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Famed chef Michael Anthony has grand plans to restore the Waldorf Astoria as the epicenter of the Big Apple’s crowded dining scene – and he’s starting by reimagining the famed hotel’s iconic dishes, Side Dish has learned.
Anthony, the longtime executive chef at Gramercy Tavern, helms Lex Yard, the 220-seat restaurant that hopes to satiate locals and well-heeled guests as the Waldorf finally reopened its doors Tuesday following an eight-year renovation.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment,” Anthony told Side Dish.
“The menu was created to draw people in — to make this a busy restaurant, a great addition to the New York dining scene.”
That begins with a reinterpreted Waldorf salad, which was reportedly invented at the hotel’s original location in 1893 — where the Empire State Building now stands.
His take on the classic apple, grapes, walnut and celery salad includes adding some crunchy romaine lettuce, New England cheddar and toasted sunflowers – and then swapping out the stodgy mayo with an edgy aioli made with honey, saffron, grapeseed oil and lemon juice.
“When you are working with the perimeters of history, there is some pressure,” Anthony admitted.
“But rather than build a salad that belonged in a museum, I wanted to create one that people would crave.”
Another menu item popularized at the Waldorf, a red velvet cake, has been remade as a red velvet soufflé tart.
The restaurant, described by Anthony as an “American brasserie,” will also offer classics like lobster rolls and herb roasted chicken, with ingredients sourced from the Union Square farmers’ market.
Lex Yard, named for the Lexington Avenue train line that once ran under the hotel to Grand Central Terminal, also boasts private dining rooms, including Track 61 and FDR.
They are named for president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would secretly enter the Waldorf via the undergrounds to hide the ravages of polio that left him in a wheelchair.
Urban legend also claimed President Kennedy used the tracks for secret visits to paramour Marilyn Monroe, while Andy Warhol was said to host wild parties below ground.
Aside from Lex Yard, Anthony will also oversee the menu at the famed Peacock Alley – a name derived from the path that used to connect the Waldorf to the Astoria when the Gilded Age properties opened.
“It is an interesting opportunity to thread the needle … and to bring back such a beautiful and elegant part of New York City. Hopefully this will become everyone’s favorite neighborhood spot,” Anthony said.
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