Openings

Work in Progress: Michael White’s Marea

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And now, a double-serious look at Marea, the forthcoming seafood restaurant from chef Michael White and biz partner Chris Cannon. There’s been no shortage of buzz to date, and for good reason: Whether a massive flop or huge success, it’s a multi-million-dollar bet on Central Park South and by far the biggest restaurant gamble of the year. Walking through the space yesterday with a giddy Chef White and a hella nervous Chris Cannon, it was hard not to get a little excited about the restaurant’s potential, especially in an economy marked by pizza and báhn mì bets by the boatload. The raw bar will seat eight and serve another twenty or so in the lounge, which has views of an interior garden. The kitchen has a refrigerated fish-receiving and prep room, and Michael White himself will do stints in a downstairs private dining room. White’s Italian craftsmen are putting the dining room together right now, and menu development continues off-site. There’s a Citymeals-on-Wheels fund-raiser at Marea slated for May 1, so it’s safe to expect an early May debut.

Work in Progress: Michael White’s Marea