The East Pole Kitchen & Bar
Description
Ben Towill and Phil Winser are the ultracool Englishmen behind Silkstone Catering, The Fat Radish and Montauk's Ruschmeyer's. The Upper East Side also benefits from their imprimatur, delivering downtown style to a neighborhood eager for it. They paired up with Tom and Anthony Martignetti of Brinkley's to revitalize an elegant brownstone, appointing it with vintage maps of exploration. While travel may be the design theme, chef Nicholas Wilber keeps the ingredients close to home, emphasizing seasonality. Just like at Fat Radish, vegetables frequently take center stage, getting protein accents for an heirloom bean salad with crispy pig cheeks and in cucumbers with wakame and fried Barcat oysters from Chesapeake Bay. For a fuller dose of protein there's chicken Kiev, Block Island swordfish and a bacon cheeseburger served with duck-fat chips. The upstairs space can be booked for private parties, 30 seated or 60 for cocktails.