Metropolis In Downtown Manhattan Redefines Dinner And A Show
As Manhattan's downtown begins to bustle again, and the Perelman Performing Arts Center stands now as one of the last key components of the 2003 Master Plan to redevelop the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, the growing opportunities for dining and entertainment are adding up. Amidst the 129,000 square foot building Metropolis restaurant by Marcus Samuelsson commands attention. Going into its second year, the restaurant has proven to be reason enough to trek downtown, and is as much of a show as any within the actual performance space.
If you know anything about Marcus Samuelsson, you know he makes an entrance wherever he goes. Whether it is his beaming smile, his vibrant sense of fashion, or the colorful displays on each plate, there's a signature flair one can expect from him; at Metropolis, it is no different. The architectural equivalent to the chef and restauranteur's largess just might be David Rockwell, whose team designed the restaurant. Known to design beautiful, luxurious structures on a massive, grand scale--Nobu, W Hotels, Union Square Cafe, to name a few--Rockwell Group created a space for Metropolis that is undeniably a theatrical statement.
'I want Metropolis to be the show," mentioned Executive Chef Sherry Cardoso when talking about the eye-opening drama of the space. "I want it to be the spotlight and for guests to come downtown just for us." Cardoso picked up the baton from opening chef Ed Tinoco last summer, and has not looked back.
Executive Chef, Sherry Cardoso
Born in New York City, Cardoso grew up in Minas Gerais, Brazil, where a connection to food couldn't be more natural as she had sugarcane fields and mango trees from her family farm always in view. After moving to the U.S. at 14, she set her sights on a small culinary program but went on to landing a position at the nothing but small, and certainly legendary, Le Cirque, under Chef Christophe Bellanca.
Primed by a foundation in French technique Cardoso went on to work with other industry notables, like Chef Michael Psilakis and Chef Thomas Keller, and opened three restaurants with Chef Greg Baxtrom.
So, a 135-seat, over three thousand square foot space to fill--and that's just indoors-- does not intimidate Cardoso. The fact that Metropolis is a restaurant inside a massive performance space with three theaters does not intimidate her. She welcomes the crowds and guests coming in for a show and from all over the city. 'We are a big production too,' she said. 'I want Metropolis to also be why people to travel from the Upper East Side or from Harlem or from wherever.'
The PAC NYC, after all, is meant to re-energize downtown and celebrate a lively intersection of the arts, and the idea behind Metropolis is to celebrate the many cultures and cuisines of New York City's nearly 8.3 million residents.
Executive Chef, Sherry Cardoso, adding her own flair.
It will take some time for the the area to become a solid entertainment and dining scene, but the foundation and talent are in place. Cardoso says it has been exciting to see a rise in returning guests, which gives her and the team an uptick in motivation for the young restaurant's future.
Not to mention, working side by side with Samuelsson, collaborating daily on new dishes and flavors, while exploring their shared passion for hospitality. 'It has been a big transition, but we have been very lucky and very fortunate to see a great number of guests returning to give us a second shot. That's definitely a sign you want to see.'
The bottom line to Cardoso, no matter what, is to make delicious food. The space could be the draw, but if the food isn't delicious, no one will come back. "Otherwise it's just smoke; a smoke show,' she said.
In addition to Samuelsson's talent for bringing cuisines together in unison--like his Ethiopian roots with his Swedish upbringing--his bold fashion style or philanthropic efforts, he is quickly becoming known for the ways in which he champions the culinary talents of emerging women chefs. From Ulrika Bengtsson of Björk Cafe & Bistro to Fariyal Abdullahi of Hav & Mar, and now Cardoso at Metropolis, Samuelsson has paved the way in an industry where the numbers for women executive chefs still trail behind those of their male counterparts.
Instagram ready and delicious, Metropolis always has at least one culinary side show strolling ... More through the restaurant.
'Obviously, I'm very conscious of being on brand, right, but he's so good at giving you the floor. He let's me and my food speak for itself,' Cardoso said. "We're constantly in conversations about the menu, in which direction it is going, what are we gonna be playing with or what's gonna go live next season? He gives me direction, but sometimes pushes my boundaries and challenges me,' Cardoso said when discussing Samuelsson's mentorship. 'I've been cooking for 20 years. So for me, that is very refreshing. It's also so inspiring to be like oh wow, like he thinks that there's more and, he's right.'
In addition to the show-stopping space, the decor, and extensive displays of art, the food also gets the star treatment. At one minute, there might be an oyster cart with the house made hot sauce or coconut and lime mignonette circulating the dining room or a steak experience with a 36-day dry-aged Tomahawk cured in porcini powder; some bells and whistles for a special cocktail; or a tri-color pasta, that, when draped over the plate looks like liquid paint.
Nevertheless, Cardoso said, sometimes some of the showmanship needs to be kept in their back pocket. If there are 200 people coming in between 5:30 and 6:45pm before one of PAC NYC's productions, for example, the pizzazz has to wait.
Despite being inside a performance center, Cardoso believes they are not reliant on the theater; the restaurant can stand on its own. However, when hundreds of people pour in after a show, 'we do feel the weight of that,' Cardoso said.
Art on a plate, every dish is one colorful act in the show that is the Metropolis experience.
Cardoso says they are excited for spring. Not only is it the second spring season for the restaurant, but with warmer weather and menu changes comes the opportunity to utilize the additional space outside (over 2,000 square feet) which includes a 70-seat terrace and bar.
Always investigating how best to use the space, Cardoso says the extension of the kitchen opens the door, literally and figuratively, to so many ways to brighten up the menu and bring in new people. 'Of course, we will do more with seafood, but if they are coming here,' she said, 'I'm always thinking, how will it be special and unique?'
That's when the Brazilian flair comes in. Spice? Check. Bright colors? Check. Cardoso says striking a balance though between the little Brazilian girl that just wants the comfort of mom's 'spicy, hot, and delicious food' and the professional chef who's worked in Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants can be a challenge; but a welcomed one.
She calls it creating 'approachable cravability.' When you have beautiful spaces, gorgeous food, a place that exudes excitement, and yet, you don't feel scared to walk through the doors. It is actually on target with a lot of what we are seeing in dining. 'You know, we might have a fried chicken dish over here, then over here, a dish covered in trout roe or with expensive shellfish. It's one big mix of high and low," she said.
And New York is all of that.'
Tropical still life, representing Chef Cardoso's Brazilian heritage.
Yes, Chef. New York is all of that, indeed.
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