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The area once known for a plethora of lighting stores is becoming restaurant row. The newest addition is Bacchanal from the owners of The Dead Rabbit. Chef Scott Bryan is cooking New American food inspired by France, Italy, and Spain; and bartender Naren Young is creating a range of cocktails from low-alcohol to end of the night sweet treats.
July 24, 2014
Bacchanal | A Power Team on the Bowery
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Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Little Italy - New york, NY
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The Pros: Chef Scott Bryan & Bartender Naren Young
Photograph courtesy of Bacchanal
Chef Scott Bryan
Executive Chef of Bacchanal. Formerly of Apiary, The Lever House, 10 Downing Street and Veritas. Named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 1996.
Bartender Naren Young
The head bartender of Bacchanal was formerly the cocktail director for Avroko Hospitality Group, which includes The Daily, Public, and Saxon + Parole, which garnered him the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award in July of 2013. He was also the Cocktail Director for Empellon Group.
Chef Scott Bryan’s Octopus
Photograph courtesy of Bacchanal
Chef Scott Bryan Talks Food
“I’m a traditionalist. My menu is straightforward and not too gimmicky. I like to keep things light. I’m French-trained but I like the flavors from France, Italy and Spain - hot, sweet, sour, and acidity, but not a lot of sugar. I’d rather my dishes be acidic, salty and savory rather than sweet.
I’m changing the menu each season and you’ll find dishes like Swiss Chard and Ricotta Agnolotti with mascarpone and parmesan. It is traditional but we do a little poppy seed, nutmeg, lemon zest. The Gulf Shrimp with White Beans, we do confit tomatoes and chorizo oil on it to give it a twist. Next time we might make it with sepia and Romesco Sauce.”
Where Scott Eats in NYC
“I like the classics. I like Barbuto for the chicken with salsa verde, it’s a humungous portion, like half a bird. Gotham Bar and Grill is a great institution and Alfred Portale’s food is all about consistency and good products. Bouley has a great lunch special. It is $50 for five courses and David Bouley is a real artist. I love Sushi Yasuda for the rice. It’s the best rice in the city with nice acidity that really brings out the fish flavor. Charlie Bird reminds of the great Italian restaurant in San Francisco like Zuni Cafe. Ryan Hardy’s Italian sensibility is right on and he never uses too many ingredients. Three components, that’s it, which I like.”
For Scott’s full list of dining recommendations, download the F.E.D. iPhone app.
Bartender Naren Young & The Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
Photographs courtesy of Bacchanal
Creating a Cocktail Program
“We want to have a great selection of aperitifs, a great selection of sherry, and vermouths. We’re making sure to have a spectrum of cocktails for everybody with great beer lists, and wines by the glass served at the perfect temperature, both reds and whites. We are pickling our own onions for cocktails and making as many of the ingredients as we can. I just want to have a program that is really thoughtful from start to finish.”
The Adonis Cocktail with Noilly Prat Ambre, Amontillado Sherry, Orange Bitters
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Aperitif & Lower Alcohol Cocktails
“I am really passionate about lower alcohol cocktails. Like many things that happen in the cycle of the drinks world, everything old is new again. This whole movement of the use of sherry, vermouth, wine, and beer in cocktails is coming back in a big way. It’s exciting because not only do they look pretty, they are great with food. You can sit there and have a number of them, still feel good, and they don’t ruin your palate because as aperitifs, they are nice and dry.” [Read more about Vermouth.]
Dessert Cocktails
“I have found that dessert cocktails are a very nice, elegant way to finish a meal without filling up too much and you can share one between two people. We have more dessert cocktails on the menu than actual desserts. We have something old and kitschy like a Grasshopper; our version of a White Russian, which is pretty deadly; and the Polar Bear, which is a bright minty cocktail made with mezcal. The recipe is from the Trick Dog guys in San Francisco. who are good friends of mine.” [Get the Polar Bear Recipe.]
Where Naren’s Drinking in NYC
“There is a Basque Spanish restaurant in the East Village called Donostia. They don’t have a liquor license, so they specialize in drinks made with sherry, vermouth and wine. I love visiting Joaquín Simó at Pouring Ribbons. They are very passionate about Chartreuse and Pisco. The 20th Century is one of my favorite all-time cocktails. It’s an unlikely combination of gin, Lillet Blanc, white chocolate and lemon. I have a soft spot for PDT. I order the Benton’s Old Fashioned or I put myself in the hands of head bartender Jeff Bell. The Penicillin at Attaboy is one of my favorite drinks ever. Right next door to Bacchanal is Randolph Beer and they have a great beer list.”
Download the F.E.D. iPhone app and check out Naren’s full list of drinking and shopping recommendations.