February 20, 2018
Scarpetta Moves to the Newly Reimagined James Hotel – NoMad
After 10 years in the Meatpacking District, Scarpetta has found a new home in NoMad. The favorite Italian dining destination almost moved to NoMad 10 years ago, but owner John Meadow felt that the neighborhood hadn’t matured enough at the time. Now, he sees NoMad as a dynamic neighborhood where so much more is happening. He noted, “…the world was in a different place. The NoMad area was still mostly filled with perfume dealers and wholesalers. I love the past, but this is a more accurate expression of who we are as people today.”
The opportunity to locate in the new James Hotel – NoMad provided Meadow with a way of redefining the Scarpetta experience. The spaces offer the restaurant the opportunity to create multiple experiences under one roof and to broadening its offerings from dinner to breakfast, lunch and private events, including weddings and parties.
photo by Oleg March via Scarpetta
The walls of the main dining room are whitewashed planks that curve into arches at the ceiling, creating an airy but intimate environment. Meadows said, “There’s raw and organic materials and a certain, accessible warmth to it, but it’s refined and elegant.” There is also a private dining room that seats up to 30.
Downstairs form the restaurant, Scarpetta is operating a bar named the Seville. It was influenced by the history of the neighborhood as the birthplace of the “Manhattan” cocktail and the beaux-arts style building that originally opened as the historic landmarked “Hotel Seville” in 1904. In contrast to the restaurant, the cozy bar has plush, high-end furniture and soft colors and lighting creating a sexy speakeasy feel that recalls the hotel’s past. It will make a great place for an after-dinner drink where guests can extend their conversations into the night.
photo by Oleg March via Scarpetta
photo by Oleg March via Scarpetta
photo by Oleg March via Scarpetta
Thomas Juul-Hansen designed the hotel interiors and the Scarpetta spaces so the new iteration of the restaurant is more elegant than its predecessor in the Meatpacking District, but very inviting. Jorge Espinoza, the chef from Meatpacking, who garnered three-stars from The New York Times, will still be in charge of the kitchen. Expect Scarpetta’s classics including the notable Spaghetti Tomato & Basil, Yellowtail Crudo, and Creamy Polenta as well as its signature pastas that are made in-house daily and paired with fresh, high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients. Espinoza is adding gluten-free pastas, vegetable-centric, easy share plates — all in response to people’s eagerness to have healthier diets.
As Meadow pointed out, “Scarpetta 14th Street was my baby, love, and joy, but it was only dinner. Now we have breakfast and lunch, and we’ll be able to host wedding receptions; it’s a broader scope. That’s fun! . . . There are six locations, but this is our flagship and home. We’ve tried to maintain and preserve that high/low balance, and it’s a natural evolution.” In addition to New York, Scarpetta has restaurants in the Hamptons, Newport, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Miami.
As we mentioned in our article on The James Hotel – NoMad last week, the opening of The James and Scarpetta are important developments in the renaissance of the NoMad neighborhood.
Enjoy a wonderful meal very soon or treat yourself one of the intriguing signature cocktails.
Scarpetta at The James Hotel – Nomad
88 Madison Avenue
New York , NY 10016 (corner of 29th Street at The James New York – NoMad)
(212) 691-0555
http://www.scarpettarestaurants.com
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday: 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Saturday: 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm