Govind Armstrong
Photo: courtesy of Table 8
A whiz in the kitchen from an early age – he apprenticed at Spago when he was 13 – Govind Armstrong has already made quite a name for himself with Table 8 and 8 Oz., both of which have expanded to Miami Beach. In addition, he's a cookbook author, and his outgoing personality and good looks landed him on People's “50 Most Beautiful” list in 2004. Now New York gets to see what all the fuss is about when Armstrong opens an outpost of Table 8 in the new Cooper Square Hotel later this week. Before things get too hectic, Armstrong took a few minutes to talk with us about his new venture, the New York restaurant scene and the future of his currently-on-hiatus LA flagship.
Zagat Buzz: Still in friends-and-family dinners?
Govind Armstrong: Yeah, we have a couple more events for the next few days and then on the 6th we hope to be officially open.
ZB: That soon?
GA: If all goes well. We’re seeing how the next few nights go – we’ll probably have some last-minute changes to work through. And then we’ll head into our soft opening.
ZB: How long have you been thinking about bringing Table 8 to New York?
GA: Four years. It’s been a very long time, and these last few months have been very intense. After a long time of waiting and planning and building and all that comes the rush to get things actually up and running. You have to shift gears and it’s intense. No matter how much you plan things, there are always a lot of hiccups along the way with materials and all. But it's fun, though, and I do enjoy it.
ZB: Were you always planning on being affiliated with the Cooper Square Hotel?
GA: Yeah. We all came together four years ago, with one of the developers who isn’t really involved anymore.
ZB: And I take it you're happy with the way the restaurant is shaping up in the hotel?
GA: I could not be happier. It is such a beautiful hotel. It's everything one could hope it would be. I’ve been staring at it on paper for so long. Just seeing the progress of it – it’s just gorgeous. After all those meetings and renderings, consulting on materials, and textures and things that will go in the restaurant and throughout the hotel, to see the finished project, it’s just been an amazing experience. To see everything in its place, down to the finishing in the restaurant, and how it all fits together extremely well, has just been a joy for me.
ZB: The textures were one of the things that stood out to me, I especially liked the sloped tilework over the bar.
GA: Everything is there for a reason. The whole sloping of that ceiling is because the area above it, on the second floor, is where the screening room is. We have stadium seating up there (I think we seat 15–20 people), so we had to work that shape into the bar. And now we have this really dramatic entrance that just slopes down and leads diners into the dining room. I thought incorporating the blue subway tiles tones it down a bit but keeps it vibrant. I also think the slate floors work extremely well – it continues into the hotel lobby as well.
I love all the furnishings too. The chairs and ottomans, they’re just so comfortable and really bring in that residential feel where you just want to come in with some friends, relax and enjoy some good food. I think the bar is going to be one of the focal points of the restaurant. It's just a really well-laid-out restaurant and I’m extremely happy with that. It’s not huge – not one of those big things where you feel like you are in a hotel restaurant.
ZB: Did you say you’ve been staying at the hotel?
GA: Yeah, I’ve been living here since December. [The hotel] opened initially on the 11th of December with 35 rooms, and now all the floors are open with a total of 145. And I’m going to be taking care of all of the food and beverage. All the room service and everything for the entire hotel.
ZB: Since you now have restaurants in New York, LA and Miami, how do those dining scenes differ?
GA: I think New Yorkers are a little more critical. There are so many more great restaurants out here than in either of the other two cities, so it’s a lot more competitive. And definitely some of the best chefs in the world are out here. So it is going to require a lot more attention from me and attention to detail. That is one of the main reasons I’m relocating out here – to make sure that things go the way they should. But really I’m just happy to be out here and to be a part of it.
ZB: Any word on when the original Table 8 will reopen in LA?
GA: I needed to take some time to focus on this one and just not worry. I’ve put that one on hold for awhile. We opened 8 Oz. in the old location in July and that is doing extremely well, so I’m not too concerned with that at this point. And once [the New York Table 8] is up and running smoothly, it will be a much easier transition. What I’ll do in LA is basically take the same menu, or the structure of the menu, and swap out a few dishes. We’ll cater it to the market with all those local products, swap out the East Coast fish for West Coast fish and really just make it as seamless of a transition as possible. But New York is definitely my new home for sure, and I couldn’t be more excited about that.
ZB: And what about the rumors that you are going to bring 8 Oz. to New York?
GA: Um, I don’t know about that. Table 8 is what I’m focusing on right now. Maybe down the road? But with that concept in New York, there is already so much competition. It’s a solid concept – I’m really happy with the way things are going there, but that’s something that is way down the line, if ever. There is plenty to do here at Table 8 that should encompass all of my energy and attention.
– Garth Johnston