Palladin Opens in New York

Thomas Matthews
Posted: April 23, 1999

It's been a long and winding road for chef Jean-Louis Palladin, but today he will finally open a restaurant in New York. Called Palladin, the dining spot is located in The Time, a new hotel in Times Square, and serves the celebrated chef's distinctive blend of southwestern French and contemporary American cuisine.

The menu features lighter dishes, such as a clean, fresh carpaccio of ahi and hamachi, and heartier fare that evokes the chef's Gascon traditions, such as a rich oxtail crepinette, a kind of sausage stuffed with braised oxtail and foie gras, served with bone-marrow flan.

Sommelier Dawn Lamendola's 150-selection wine list takes the same approach, with eclectic, well-chosen offerings from California and France that include both inexpensive discoveries and heavy hitters. The dining room, however, decorated with frosted glass and brushed metal, feels a bit cold and cramped for the exuberant food.

Palladin, 52, established himself in the culinary world in 1974, when he earned two Michelin stars for La Table des Cordeliers in his hometown, Condom, France. In 1979, he moved to the United States and opened Jean-Louis at the Watergate in Washington, D.C.; the restaurant earned a Wine Spectator Grand Award for its wine list in 1984. In 1996, he became one of the first in a stampede of celebrity chefs to move to Las Vegas, where he opened Napa Restaurant in the Rio Suites Hotel. But he has long had his eye on New York.

"I didn't think it would take this long to get here," Palladin said, a broad smile on his face as he surveyed his new domain. "But I already feel right at home."

Palladin
224 West 49th St., in the Time Hotel
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: (212) 320-2929
Fax: (212) 320-2989

For more on Jean-Louis Palladin:

March 9, 1999
Jean-Louis Palladin Takes On New York

May 31, 1997
Viva Las Vegas

November 18, 1996
Jean-Louis Palladin Rides Into Las Vegas

March 31, 1995
When Only The Best Will Do

April 15, 1994
French Home Cooking