Posted by: Editor on Jan 13, 2005 – 11:10 AM
cuisine A restaurant concept named as the top American regional diner in New York for five years running will be the “signature restaurant” in the 600-room luxury all-suite hotel that will be built as part of Kerzner International’s Phase III expansion at Atlantis.
Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill will open at Christmas 2006, with the restaurant set to be designed by the Rockwell Group. The cuisine served will come with a Bahamian twist. Mesa Grill was named as 2004s best restaurant by New York magazine, and has been named as the top American regional restaurant in New York by the Zagat survey for five years running.
The design for Mesa Grill at Atlantis mixes and weaves through a myriad of materials as through they were ingredients in one of Flay’s culinary masterpieces. An oversized pivot door will lead to the colorful terrazzo and tile entry hall. In the hall, scratched plaster walls will frame commissioned artwork. Back-lit stone and colored cast-glass panels will create a vivid glow in the bar/lounge that will be outfitted with furniture made from gel-like polyurethane.
Large fabric and layered glass pendant lights will softly illuminate the restaurant. The centerpiece of the main dining room will be a two-storey rotisserie backed by a 30-foot tile-lined hearth. The custom pattern will artfully emulate flames, so the fire will always be roaring.
Anchoring this open area, a woven cherry wood ceiling will float overhead. In the main dining space, commanding views of the ocean will shimmer behind sheer silk drapes. Mesa Grill at Atlantis will creatively capture the above-water exploration of new textures and tastes.
Meanwhile, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who runs the One & Only Club restaurant, will lead the renaissance’ of Café Martinique at Marina Village, which is scheduled to open this autumn. The original café was made famous by its appearance in a 1965 James Bond movie, Thunderball, and the new version will be designed by New York designer Adam Tihany.
Iconic pieces such as a wrought-iron bird-cage elevator, a dramatic mahogany staircase and elegantly etched glass windows will help to rekindle its celebrated ambiance. A luxurious Steinway piano will welcome diners to the restaurant, which will feature French gourmet fare served in an intimate atmosphere of graceful candlelit tables with marina views.
Scheduled to open in the Royal Towers at the end of 2005 is the newest location of Nobu, the Japanese restaurant conceived and run by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Located adjacent to the Atlantis Casino, the new space will also be designed by the Rockwell Group.
Source: The Tribune
January 5th, 2005