Reopenings

New Chef Returns Frog to the Common Folk, via Bottle Service and Kobe Sliders

Photo: Daniel Maurer

We’ve finally gotten owner Stephen Henderson to tell us what’s cooking at FR.OG, which quietly reopened last month as Frog Café. The restaurant, which never really won a following with Didier Virot at the helm, now operates as a café until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday (till 10 or 11 on Fridays and Saturdays), and on Wednesday through Saturday it converts to a lounge/club at night. The team from Upstairs is not involved, as was rumored (negotiations fell through and outside promoters are being used instead), but Henderson says the door is “predominantly exclusive,” with bottle reservations insuring entry (that number is 212-966-5050). The music ranges from mainstream to hip-hop to jazzy.

Meanwhile, on the food side, the man in the kitchen is Bruce Kessler, a part-time yoga teacher who’s drawing on his experience as a caterer (he also owned Julienne, a café in Carroll Gardens) to, in his words, “convert the place into something more hospitable. The monarchy is over — now we’re for the proletariat!” That said, Kessler will be adding Kobe sliders ($11 for two) to the bar menu this weekend. Other bar items (priced at around $9) include shrimp and feta quesadillas; an Asian salmon salad; chorizo puff pastries; and an eggplant, prosciutto, and roasted pepper terrine. Says Kessler, “Now regular people can eat here!”

Lunch Menu
Sandwich bar (Served with a side of terra chips)
Grilled chicken with lemon aioli and basil 7.50
Grilled chicken with mozzarella and roasted peppers 8.50
Grilled chicken BLT 8.50
Smoked turkey, pepper jack cheese, sun dried tomato, Dijon mustard 8.50
Chicken salad dijonnaise, cucumber, leaf lettuce 7.50
Parmesan chicken with roasted tomatoes 8.50
Grilled hangar steak w/ caramelized onions and blue cheese dressing 11.00
Prosciutto and Asiago cheese 12.00
Traditional tuna dogostiano 7.50
Mediterranean tuna, hummus, cucumber 8.50
Asian salmon with avocado 10.50
Marinated grilled vegetables 8.50
Fresh mozzarella, plum tomato, basil 9.50
Brie, sun dried tomato, basil 9.50

Burger Bar
Sliders (2) / Jumbo
Classic beef burger on toasted bun 5.00/8.50
Cheddar cheese and sliced pickle 6.00/9.50
Blue cheese and red onion 6.00/9.50
add bacon 1.00/1.50
add shoestring fries 2.00/2.50

Panini
Half/Whole
Prosciutto, mozzarella, pepper, pesto 5.50/10.00
Smoked turkey, jalapeño jack, arugula 5.50/10.00
Panini pizza: smoked mozzarella,
roasted tomato, ricotta 7.00/11.50

Quesadilla
Half/Whole
Spicy shrimp, black bean, feta cheese 6.00/11.50
Grilled chicken, asiago, roasted garlic 6.00/11.50

Salads (side/entree)
Organic mesclun, sun dried cranberries 4.50/8.00
Mediterranean: Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, feta 5.50/9.50
Spinach: topped with fried greek cheese 7.00/12.00
Provencal: vegetables, toasted pine nuts, Asiago 7.00/12.00
Caprese: roasted plum tomatoes, boconccini, basil 8.00/13.00
Asian cucumber salad with spicy shrimp 7.00/12.00

Soups
Chicken & pasta with parmesan crouton 5.00
Chef’s daily soup 6.00

Sides
Shoe string French fries 4.00
Sweet potato fries 4.00
Baked tomato with parmesan and feta 5.00


Bar Menu
Served 4pm – 9pm Sun-W and till 10 or 11 pm Th - Sat ONLY
Vegetarian antipasto 11.00
Spicy shrimp with tortilla tails tomatilla salsa 9.00
Porcupine chicken (wrapped in sliced almonds) 7.00
Spinach, portobello, and feta in phyllo 8.00
Chorizo in puff pastry 8.00
Florida crab cakes with sunshine aioli 12.00
Spicy tuna tartare with sesame crisps 12.00
Grilled hangar steak skewers with caramelized onion 10.00
Kobe sliders (2) on mini brioche with sweet potato frites 13.00
Grilled eggplant and roasted pepper terrine 11.00

Any three of first six items 23.00
Any three of last six items 33.00

DAILY SOUPS
The Chefs at Frog have prepared homemade soup each day in addition to our Chicken Pasta with Parmesan Croutons

MONDAY ~ TUSCAN BREAD & FRESH TOMATO
TUESDAY ~ CHICKEN TORTILLA with HOMEMADE SALSA
WEDNESDAY ~ TOMATO BASIL
THURSDAY ~ BUTTERNUT SQUASH
FRIDAY ~ PISTOU (CLASSIC VEGETABLE WITH PESTO)
SATURDAY ~ TOMATO BASIL

New Chef Returns Frog to the Common Folk, via Bottle Service and Kobe Sliders