MONTEREY

Midtown Manhattan is back and hotter than ever! Monterey, a brand new glamorous bold American restaurant, opened its doors this past October. Following their success at Isabelle’s Osteria, Dudi Sasson and Chef James Tracey, in partnership with Simon Oren, brought a retro-chic brasserie to Madison and 50th where the beloved Maloney and Porcelli used to reside.

Interior

Designed by Dudi Sasson in collaboration with Scott Kester, Monterey is arguably one of midtown’s more style-forward eateries. The first floor features high ceilings, massive windows, dramatic terrazzo tile flooring, lavish yet comfortable blue banquettes and a large marble-topped bar. Between the open kitchen and bar area is a beautiful staircase that takes you to the balcony for secluded dining featuring cozy salmon pink velvet circular booths, a private dining room and a 12-seat round table that is perfect for any celebratory occasion.

Food & Drink

A nationally acclaimed chef with over 30 years of culinary experience in the kitchens of Craft, Starr Restaurants, Gramercy Tavern and Lespinasse, Monterey’s Chef James Tracey pays homage to various Euro-American and Mediterranean culinary styles and techniques, serving dishes such as Pork Trotter with sweetbreads, smoked pearl onions and mustard seed; Crispy Lobster with avocado puree, jalapeno, kumquat and cilantro; Lumache with goose and duck ragout and whipped ricotta; Berkshire Pork Chops with gingered cabbage, hon shimeji mushrooms and five-spiced bacon and a variety of Prime Steaks such as a 40-day dry-aged Porterhouse and a 30-day dry-aged Strip. To add to the glam, there is a Raw Bar featuring seafood platters with options of Oysters and Little Neck Clams, Monkfish Liver and Tuna Tartare topped with Uni, Hokkaido Scallops with Ossetra Caviar, Salmon

Belly and Whole Lobster to name a few.

There are three custom-made carts including one serving Prime Rib au jus (a 14-ounce whole roasted prime rib seasoned with black pepper, served sliced to order, topped with au jus made of beef bones, mirepoix, tomato salt, Worcestershire and thyme); one offering Banana Foster flambéed tableside for two with Myers dark Rum, vanilla ice cream, pecans and a Martini Cart! You get to build your own classic-stirred cocktail by choosing your base spirit, vermouth, syrup or bitters, or just put yourself in the hands of the masters and treat yourself to The Ultimate Extra Chilled Monterey Martini. There is no shortage of fun nor photo-worthy moments at Monterey.

Operated by the same group as Isabelle’s Osteria, Dagon and Nice Matin, beverage director Aviram Turgeman’s cocktails are imaginative takes on classic favorites. Known for his award-winning wine lists, Turgeman takes it even further with a selection so extensive yet curated that you can have a bottle to pair with almost everything on the menu. The wine list reflects the classics of the world with benchmark producers of each appellation. The emphasis is France and the USA with a focus on new California. A page of the list is dedicated to coveted Burt Williams & Ed Selyem wines which Turgeman was able to procure from a private collector, and the Pinot Noirs are rumored to be there to steal the show.

About Chef James Tracey

Chef James Tracey is executive chef/partner of Monterey, Midtown Manhattan’s latest retro-chic American Brasserie and Isabelle’s Osteria, a seasonally driven Italian restaurant in New York City’s Gramercy Park neighborhood.

A nationally acclaimed chef with over 30 years of culinary experience, Chef Tracey’s culinary inspiration comes from greenmarkets and local farms, creating dishes with clean, bold flavors that best showcase the ingredients. Tracey garnered Craft and Colicchio & Sons three-star reviews from The New York Times.

Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, he started his career as a line cook in Washington, D.C. before moving to New York City in 1997 where he held several positions in top restaurants including executive chef of Crafted Hospitality. He moved to Philadelphia where he was the director of culinary operations at Starr Restaurant Organization, overseeing 34 restaurants along the East Coast, and he collaborated with external chef partners on new restaurant food concepts and staff development.

In 2016, Chef Tracey moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as the culinary director of Neighborhood Restaurant Group, overseeing 18 restaurants in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland, including directing and collaborating with chefs on menu development, staffing and the overall running of their restaurant.

In 2019, he moved back to New York City to open Isabelle’s Osteria, a neighborhood favorite offering contemporary Italian and Mediterranean dishes.

Hours

Dinner: Monday-Thursday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Lunch: Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Breakfast: Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

37 East 50 Street. New York, NY 10022 (212) 377-7171 montereybrasserie.com