One of the restaurants mentioned in William Grimes’s Appetite City will make a comeback of sorts when Hotel Griffou opens for preview walk-ins tonight. The Griffou is named after the 1870s boardinghouse where (per Grimes) you could score a multi-course feast, complete with a pint of wine, for 50 cents. As you can see below, the throwback menu (designed by Jason Michael Giordano, a former chef de cuisine at Spice Market and Mia Dona) isn’t quite as generously priced, but you may forgive that when you take a look at our slideshow. Owners Larry Poston (a former manager of Pastis and the Waverly Inn), Johnny Swet (former manager at Freemans as well as at Sean MacPherson’s and Keith McNally’s restaurants), and Jesse Keyes (a founding partner of La Esquina and GoldBar) have done quite a number on the “library room,” the “salon,” and the “studio” (each have about 30 seats, and two of the rooms have working fireplaces) as well as the fifteen-seat terrace and a fourteen-seat wine vault. Reservations will be open to all starting July 1 (the official “soft opening”), but given the owners’ pedigree, we won’t be surprised when that means “we have a 6:30 and an 11 p.m.” (dinner will be served from 6 p.m. till midnight and the bar will stay open till 1 a.m.). Are you going to want to get in on this place early and often? We’re thinking yes, you are.
Hotel Griffou menu: Entrées
Hotel Griffou menu: Salads
Hotel Griffou menu: Desserts
Hotel Griffou menu: Cocktails
Hotel Griffou, 21 W. 9th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-358-0228
