Tribeca Citizen | New Kid on the Block: Añejo

New Kid on the Block: Añejo

August 21, 2014 • Restaurant/Bar News

For their second outpost—the first is in Hell’s Kitchen—the folks behind the Mexican small-plates restaurant Añejo gave the Bread Tribeca space a thorough makeover without obscuring what made it special in the first place (the lofty openness and those luscious windows above sidewalk level). You’ll find a lot of exposed brick and reclaimed wood, along with touches of rich color, Mexican folk art, and crystal chandeliers; the bar was moved to the east side; and they’ve even added a downstairs level, to be used for dining and special events, such as tastings.

With 120 seats—at the bar, traditional tables, and counter-height communal tables—the new Añejo is larger than its sibling, and the menu (see below) includes many of chef Angelo Sosa‘s hits, while adding new dishes. Sosa is best known for his stint on “Top Chef,” and while he oversees the Añejo brand’s food, his former executive sous chef Jonas Offenbach will be running day-to-day operations in Tribeca.

For tequila to be classified as “añejo” (“aged” in Spanish), it must spend one to three years in an oak barrel. Añejo, the restaurant, is taking its eponym to heart by aging tequila and mezcal (including that of Tribeca-based Ilegal) on its downstairs level. The idea is to have celebrity patrons sign the barrels, which will be auctioned off for charity once they’re ready.

Añejo debuts for dinner on Saturday, with soft-opening events this week and lunch and brunch to follow in a few weeks. I attended a party last night to celebrate the charity-barrel initiative, and while I can’t yet vouch for the food, the margarita I had was delicious. (The food photos below are courtesy Añejo.)

Añejo is at 301 Church (at Walker), 212-920-6270; anejotribeca.com.

About these menus: There are no prices for the food because Añejo is still working out the pricing for the new dishes. Items that are on the menu at Añejo uptown will have the same price.