Headliner
Artesano
At 31, Rodrigo Fernandini, who is from Chiclayo, Peru, on the coast, north of the capital, Lima, is embarking on a new phase of his career with this New York debut. He moved to California from Peru in 2016 and worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants in Silicon Valley. Now, with several partners, he’s poised to showcase the cuisine of Peru, most notably the region where he’s from, with its abundant seafood and a cuisine that represents Spanish, African, Indigenous and Chinese influences. Some Andean and Amazonian ingredients, like sachatomate and culantro, make their way into his food, and potatoes, native to Peru, figure in often-complex preparations like a “thousand-layer” gratin, a foam to sauce 24-hour short ribs, and a layered causa with steak tartare. There are ceviches, like one with octopus, fried calamari and chulpi (corn nuts). Octopus is served with beans and aji amarillo; and fish comes with plantains, yucca and Amazonia curry. The Chinese influence comes in with pork belly, char siu and snow peas. There’s a seven-course tasting menu ($140) in addition to an à la carte menu. All of this is presented in a setting that combines a bar area and dining room seating 46 with an open kitchen. There’s a private dining room on the lower level. Stone presentation plates are hand-carved, and Peruvian artifacts are on display in a room filled with greenery. The drinks are a showcase for pisco. A $60 lineup of three pisco mixtures is offered at the tables and at the bar, which is run by Marek Trocha and Roman Cervantes and Atif Ali, who are consultant-partners. David Cabrera is a third partner on the financial side. (Opens Wednesday)
90 Chambers Street (Church Street), 212-372-0297, artesanorestaurant.com.
Closed
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