The shifting tides of New York's dining landscape see a new occupant at the once-secretive 86 Bedford Street, as the Catch Team announces plans to take over the premises previously housing the short-lived Frog Club. Eugene Remm, alongside Catch partners Mark Birnbaum and Tilman Fertitta, remains tight-lipped about the new restaurant's concept but has expressed excitement in bringing a fresh vision to the historic venue, according to Eater New York.
With a past peppered by the clandestine charm of speakeasy Chumley's and the enigmatic allure of the Frog Club's controversial tenure, the address holds significance within the New York dining scene, Remm and his team seem poised to honor this while propelling the space towards its next chapter, a sentiment echoed by chef Michael Vignola of the Corner Store who is set to craft a menu that pays homage to its rich past while introducing modern elements, the team's vision for the former speakeasy's future remains to be fully unveiled but a nod to its history is in the works. While the restaurant's identity is yet to be disclosed, its history will not go unrecognized, with the team committing to respect the storied legacy of Chumley's, the one-time speakeasy originator of the space.
Meanwhile, the building landlord, Margaret Streicker Porres, confirmed to Eater New York that the leasing process involved considerable deliberation, with several candidates at one point under consideration before the Catch Team's acquisition was finalized. This follows the expansion efforts that saw Catch opening new outposts in Miami Beach and Dallas last year, and with plans underway for a Scottsdale location as well as an additional Mediterranean eatery set to arrive in Soho.
The narrative of Frog Club ended somewhat ignominiously, its initial exclusivity undermined by a plethora of open reservations towards its closure, celebrities like Ryan Murphy were at times spotted amongst its clientele, yet filling the room remained a challenge, a former employee revealed to Time Out New York, hinting at the difficulties in maintaining a balance between exclusivity and customer turnout. Liz Johnson's culinary hotspot was once a hard-to-get-into venue, pivoting from an email-only reservation system to joining mainstream platform Resy, easing the way for diners to explore her American cooking that includes bacon-wrapped filets and banana chiffon pies, the once enigmatic locale having to embrace broader accessibility as part of its operational pivot.
