.  very Indian in flavor...could see this as a Tabla or Devi dish.  everything works.

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Just to state it explicitly for those who aren't familiar with the history: Floyd Cardoz (now chef at Tabla) was one of the key Gray Kunz sous chefs at Lespinasse, where all the greatest-hits dishes were hatched (though they've undergone development since then). Kunz credits Cardoz with educating him about Indian spices, so chances are Cardoz had a hand in an earlier iteration of this dish.

[Robin Meredith]

In case anyone is planning on trying to catch the tasting menu of classic dishes before they close, when we arrived for our 7:00 pm reservation tonight we were informed that they weren't offering it because they were short staffed

We left.

[ulterior epicure]

I found this on the recently closed Cafe Gray's website:

Dear Friends of Café Gray:

With heartfelt thanks to all our dear patrons, we have enjoyed great success and wonderful memories since we opened Café Gray in 2004. We have greatly appreciated your enthusiastic support and friendship. Regretfully, Café Gray at Time Warner Center is now closed.

We are pleased to announce that the first Asian location of Café Gray will open in 2009, and we are exploring options for new Café Gray concepts, with locations in Manhattan and other markets.

We will keep you posted on news of Café Gray, and we hope to see you again soon.

Wishing you a pleasant and relaxing summer.

Warm regards,

Gray Kunz

Possibly new concepts to be hitting New York soonish??

[Nathan]

Reads like PR boilerplate to me. Sure, he has "new concepts" but given his track record good luck finding financing. I don't think we'll see anything soon other than the turning of Grayz into a real restaurant this August.