If early 2012 is the era of the Americana-enhanced eatery lined with reclaimed wood, then late 2012 (we hope) will be the era of the boozy delicatessen. There’s the rumored “cocktail deli” from Gina Chersevani, and craft beers alongside matzo-ball soup at the pending DGS Delicatessen. Now Oded Weizmann shares the latest details for his upcoming gastro-deli, the Carving Room.
Weizmann and partner Rachel Steiman plan to bring two dining styles to the 55-seat space on the outer edge of Chinatown: grab-and-go (or stay, if time allows) at lunch for the office crowd, and a sit-down scene at dinner and on weekends with waiter service and a cocktail menu featuring infused liquors. The fare, and the philosophy, remains similar throughout. Homemade products are the focus, starting with the meats: pastrami, corned beef, roast lamb, turkey, and beef, which can be tucked between Lyon Bakery rye or a caraway-studded “weck roll,” hand-carved by the pound, or served on a “Jewish charcuterie plate” for dinner. Seasonal pickled vegetables, condiments like spicy mustard and bacon-onion compote, and sides such as potato salad and vinegary slaw will also be made from scratch. Dishes such as roasted tomato or eggplant salads and fried phyllo cigars stuffed with meats are nods to Weizmann’s Sephardic Jewish family, originally from Morocco.
An opening is slated for September, and the owners are hoping for a mild fall so patrons can make use of the restaurant’s spacious 40-seat patio and ten draft brews. Check back for more details closer to the opening.