Major Food Group Will Take Over The Former Chefs Club

Major Food Group is on the move, having taken over the Kushner-owned former Chefs Club space in the Puck Building (275 Mulberry St., Manhattan), sources confirm. No word yet on what it will become. Chefs Club shuttered during the pandemic with its last Instagram post in July. 

Stephane De Baets founded Chefs Club in 2012 according to the website, with the NoLIta location opening in 2014. It was one of four worldwide that first featured a chef series that lasted a night or two, then a three- to six-month chef residency.

The deep-pocketed Major Food Group — Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick — is behind Carbone, Dirty French, The Grill, Parm, Sadelle's, and others, with restaurants in New York, Miami, Vegas, Hong Kong, and Tel Aviv.

The move comes as the restaurant group seems to be evaluating its properties: Santina, for example, remains closed through the pandemic, despite that it offers stellar outdoor space near the High Line. The Lobster Club has been closed, along with ZZ's Clam Bar, and the Polynesian. And last year, The Grill eclipsed The Pool in the former Four Seasons space. 

Angie Mar's new place has a name

If you've been following Angie Mar's Instagram, she's given us a peek at the build-out of her new place next door to the Beatrice Inn that closed late last year. 

And now the new place, on track to open this spring, has a name: Les Trois Chevaux (283 W. 12th St.) "'The Three Horses' is the moniker bestowed to my brothers and me by our beloved father and uncles," she wrote on Instagram. "And it only seems fitting that I name this restaurant for them." 

In her newsletter, Mar wrote, "When we realized we would have to leave 285 West 12th, it felt like we were losing our home...." And, "While I had every intention of opening The Beatrice at our new building, someone very special to me talked me out of it. He made me understand and believe that while the team has everything to do with the magic that we have created over the years, I needed to believe that I deserved a restaurant bearing my name because it was time, and not something that had been handed down to me."

According to the post, the restaurant will "bring a fresh vision of what fine dining can be," and she intends to "return to the elegance and powerful, transportive nature that an exquisite dining experience can provide." In other words, stay tuned. 

Sona to open in the Flatiron District

Eater reported that the actress starring in the upcoming Matrix 4, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, has invested in a new Indian restaurant, Sona, to open later this spring. Spearheaded by Maneesh Goyal, the restaurant will feature a menu from Hari Nayak. Nayak is behind projects like Cafe Spice and the restaurant Soul Curry in Hoboken, as well as restaurants in Dubai, Riyadh, and Bangalore among others. 

According to Nayak's website, Sona (36 E. 20th St.) is inspired by a "neighborhood French brasserie" that "pays homage to the Indian subcontinent's rich cultural heritage." It's opening in what had been Trattoria Il Mulino since 2013. 

Banking on big dining post-covid, Sant Ambroeus opens a giant restaurant

Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group has opened a giant, 7000 square-foot, two-level Sant Ambroeus at Brookfield Place (200 Vesey St., Manhattan), overlooking One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial Fountains. Look for Milanese dishes like tonnarelli cacio e pepe ($21) and fettuccine alla Bolognese ($27) from chef Iacopo Falai and team. But with its coffee bar and all-day menu, there's a vast selection to choose from. It's open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for indoor dining as well as takeout and delivery.