Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, longtime Italian restaurant veterans in New York City, are slated to open another restaurant, entitled La Sirena, this week.
Celebrity chefs and restauranteurs, Bastianich and Batali have collaborated since 1998 with the opening of their fast-casual Italian restaurant, Babbo, and the opening of Del Posto in 2005.
La Sirena will be located on the plaza level of the Maritime Hotel in Chelsea, taking the place of La Bottega, the longtime Italian resident of the Maritime's plaza.
Though the Maritime Hotel is known for it's porthole shaped windows, La Sirena's space will be filled with natural light from a wall of windows and glass doors that lead to the plaza.
La Sirena will be decorated with beige and white furniture with grey accents, departing from the dark, but warm reddish wood of La Bottega.
The kitchen of La Sirena will be helmed by Josh Laurano, creating dishes like crispy provolone and lemon salad, garganelli with capon ragu, and duck with puntarelle and bergamot vinegar.
Some of the potential daily specials that Laurano will run include buffalo sweetbreads on Tuesdays and porchetta alla romana on Sundays.
[anad]
In case you were wondering, sweetbreads are organ meats (typically the gland or pancreas) of an animal, in this case buffalo.
Though this might sound ludicrous, the texture and flavor of these typically fried delicacies have developed a substantial following.
mariobatali chef josh Laurano is ready @lasirenaristorante come on @nycmayorsoffice ! give us some gas !!!
Apart from the delicious Italian cuisine, La Sirena will have a 38-foot glass enclosed bar that divides the space from the plaza and dining room.
Needless to say, we're more than just a little happy about this news.
Check out Chipotle Is Giving Away Free Burritos After Being Closed for Lunch.
[via Eater] [Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]