Famous Spanish Chef to Open Tapas Restaurant on 69th

A Spanish chef famous for innovative dishes — including shark and deer carpaccio, as well as ostrich and gazelle — is opening a restaurant on the Upper West Side. Jesus Nunez, called the enfant terrible of Spanish cooking by New York magazine, plans to open Graffit, in the space formerly occupied by Levana Kosher restaurant at 141 West 69th Street. Levana closed in 2008.

Graffit will specialize in tapas, the small dishes famous in Spain. The restaurant will also serve wines from Spanish vineyards owned by Nunez’s partners. Nunez is obviously looking to make a splash in the New York food scene. What other restaurateur tells a small community board subcommittee at a liquor license hearing about the Michelin ratings for his two restaurants (Polenta and Flou) in Spain?

One Spanish magazine described Nunez like this: “When sitting down to taste one of his creations, you feel like you’re contemplating an Impressionist painting, full of colours and without complexes. Just the taste is more surprising than the aspect, a curious combination of sweet and savoury with a clever crunchy touch.” New York magazine says he likes to use liquid nitrogen in his dishes too.

Graffit (Nunez is a former graffiti artist) is expected to have 75 seats and an enclosed back patio, according to community board documents. Its liquor license application goes before Community Board 7 at 6:30 on Tuesday at Rodeph Sholom.

(thumbnail via esMadrid)