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Chef Harold Moore on Tuesday announced the official opening of his highly anticipated Upper East Side revival of Café Commerce.
Located at 964 Lexington Avenue (between 70th and 71st streets), the new location comes nine years after the original West Village restaurant closed its doors in 2016. This occurred following a year-long legal battle with a landlord, along with a “missing filing” related to certain renovations that Moore was attempting to have done at the restaurant.
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The newer version of Café Commerce features a 55-seat dining room and a smaller kitchen than the original, according to Eater. There will be a greater focus on rotating daily specials, including a Tuesday “Feast of Shells” for two ($75), while some long-time favorites, like their sweet potato tortellini ($26) and chicken schnitzel ($36), will also be available.
Moore told Eater that he initially rejected the location but reconsidered in 2023. “The Upper East Side is a different animal,” he told the website, noting the neighborhood is less dense and attracts fewer tourists than the West Village.
In addition to its well-known food, Café Commerce also has a large list of Californian and French wines, as well as cocktails like the “Lex and City” (a vodka cranberry).
Moore cycled through various other food ventures following Commerce’s closure, including Harold’s Meat + Three in 2016 and Bistro Pierre Lapin in 2018. Needless to say, he assures he’s glad to be back in the swing of things at Commerce.
“I’m happy to be back working in the Commerce genre and reconnecting with what I’m really good at: cooking and being a host,” Moore told Eater.
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In other Upper East Side food news, popular coffee shop and bakery Black Star announced via Instagram over the weekend that it opened up its second location in the neighborhood at 1364 York Avenue (between 72nd and 73rd streets).
This location joins the storefront at 1597 York Avenue (between 84th Street and 85th streets). Like its predecessor, this location offers breakfast and lunch options, such as two variations of avocado toast—one with a fried egg and sriracha, the other with feta cheese, microgreens, and cherry tomatoes (both $15.75)—a pesto mozzarella sandwich ($15.95), and a Greek yogurt and fruit-topped Belgian waffle ($13.75), along with the usual lattes, espressos, and various pastries.
In addition to its two Upper East Side outposts, Black Star has locations in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Long Island City.
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Thanks for consistently giving cross streets on the avenues. Other sites don’t.