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Ariel Arce, Aaron Lirette and Kenneth Crum have perfected the art of the dinner party, and then some. The West Village’s Tokyo Record Bar is a subterranean supper club set to a vinyl soundtrack. The now closed but beloved Niche Niche threw casual dinner fêtes curated around wine, while the downstairs basement bar, Special Club, was all about keeping it social. Arce was also behind the effort to bring the iconic Roman restaurant, Roscioli, to the States for the first time. This month, the group will transform a three-story carriage house in Soho into an experiential dining hub and destination.
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Heroes and cocktail bar Pearl Box are set to open their doors on October 21. Approaching the three-story concept, each level tells a different story with its own vision and color theory. Depending on if you’d rather a drink before or after dinner may change your starting line.
If a cocktail is calling, a visit must start on the third floor, which can be accessed inside the restaurant or through its own separate door. As you climb upward, you’ll know you are onto something special, thanks to the wall-to-wall mirrors leading up the stairs. Once you hit the top of the red staircase, you’ll be greeted by the gem that is Pearl Box. Taking riffs from 1970s-era Playboy After Dark, the lounge throws it back with wood paneling, black chairs and velvet loveseats made for getting close and personal. Soon, servers with trolleys will be rolling around the dining room, serving high and low offerings like caviar with milk bread and foie gras to fried chicken.
As you make your way back downstairs, don’t forget to peek in on the second floor. With a large marble counter and fridges that glow with bottles of wine, the Tiffany-blue room will soon be home to private dinners, wine tastings and more.
Making your way back down to the bottom floor, Heroes pays tribute to everyday heroes the three have been inspired by, you can find a tribute these figures on a mural that hovers above the soft but striking lavender dining room. A bit of a who’s who, the painting from Indianna Hoover features busts of Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder to Olympic medalists, including Simone Biles and Kerri Strugs. Even Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development makes an appearance holding her telltale martini glass.
As for what’s on the menu, that goes to chef Aaron Lirette. With a resume that includes chef de cuisine of Acadia and chef of Danny Meyer’s Green River, Lirette champions all things seasonal and the usage of the whole animal, stating “the best way to cook a piece of fish, is in its entirety” in a press release.
This ethos is evident as soon as you walk in the door, as the front of the restaurant features a dry-aged locker, with monkfish, seabass and tuna hanging from hooks. Balancing sea and land, starters include a Scallop in a kombu broth and bacon dashi for a bit of oomph and a Beef Tongue & Sweet Bread Skewer. With a spin on a hero's banquet, the large plates are priced at $65 per person and include a salad and breads. Dry-aging finds its way here as well, including an aged sea bass with chili butter and a 30-day, bone-in ribeye with a peppercorn jus.
The heroes theme carries onto the wine offerings. Intentionally listing producers first as opposed to brand or varietal, the wine list, in this way, hopes to shine a light on those who have made a difference in the wine world, be it through sustainability, community or overall impact. Asking the sommelier, you will not only get a walkthrough of the region and the notes of the wine, but you’ll also learn about the person behind the bottle.
There’s that old saying never meet your heroes. But trust us when we say this is the hero you want to meet, again and again.