Jesse Schenker
Photo: courtesy of Recette
Last night the Buzz went to a tasting preview of the forthcoming new contemporary American restaurant Recette ("recipe" in French), expected to open in Greenwich Village in mid-December. Originally a private dining concept in East Harlem, the concept (which comes from current chef/co-owner Jesse Schenker and pastry chef Christina Lee, formerly of Gordon Ramsay and Per Se, respectively) is moving to a cozy, 50-seat space complete with an open kitchen and small bar area accommodating eight (run by wine director Yun Ko). With options broken down into "snacks" and "plates," Schenker hopes to create affordable, shareable, but refined fare: for its winter menu, expect dishes such as duck carpaccio with chicken liver mousse, apple and thyme; scallop coconut saffron stew with mussels, celery root and basil; and desserts like deconstructed s’mores with graham cracker ice cream, chocolate wafer, toasted marshmallow and "hot" chocolate sauce with a hint of cayenne. As for the price point, Schenker hopes to keep everything below $20–25 (328 W. 12th St.; 212-414-3000).