If cobbles could talk…
Long gone are the days when slaughterhouses lined The Meatpacking District and blood-stained white coats were the uniform worn between 14th Street and Gansevoort, a stone’s throw from the Hudson River. Today, there are still a few tiny echoes of the neighborhood’s old industry but now its notorious cobbles and pedestrian Highline pack more boutiques, cafés, and culinary hotspots than it ever has before. And, just last fall, the international culinary spectacle that is Diner en Blanc descended on the streets of the district, proving in the biggest way possible, that The Meatpacking District is the perfect place to not only shop for haute couture, but invite 4,000 of your newest friends to dinner.
When talking to Jeffrey C. LeFrancois, the Executive Director of the Business Improvement District, about the growth of the neighborhood, he admits, the surge in businesses is thrilling. And with such a new array of options comes a steadier flow of visitors and, as of late, a major uptick in residents and young professionals. “We’re seeing culturally curious Gen Zers, who may be starting their careers and looking destination dining experiences for special occasions as well as the types of approachable, diverse options found in eateries within Chelsea Market.”
And although the nightlife looks a bit different than it did in the 70s and 80s (wink, wink), there’s still so much happening that’s chic and fashionable, musical and artsy, and you guessed it…delicious, on every corner. “Seeing new audiences explore the neighborhood is incredibly exciting,” Le Francois noted. “That blend of new people with the folks who have been coming for years creates a vibrant community that will carry us into the future.”
Eat Your Way Through The Meatpacking District. Here are just a few stops and highlights along the way.
The team behind the Frenchette Bakery concept sure know a thing or two about baking. Owners Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr opened frenchette at The Whitney last fall (2023), after the success of their Tribeca space, and there seems to be no better place to have a pastry before taking in a little Pollock. Or a drool worthy Kouign-amann after staring at a Krasner. The 56-seat cafe is on its own a work of art as it situated within New Poetry by Rashid Johnson, a floor-to-ceiling steel sculpture dotted with plants and books and television sets. But if you’re not swept away by the treats from lead baker Peter Edris and Executive Pastry Chef Michelle Palazzo, or you’ve had enough pastries and are ready for something heartier, then in between doses of art, cover each of your meals with the café’s soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzette, pasta, wine, cocktails and beer. Highlights from the bakery/café: fougasse and sesame rustique from the boulangerie; the twice-baked pistachio, canelé, gougère, and kouign-amann from the viennoiserie; and the black turnip veloute and the green goddess salad.
Chelsea Market is unmistakably a bastion of experiences under one roof. If you’ve got a hankering for seafood though, then you have to sidle up to the bar at Cull & Pistol and commit to their pleasures from the sea. Sporting a refined and varied menu, at just over ten years old, the tucked-in eatery is the younger sister of The Lobster Place market right next store. With a solid selection of hot and cold seafood dishes and exceptional service, Cull & Pistol would be a wise choice every time. With a commitment to the environment, they are one of the largest partners in the Billion Oyster Project, which works to restore the New York Harbor, by supplying approximately 1,500 lbs. of oyster shells each week. Consider planning your visit around their wonderful Oyster Happy Hour, featuring half-priced oysters and drink specials between 4-6pm, Mondays through Fridays. Highlights: Clam Chowder, Miso Scallion Oysters, Pistols on Horseback, and the Grilled Spanish Octopus.
So, despite the mere whisper of the industry, you can still find plenty of meat in the neighborhood. One such place? Catch Steak NYC. However, there is indeed a catch. This is the chic side of the meat and potatoes universe, so be prepared to adhere to their “smart, elegant attire” dress code before satisfying those hearty cravings. Once you do, you’ll sit down to every form your red-meat palate desires from dry-aged, wagyu, and large-format specialties to “Not Steak” selections of seafood and veggie-forward mains. And, large is an understatement in terms of space, as I’m quite certain they just might have their own zip code with four separate rooms, a patio, and retractable rooftop. Despite the space, even on a weeknight they are packed, so if you are looking for quiet and romantic, think again; if you are looking for energy alongside your cuts, this is the place. Highlights: Hamachi Crudo, Wagyu Carpaccio, Bluefin Tartare and the Wedge to start; 80z Imperial Wagyu and Atlantic Salmon.
Many travelers who’ve been to Paris need a dose of it just to hold them over until…sigh…the next time. Pastis is the place to do just that, even if for just a day. Back to the neighborhood almost five years now, Pastis has rekindled some of its former magic from when it first landed in the district in 1999. Old certainly meets new and Paris certainly meets New York in the current iteration. And, despite the extent most of us can’t survive without our phones, the newspaper is alive and well at Pastis, with issues of global newspapers still ticking and in paper on a stand across from the dramatically curved zinc bar. Subway tiles? Check. Parisian lamps? Check. That j’en sais quoi that transports you somewhere else? Check. And, with 210 seats and a breakfast, lunch, mid-day, dinner, dessert, wine and cocktail menu in tow, there’s nothing, bien sûr, stopping you from holding court there all day long. Highlights from breakfast: Cappuccinos (with La Colombe Coffee), Eggs and Soldiers, Avocado Terrine, Gruyère Omelette, Granola and Fruit.
In a neighborhood where fashion, beauty, and art now reign supreme, it is no surprise that Mēdüzā Mediterrania is an experience that replicates that note perfectly. Even the very entrance feels literary as you make your way through a mysterious grand door and into the dimly lit space. There’s a 30-seat circular bar, and glass atrium amongst the nearly 9,000 square foot space. Sweeping natural wood sculptures by Etienne Moyat and tropical greenery galore give diners a sense of being in a place like no other. It’s as if the sea and shores of Greece meet the drama of an art museum that at any moment could transform into a sophisticated night club. The theatrics continue as cocktails are delivered in glass boxes and become interactive experiences, each adorned with edible flowers or little vegetal sculptures. Highlights: opened with the Meduza Margarita and the Fig & Honey cockail, then the Wagyu Carpacio, Spicy Hamachi, Smoked Aubergine, Fattoush, Lamb Chops, and Butterfish.
And for the grand ta-da of the list Bangkok Supper Club—kissing cousins with the West Village—is a grand slam. Complete with take-your-breath-away flavor, this barely six month old take on Thai is a place even New Yorkers are surprised by. True, you’ll break a bit of a sweat getting a reservation but it is worth the muscle. Owner Jenn Saesue, also the owner of the ultra popular Thai-comfort-food-haven Fish Cheeks, has appointed chef Max Wittawat with creative license and it has served everyone VERY well. The former pastry chef of Spot Dessert Bar now wields a charcoal grill and has continued his mastery of delicious whimsy giving the supper club’s clientele a reason to drop (and smack) their jaws. As Saesue commented recently, “There’s so much more than pad thai, this is what we really eat in Thailand.” And to her and Wittawat, we proclaim a collective, “Thank you.” Highlights: Uni Crab Tartlet, Prawn Satay, Hokkaido Scallop Ceviche, Grilled Eggplant, Sea Bass Curry, and Grilled Green Beans. And for dessert: Coconut Pandan in a coconut shell.