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A new music venue and restaurant is opening tomorrow on the Lower East Side. Owners Ryan Chadwick and his wife and business partner, Emily Frantz, collaborated on the project. The menu is intended to be loosely French-Creole, executed by Tadd Johnson, formerly the executive chef at The Smile and The Standard East Village (where he worked under John Fraser).
Dishes will include fish boudin on toast ($24), a savory stew with tarragon and deviled egg yolks; maitake mushroom and French onion cloumage ($14) with chives, gruyere cheese and caramelized onions; escargot with “canary sauce” and garlic ($18); and, roasted eggplant with crawfish butter ($18).
Though the couple does not have roots in the South, Chadwick says that the baked oysters on the menu are a nod to their New England upbringing in Connecticut and Maine, respectively. “My uncle is a lobsterman, so I'm big on New England cooking. These will be mostly shared plates,” says Chadwick. All cocktails are priced at $16. There's one called the "Surrealist Manifesto" with mezcal, becherovka, maple, lemon and chocolate molé bitters as well as the "Man Ray’s 'Minotaur'” with bourbon, averna and lucano coffee liqueur—both drinks referencing the space’s aesthetic aspirations.
Photograph: Heidi's Bridge
As for the interior design, the team refers to the feeling as "Dada/Surrealism-meets-Wes Anderson," looking to both the distinct colorways of canary birds and the energy of New Orleans. The bi-level space was designed entirely by Frantz (music is downstairs, while the restaurant sits above) and has a lounge area with checkerboard pink marble floors, black and white banquettes and dark green walls. Frantz crafted the space’s unique feel using unique details like Hermès wallpaper and sconces in the shape of monkeys. “Colors get louder as you head downstairs to the club,” she says of her use of palettes to evoke noise levels and vibe. Upstairs is meant to feel a bit more Parisian, with pink napkins, softer mint greens and tables wrapped in graph paper.
The sprawling venue (approximately 100 seats downstairs alone) represents a big 2019 dining trend in the city that we've reported on previously: the hybrid of restaurant-meets-entertainment-spaces, join The Sultan Room at Turk's Inn, Public Records, Special Club, Mission Chinese at Elsewhere, Etiquette (a new events space by the Loosie Rouge team) and the upcoming shake up at National Sawdust, where the Colonia Verde team is set to open later this month.
The entertainment programming curation was originally led by Grace Lee (formerly creative director of the ill-fated and now defunct, De Maria) but she has since finished working with the team and an unnamed collaborator has taken charge. The club will feature a mix of DJ sets, disco parties and jazz nights, with something for every mood.
The new Lower East Side spot is near Chadwick’s other Manhattan venture, Grey Lady (which also has locations in Aspen and Montauk). Until now, Chadwick has not had much notoriety in New York, with most of his ventures in Colorado (Escobar Nightclub, as well). Frantz, too, has experience in Colorado, working on interior design projects such as Monarch Steak House in Aspen and Steakhouse 316 in Boulder.
Canary Club is located at 303 Broome St, New York, NY 10002. Follow them on Instagram, for more info on upcoming events.
Photograph: Heidi's Bridge