Openings

Spanish Enfant Terrible Jesús Nuñez Hopes to Bring Shark Carpaccio to New York

Photo: Courtesy of Jesús Nuñez

In addition to the Spanish chefs visiting Mercat, one of Madrid’s forward thinkers, Jesús Nuñez of Polenta and Flou, is hoping to make a permanent residence here. Nuñez is known for his playful “interactive dishes” (think liquid nitrogen) and for combining the principles of molecular gastronomy and modern art (he’s a former graffiti artist) in preparing, among other things, exotic meats (his menu at Polenta includes shark and deer carpaccio). We hear he’s currently looking at downtown spaces (including West Soho) in hopes of opening a counter-seating restaurant by the end of the year, possibly named Crisol (“melting pot”) after his knack for fusing Japanese, Moroccan, Peruvian, Greek, and, of course, Spanish cuisines. No doubt his deconstructed tortilla (shown here) will be on the menu, and so will edible cocktails. Will New York finally get its own version of José Andrés’s minibar?

Spanish Enfant Terrible Jesús Nuñez Hopes to Bring Shark Carpaccio