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North End Grill Will Close at the End of the Year
Eater reports that North End Grill will close at the end of 2018: “Union Square Hospitality Group declined to say why it is closing North End Grill, only noting in a statement that it’s come ‘after much thought and discussion.’ Now—and for the rest of the year—new executive chef Emily Brekke is running the kitchen. With most of the year left, Brekke will ‘have some fun and take some risks’ with the menu, which will shift in the coming weeks, though there are no details on what her version will look like, according to USHG.”
This feels like a punch in the gut. I’ve had so many wonderful meals at North End Grill since it opened in 2012, and I grew to know and like many of the people who worked there. While the restaurant was never quite the same after the no-tipping shift—so many established front-of-house staffers left, really hurting the warm-but-professional feel of the place—it was still reliably good, and exactly the kind of establishment Battery Park City needs. It will be dearly missed.
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RIP…agreed that it checked many boxes, and i had many wonderful meals there over the years. Wonder how long it will take USHG to admit that no tipping caused the demise of this place. Was never the same, and always felt more expensive than it should be.
Could be that North End Grill’s reputation was tarnished by Eric Korsh’s sexual harassment misconduct allegations, and the subsequent lawsuits and settlement could’ve been the beginning of end of North End Grill.
And could be that the staffers left because HR did nothing about the former chef’s alleged sexual harrasment of the female staff and thus created a toxic environment, hence the decline of the warm and friendly professional environment.
I doubt most of the patrons heard about the allegations against Korsh.
Perhaps, but still the staff turnover can be accounted for Eric Korsch’s behaviour and HR ignoring the staff’s complaints.
I really don’t understand why everyone complains about having a tip included in the price as is the case in most of the world. It doesn’t change the price you are paying unless all of you are just not tipping 20% and stiffing the staff so you can save a couple bucks.
I dont think its all about the tip being in the price, its mostly about what it leads too. Staff turnover, weak bartenders, and ultimately an impacted dining experience….that said….Sauteed Spinach for $14 and Roasted Cauliflower sides costing $16 cant help the cause
Sorry to see North End Grill go. For a long time, it was our local go-to restaurant for out-of-town guests. But, until last weekend, we hadn’t visited in six months because of a steep fall-off in the menu, the food execution, and in service, which we also traced to the loss of key people once the no-tipping policy was implemented and poor oversight in the kitchen. Something was amiss here for too long, as we’ve seen in the recent reports in Eater.
The atmosphere has recently changed this year for the better. Emily is a fine chef, the menu is improved, and the vibe is decidedly more pleasant. I think this crew could turn things around. But I can’t help wondering if the recent terrible publicity was more than the restaurant (or their GS landlord) could overcome in this #MeToo era.
We loved North End Grill with a passion under Floyd Cardoz’s watch and dined there a couple of times a week. The experience was all about fresh, inventive flavors and warm, welcoming service in a beautifully designed setting. We made many friends among the very talented staff. The world changed when Eric Korsch arrived, despite the herculean efforts of many of the long time staff to keep his unwarranted arrogance from infecting the place. We will return now that Emily, who is a much better chef, will have a chance to shine. So sad that USHG didn’t get its act together to solve this problem instead of letting the restaurant slide.