220 East 81st Street, home to a new food pop-up.
Following successful first and second runs on January 7 and 21, Townhouse – a German-inspired tapas pop-up at 220 East 81st Street (between Second and Third avenues) – is getting prepped for round three this coming Friday, February 3.
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Still in its experimental phase, it’s soon expected to take place every two weeks, and depending on demand and feedback, the goal is to have the event three to four times per week.
Townhouse was created by the owners of Portable Provisions, a corporate catering company headquartered at the same address. Portable Provisions was founded in October 2018 by Kat Alexander, who in February 2022 told Community Board 8 she wanted to turn it into a full-service restaurant (having experienced a bit of drama over noise issues at a previous board meeting in July 2021). Executive Chef Simon Cordes became a partner in 2019.
Born and bred in Germany and now an Upper East Sider, Cordes – who studied at the Culinary Institute of Köln and went on to work at Michelin-star restaurants and luxury hotels across Europe and New York City – came up with the concept of Townhouse as a German dining experience a bit more upscale than what already exists on the UES.
Cordes sources ingredients from local farmers and also has an organic garden on his rooftop where he grows his own herbs. Menu items are expected to change with the seasons, but some current key ingredients include squash, parsnips, and cabbage. In the spring, he anticipates using more radish and heirloom tomatoes. Some of Cordes’s favorite dishes on the current menu are the Sauerbraten Rhineland Style, the Maultaschen, and the Cheese Spaetzel.
Townhouse will be having its next pop-up event on February 3 from 5 p.m. to midnight. The last call for dinner will be at 10:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended for parties of five or more, though walk-ins are also welcome. Book a table through Instagram or by calling 917.624.8237.
