Akhtar Nawab to *NOT* Leave E.U., Will Open New RestaurantAkhtar Nawab, the talented chef who turned around E.U.’s fortunes, is expecting to leave, Grub Street has learned. “We’re planning something, and we are looking at a space,” Nawab told us. The new restaurant, which Nawab will open with Dani operating partner Noel Cruz, will be on West 8th Street. The menu will reflect casual but sophisticated Mediterranean food “something like the original Craftbar,” Nawab explained. (This style is in contrast to earlier rumors, which aligned the new venture with Nawab’s more upscale Allen and Delancey model before he parted from that project.) Nawab was reluctant to present any sort of timeline; he will leave E.U.“soon,” but the new restaurant likely won’t open until late winter or spring.
UPDATE: We spoke to Nawab yesterday and misunderstood. Though he will open a new restaurant, he plans to stay on at E.U. Grub Street regrets the error, our bad, etc.
Related: Allen and Delancey Tripped at the Finish Line, Won’t Open
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Psilakis Isn’t the Only Chef Who Knows GreekMichael Psilakis’s Michelin star (and other honors) is raising the profile of Greek cooking in New York, but other restaurants are looking to catch up. Ethos, a big, popular place in both its Manhattan and Astoria locations, is getting a classically trained new chef who vows to take the places to the next level. (A third Ethos, meanwhile, is slated to open in Great Neck at the end of the month.)
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Ever Work at Heartland Brewery? Time to Sue!If you’ve worked an hourly job at Heartland Brewery’s six locations (including Spanky’s BBQ) in the past three years, start checking your mailbox. You won’t get an invite to the company Christmas party, but your presence is requested for a class-action lawsuit about minimum wage and overtime. A judge has ruled that attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum can send out the notice, which he’s taking as a positive sign: “The court bought into the fact that corruption, if there, applied equally to everyone at every location.” So if you feel ripped off, join eighteen of your former colleagues and place your order with the American legal system.
Memorandum & Order: Peter Fasanelli v. Heartland Brewery [PDF]
Earlier: Legal Battle on Tap for Heartland Brewery