Clay
Housed in what was once the legendary jazz bar Perk’s, this uptown sleeper opened late last year with chef Gustavo Lopez (Terroir, Lupa, DBGB) at the helm, turning tired farm-to-table fare on its head. Trend chasers should seek out the corner spot’s contemporary yet cozy bi-level dining rooms, where rib-sticking midday meals—like corn arepas covered in duck confit and salsa verde or eggs Benedict draped over inch-thick, house-made English muffins—are ushered to blond-wood tables on hand-thrown earthenware. In lieu of the expected mimosa or Bellini, barkeeps swirl fresh apricot juice with Spanish cava wine, while the cocktail docket pays homage to jazz standards with drinks like Good Morning Heartache, an ode to Billie Holiday that punches up delicate gin and génépy with rose-hibiscus bitters, pink peppercorns and sweet, tart beet juice. Think of it as a nifty way to take in both the new and old Harlem.
