Closed Chanterelle's Owner Back With New Restaurant
David Waltuck and his wife Karen were at the forefront of the upscale dining revolution when they opened Chanterelle's in 1979 in SoHo. At the time, French restaurants were mostly snooty, buttoned-up affairs, but the first thing the couple did when they opened their restaurant was to drop the pretentious "le" from their name, according to Grub Street. Chanterelle's shuttered at the height of the recession in 2009. Chef Waltuck will soon be re-entering the restaurant scene with his brand-new restaurant, élan, set to open this summer in the Flatiron District on East 20th Street. Waltuck has explained that his new venture will be "the 2014 answer to Chanterelle's."
"We're saying 'American cuisine with a French accent,'" Waltuck told Grub Street.
The restaurant will have a small lounge area for snacks and drinks, a bar, and a back room for full dinner service. Waltuck will be serving some Chanterelle's favorites, like his infamous seafood sausage.
Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi