Welcome to the latest installment of the Launch, where Sam Mason, former pastry chef at wd-50, relates the ups and downs of preparing to open Tailor, the swanky restaurant and lounge coming together at 525 Broome Street.
“There’s a lot of media stuff going on right now; I just did a Times photo shoot, and all these writers are coming around, doing articles for August and September issues. I like that; we’ll open and then have that burst of publicity. Right now, though, I’m absorbed in all these little tasks: cleaning equipment, painting the ceiling (I’m thinking of a light blue), designing the chefs’ coats with Jennifer Leuzzi (I want them to have western-style snap buttons) and working out the last details with the smallware, like spoons and whisks, and the glasses, which will be Riedel and will be designed specifically for red, white, and dessert wines.
“We’re almost there. Some blogger had a report about us not having our liquor license yet, just to take a slap at me. Everyone knows your license is pending until you get your Certificate of Occupancy. It’s a 100 percent done deal; we just need to show the city how many we can seat so the occupancy limit can be posted. I’m ready for us to open, but I don’t mind the free time. I don’t mind being able to go out to Fire Island on the weekend, or to eat dinner out any night. I probably won’t have any free time for a year. I’m looking forward to opening Tailor, but I’d rather people not have any preconceived notions of what it’s going to be like. I don’t even know what I expect.”
