FoodParc

Chodorow's FoodParc Offers a Sneak Peek at Dry Run

 

On Wednesday, Jeffrey Chodorow's entree into the growing world of NYC food halls—Foodparc at the Eventi Hotel—opens to the public. And right before the weekend @foodparc tweeted some preview porn of the offerings, but, sadly, not very much of the space age design. They did show off some flatbreads, egg rolls, BLTs, display cases, and the like from its four stands The Press (a coffee bar),RedFarm Stand (Joe Ng's dim, dumplings, etc.), Fornetti (pastas, sandwiches, salads), and 3Bs (the burger joint). Tune in for more once we have a report from the inside and find out what happened to that once planned pudding cart.
· All Coverage of FoodParc [~ENY~]

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2010/09/foodparc.php

Parc-ing Lot

Martini Lunching in a Courtyard 

A mound of General Tso’s from Panda Express.
 
A fist-size Cinnabon.
 
The sublime offerings of Sir Orange Julius.

The sacred rituals of the mall food court are forever etched in your superego.
 
And it’s not that we miss the hairnets and the proximity to Brookstone, there’s just something sexy about a food court...
 
Here for your food centralizing pleasure is FoodParc, an upscale, white-tableclothed, futuristic food arena, opening Wednesday at the Eventi hotel in Chelsea for quick and dirty upscale lunching.
 
If the Starship Enterprise had a VIP food court, it might look something like this: you place your order at a computer terminal, get a text message when your food is ready, sip lunchtime Peronis over live DJ sets and sit at a table decked in white linens.
 
You can grab pastries and coffee from the café, flatbread pizza from a brick-oven vendor, or dumplings and noodles from the Asian spot, or just head right to the 3B’s counter for burgers, bacon and beer.

Once you’ve gotten a text and picked up your tray (go dumplings, bacon, strong coffee and a martini), walk back to the aforementioned white-linen dining room, find a corner to settle in, and a cocktail waitress will be along shortly to facilitate the fastest three-martini lunch in town.

And in a month, FoodParc will live up to the “parc” with the opening of a giant outdoor green space for dining, carousing and watching cinema gems on a giant overhead screen.

Mrs. Fields would’ve loved this. 

N.Y. foodies get taste of the future: Variety article



As a concept artist, Syd Mead has created such iconic film props as the vehicles in "Blade Runner," the typeface and light cycles in "Tron" and the mask maker in the third "Mission: Impossible."

Mead is now taking his futuristic visions to the restaurant biz with Food Parc and Bar Basque in New York City, the former of which has already been dubbed "the 'Blade Runner' project" of restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow (the man behind Asia de Cuba and China Grill) by bloggers.

"I treated it like a movie set for a movie that will never be made," says Mead of his designs for the venues that start officially feeding customers next month. "The food is the star and the rest of the cast are the patrons."

The final design clearly features elements the 77-year-old film vet is known for: textured geometric shapes, soft lighting and shades of color that enable dark and metallic accents to stand out.

Food Parc is a massive 15,000-square-foot collection of gourmet food stations, with tiered seating inside, that flows into a serene park-like plaza.

The second space, Bar Basque, is a restaurant focused on Spanish fare, with bright red walls, and black and chrome accents.

Developers of the new 54-story building on Sixth Avenue between 29th and 30th streets that houses the eateries wanted to work with a designer who hadn't conceived of a restaurant before. The building also houses Eventi, a Kimpton Hotels property, and apartments.

"They wanted something different," says Mead of the restaurants that are expected to feed some 3,000 people a day -- the same number as cruise ships. Different but not too extreme. "It's neutral enough both in shape and decor and iconic accents that people can enjoy it without having to think about what it is," Mead says.

Mead's designs had to be translated for the final construction, as is usually the case with his work. "I will think up a rationale for what it should look like, and that gets matched up with a given space and local building codes," he says.

It was only a matter of time before Mead added restaurants to his resume. He's already conjured up designs for two casino bars in Tokyo, plans for theme parks in other parts of Asia, reimagined an earthquake-damaged dock in Kobe, Japan, and designed the interiors of three 747 jumbo jets for heads of state.

Mead likes that kind of variety.

"Every time you take on a new project you start from zero," Mead says. "Otherwise you fall into the trap of repeating your personal preference." 

Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023163.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1&query=syd+mead

Bar Basque & Foodparc restaurants update

The opening date for Bar Basque and Foodparc has been slated for October 1st, 2010.

BAR BASQUE
Address: 851 Avenue of the Americas (between 29th and 30th Streets), 2nd floor, Eventi hotel
Chef: Yuhi Fujinaga
Designer: Syd Mead & Philip Koether Architects
Opening: October 2010

China Grill Management’s Director of Product Development Terry Zarikian showcases his affinity for Basque culture and cuisine at Bar Basque, set to open in the Eventi Hotel in North Chelsea. Zarikian’s initial fascination with the Basque Country began over a decade ago, and in 2002, he was appointed Consultant and Culinary Ambassador in the United States by the Regional Government of the Basque Province of Bilbao with the mission of introducing the region’s distinctive cuisine to America. 

With this task in mind, Zarikian, along with a talented team of chefs headed by Executive Chef Yuhi Fujinaga (who trained in the Basque region) have created a menu of pintxos, appetizers, composed entrees and unique grill items, complemented by an extensive selection of Spanish wines and whiskeys from around the world. As a special treat for Basque culinary enthusiasts, a visiting chef series will take place every other month, sponsored by the Government of the Basque Country.

Set in an ultramodern space created by visual futurist and conceptual artist Syd Mead, Bar Basque will feature a mix of the dynamic contemporary and classic Basque cuisines that have made this region of Spain one of the world’s culinary epicenters. 

FOODPARC 
Address: 851 Avenue of the Americas (between 29th and 30th Streets), main floor, Eventi hotel 
Designer: Syd Mead & Philip Koether Architects
Opening: September 2010

The diversity of New York’s street food culture will be on display as restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow opens FOODPARC, a 15,000 square foot multilevel bar and food hall in the Eventi hotel. The indoor/outdoor concept will feature multiple food stands featuring everything from an exclusively blended burger from LaFrieda Meats, BLTs, grilled cheeses and artisanal bacons, to Chef Joe Ng's imaginative snacks, dumplings, buns, barbecues and noodles.