Manhattan-based restaurant Fine & Rare offers old-world charm, jazz, fine spirits and most recently “poisonous” scorpion fish and chips.
“We wanted to kick off the launch of our lunch menu with a unique menu offering, and I loved the idea of a twist on the typical fish and chips,” says Fine & Rare executive chef Philip Sireci. “At Fine & Rare, we like to create a theatrical experience for our guests where they have the opportunity to learn about exciting and rare spirits and foods.”
He adds that he was introduced to the scorpion fish by a Portuguese fisherman when he was working as a chef in Provincetown, Mass., and he later encountered it again when dining in New Orleans. “I loved the texture and sweet flavor the fish had: a cross between monkfish and red snapper,” Sireci notes.
The fish is considered venomous because of its spines, which Sireci says can be removed with kitchen shears when the fish is dead and then rendered harmless once cooked. At Fine & Rare, the fish and chips are served with scorpion chili dusted fries. The eatery also serves more traditional takes on American dishes, such as baked stuffed Maine lobster and organic Amish chicken. The menu rotates seasonally, as well.
Fine & Rare is also known for their spirits collection, which includes rare pechuga mezcal, private bottlings of single malt Scotch, limited release tequilas, and artisan Cognac and Armagnac. The inside of the restaurant is also adorned with rare and unique finds. Tommy Tardie—owner and operator of Goodnight Group Hospitality, which consists of Fine & Rare and The Flatiron Room—says some of the restaurant’s key design elements include Grand Central Station teller windows, 100-year-old floorboards from a Connecticut mill and a vintage schoolhouse façade that lines a fireplace in the dining room. “The restaurant itself becomes the bar as hundreds of bottles line the gently snaking walls,” he says. “The bottles become part of the décor as diners place their order and can see the bottle be pulled from the shelves as their waiter climbs up the ladders.”
“I think the important thing to note is how much time, effort and research was put into every little detail that makes up the design of Fine & Rare,” Tardie adds. “In order to be authentic and rare, we had to source items that fit that exact description. Each piece of art or décor tells a story, whether it be the chandelier from an old masonic temple or the Grand Central teller windows.”
Diners can also watch a live jazz performance while enjoying their meal or sipping on creative cocktails. Between the ambiance, unique spirits and food offerings, restaurant goers can experience an old-world charm at Fine & Rare.
“My motivation behind Fine & Rare was to create an establishment where diners truly feel as if they have been transported to a time of lush elegance, with fine food and rare spirits paired alongside rhythmic jazz,” Tardie adds. “I wanted to create a destination where contemporary diners enjoy the timeless sophistication of old New York.”
