Restaurant Marc Forgione

Address:
  134 Reade Street
  New York, NY 10013

Phone: 212-941-9401

Website: www.marcforgione.com

Pricing: $$$

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Description:

In his eponymous restaurant, Chef Marc “Forge” Forgione showcases his laid-back yet high-style approach to New American cuisine in a comfortable and energetic atmosphere. Forgione and partner Chris Blumlo originally opened the restaurant under the Chef´s nickname in June 2008, offering their signature style of contemporary food and drink as well as friendly service that draws an eclectic mix of locals and visitors.

“I wanted to create a place that is genuine; somewhere that projects my energy and passion,” says Forgione. “Marc Forgione reflects years of family history, my personal style and the texture of the neighborhood.” Learn more about the building and the decor.

As the son of renowned chef Larry Forgione, the 29-year old chef has been developing his skills in the kitchen since he was 16 years old, first at his father´s restaurant An American Place. Forgione went on to work with a number of notable chefs including Kazuto Matsusaka, Patricia Yeo, Michel Guerard and Laurent Tourondel.

From these varied experiences, Forgione has created a straightforward American style with bold flavors and playful touches. Forgione manipulates citrus, heat and fresh herbs to create maximum flavor; and his sophisticated dishes blend familiar elements with precise technique. Menus change frequently to showcase fresh ingredients and new twists on seasonal American favorites. View our menu.

The 80-bottle wine list focuses on global selections, mostly from producers in California, New York, France, Italy and Germany. A section dedicated to American classics includes Robert Mondavi´s Reserve Cabernet as a tribute to the late winemaker.

Designed by Jun Aizaki of Crème Design (Rayuela in New York City, Tinto Wine Bar in Philadelphia), the Marc Forgione space exudes a vintage, well-worn feel. Reclaimed cedar wood from Blumlo´s circa-1900 Massachusetts sawmill line the walls. Throughout the restaurant custom-made glass lanterns with glowing candles are suspended by elevator cables.

Since opening, Marc Forgione earned coveted Michelin stars in 2010 and 2011, along with the distinction of a two-star New York Times review from Sam Sifton in October of 2010. The restaurant was also named “Key Newcomer” by Zagat Guide 2009, “Top 25 Restaurants in NYC” by Modern Luxury magazine and “All Star Eatery” by Forbes magazine in 2008-2010. Chef Forgione was awarded “Star Chefs Rising Star of the Year Award 2010′; named “Rising Star 2008′ from Restaurant Hospitality magazine and mentioned “New Formalist” by Esquire magazine in 2008. In 2010 he competed against 10 of the best Chefs from around the country and ultimately was crowned the winner of the Next Iron Chef on Food Network, joining the exclusive group of Iron Chefs.

About the Chef:
Chef Marc “Forge” Forgione began his career at the age of 16, joining his father, Larry Forgione (a culinary legend who revolutionized American-style cooking in the ´70s and ´80s), in the kitchen at An American Place. Marc fully embraced his father´s livelihood and has built on his unique culinary foundation to carve out an identity of his own.

Marc opted for a traditional four-year education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he graduated from the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. He spent his summers working the line at restaurants such as Above in New York, with acclaimed chef Kazuto Matsusaka. These stints would lay the groundwork for Marc´s post-collegiate toils, again alongside his father at An American Place and later under Patricia Yeo at AZ. When Yeo and celebrated chef Pino Maffeo opened Pazo, they took Marc along to serve as sous chef at the short-lived eatery. When Laurent Tourondel set out to develop his flagship, BLT Steak, he recruited Marc as his sous chef.

In an effort to diversify his experience, Marc left for France, where he secured a series of humble posts under Michel Guerard in Eugenie les Bains. Working at three of the region´s finest restaurants, Le Pres D´Eugenie, Ferme aux Grives and Le Cuisine Minceur, Marc absorbed the nuances of classic French techniques and further developed what had already become a meaningful relationship with ingredients.

When he returned to New York, Marc promptly reunited with Tourondel, who invited the now seasoned chef to serve as chef de cuisine at BLT Prime. The restaurant would go on to earn sterling accolades from relevant publications nationwide, culminating in a 27 in the Zagat Guide, making it the highest-ranking steakhouse in the history of New York City. Following his role as chef de cuisine, Marc was named corporate chef for the BLT Restaurant Group, a position that enabled him to develop recipes and maintain the quality of the BLT brand as it went on to include more restaurants across the country. Marc has played a key role in the openings of BLT Fish and BLT Market, as well as the Washington, D.C., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Dallas locations of BLT Steak.

With Marc Forgione, originally known as his nickname, he has created an approachable place with partner Christopher Blumlo “that people walk by and are compelled to enter and where the ingredients are the star.” Marc was most recently coveted with a Michelin star in the 2010 guide, making him the youngest American-born chef/owner to receive the honor. The restaurant also earned the distinction of a two-star New York Times review, was named “Key Newcomer” by Zagat Guide 2009, “Top 25 Restaurants in NYC” by Modern Luxury magazine and “All Star Eatery” by Forbes magazine. Marc Forgione was awarded “Star Chefs Rising Star of the Year Award 2010′; named “Rising Star 2008′ from Restaurant Hospitality magazine and mentioned “New Formalist” by Esquire magazine in 2008.In 2010 he was crowned the winner of the Next Iron Chef TV show on The Food Network.