Tasty Tidbits: ANDAZ 5th AVENUE

The Shop Brings Local Cuisine From New York Farms and a Curated Selection of Culinary Delights from Local New York City Purveyors to Andaz 5^th Avenue!

Andaz 5^th Avenue, the second property to open in New York and the fifth in the collection, debuted in midtown Manhattan on July 5, 2010.  In keeping with the brand’s commitment to its locales, Andaz 5^th Avenue will introduce the shop at Andaz 5^th Avenue on July 19.  The shop is a relaxed and casual spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or for guests and neighbors to grab quick items on the go.  Offering foods and non-perishable goods sourced from local farms and quintessential New York City purveyors, the shop gives guests a true New York culinary experience.

The idea behind the shop at Andaz 5^th Avenue

Imagine a time when a farm stand was the only means of fresh products and produce.  And then with time, what started as a farm stand turned into a meeting location for local farmers and neighborhood folks.  A place where one could get a cup of coffee, a pastry and share a bit of gossip and local news.  Soon enough these farmers and friends started to bring their own products, which were proudly showcased with the goods from the market.  Supporting the local community is something that comes naturally to Andaz.  It was this community driven mindset of using locally sourced ingredients to sell and to create delicious meals that the inspiration of the shop came about.

The nitty gritty details

Located on the corner of 5^th Avenue and 41^st Street, the shop at Andaz 5^th Avenue has 42-seats for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as a retail section. Helmed by Executive Chef Roberto Alicea, the shop features farm fresh ingredients celebrating locally sourced foods from New York State farms as well as local New York City purveyors such as Katz's Delicatessen, Sullivan Street Bakery, Russ & Daughters, The Pickle Guys and Beekman 1802.  If guests and neighbors can’t make it to Manhattan’s much loved local treasures, Andaz 5^th Avenue has curated a large selection of the city’s culinary favorites in one place. The restaurant at Andaz 5^th Avenue is open all day and into the evening.

For the design of the shop at Andaz 5^th Avenue, Tony Chi created a space evoking the high-ceilinged parlors of New York’s pre-war apartments.  Pivoting shutters between the kitchen and dining areas open and close depending on the time of day, the activity in the kitchen, and the mood in the dining room.  Light fills the shop throughout the day and lends an airy, light feeling to the dining experience.  A floor-to-ceiling wine wall is a peek-a-boo separation to a quaint private dining area.  The open kitchen shows glimpses of the action, passion and energy going into creating the shop’s menu and allows guests to chat with the chefs.  As a backdrop to the open kitchen is a reclaimed brick wall - taken from a Connecticut building built in 1790.

While the dining area and the kitchen flow into each other, so does the retail space of the shop.  With a long 15-foot reclaimed wood table positioned adjacent to 5^th avenue, the retail area is a place for guests and neighbors to pick up perishable and non-perishable goodies during the day or enjoy a communal dining experience at night.  Sitting atop white marble mosaic floors and below 13-foot ceilings, the communal table seats up to 12 people and showcases unobstructed views of the New York Public Library.

By day, guests and neighbors can visit the retail area of the shop at Andaz 5th Avenue, and grab an artisinal cup of coffee, fresh pastries, sandwiches and goodies from local purveyors such as Mast Brothers -- a microbatch chocolate company in Williamsburg and Beekman 1802 -- an upstate New York farm that produces a variety of cheeses and goat milk soaps scented with seasonal ingredients such as lavender and freesia.  Andaz 5th Avenue will be the only hotel in New York City to serve Blue Bottle Coffee – the San Francisco-based organic coffee company who’s first New York outpost recently opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

For breakfast, lunch and dinner guests and visitors will enjoy dishes prepared with chicken from Bo-Bo’s Farms, pork from Meili Farms, beef from Niman Ranch and fish from Steve Connolly’s Dayboat.  In addition, Chef Alicea’s signature dishes include his Skillet Scramble with Spanish Chorizo, Jersey Tomato, Potato and Cilantro; Roasted Mixed Tomato and Wild Mint Soup; and Chicken Schnitzel Milanese with Fresh Lemon.  All dishes go well with the shop’s hand squeezed juices: apple celery, strawberry orange and eight vegetable juices are some of the favorites.  A wide selection of unique teas can be enjoyed at the shop as well. A moonlight jasmine blossom opens itself up after four minutes in a press pot and Emperor’s lemon meritage, chocolate elixir, and chamomile teas are a lovely beginning to any morning (or end to a lovely evening).  Whom You Know looks forward to telling you more about this!

A few menu items:

Breakfast at the shop

Basil and Parmesan scrambled eggs, bone-in Virginia ham and griddle bread             $12

Pop’s skillet scramble, chorizo, tomato, potato, cilantro and griddle bread                                 $12

Potato and gruyere griddle cake, baked apples and sour cream                                      $13

Lemon poppy seed pancake, fresh oranges and orange syrup                                          $13

Open-faced organic avocado toast, fresh coriander, lime and fresh crushed red pepper          $9

Lunch & Dinner at the shop

Roasted tomato and mint soup                                                                                            $8

Schaller & Weber smoked sausage, roasted potatoes and whole grain mustard                       $9

Chicken schnitzel Milanese, Hudson valley greens and lemon                                        $17

Roasted Berkshire por chop with celeriac mashed potatoes                                                         $18

About Andaz

Global in scale while local in perspective, Andaz delivers an innovative hospitality experience blending personal preferences with attentive and uncomplicated service. This unique collection of hotels reflects the personality of each locale, and is dedicated to creating natural and vibrant living spaces where travelers can indulge in their own personal sense of comfort and style. The first property Andaz Liverpool Street in London launched November 2007, followed by Andaz West Hollywood in January 2009, Andaz Wall Street in January 2010, and Andaz San Diego in February 2010.  For more information, please visit www.andaz.com.