"David Burke" news and stories

We caught a sneak peek on Monday night of Chef David Burke's new SoHo digs, David Burke Kitchen at The James Hotel (opening on Feb. 3, at 23 Grand Street), at a bash Burke held with Food Network's Lee Schrager to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (coming up February 24-27). (This isn't Burke's first outing with The James -- his Primehouse is already a hit at the hotel's Chicago branch.) First impression? These downtown digs fit the uptown chef like a glove.

Where's the beef? It's in your beer.

Recently, chef David Burke (above, left) partnered with Boston Beer Company to create the eponymous Burke in the Bottle. While spices including ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and black pepper may strike some beer drinkers as odd, it's the final ingredient that's strangest of all -- sliced beef hearts.

"When we think of David Burke, we think of beef," says Boston Beer brewing manager Bert Boyce (say that three times fast), who helped Burke craft the beer. To stand up to the meaty character, Boyce and Burke settled on an Oktoberfest-style beer liberally sprinkled with fall spices. Then came the beef: During the brew day, Burke brought over grilled, sliced beef hearts, which were added at the end of the boil.

As for the final product, "you get this big spice hit up front, with a nice malt character," Boyce says. "The beef heart expresses itself in the finish. It's savory and salty, and hangs at the end." (Oh, yes it does: I had a taste, and the beef heart hits you in the back of the tongue with a mineral tang.)

The recession is wielding its ax on high-end dining in Sin City.

Celebrity chefs David Burke and Charlie Trotter are walking away from the Las Vegas restaurants that bear their names, Nation's Restaurant News reported.

Burke announced last week that he was ending his affiliation with the restaurant David Burke at The Venetian, a joint venture with Orlando-based E Brand Restaurants. E Brands chief executive Rashid Choufani said the recession was to blame for the split.

"Celebrity chefs in restaurants there today, with this economy, it's a little hard," he told NRN. "It was hurting our concept."

Even with the recession, New York City is still bustling with restaurant openings. David Burke's latest creation, Fishtail, is a restaurant striving to provide customers with sustainable seafood options. Located in the old Jovia space, two floors and several separate rooms create an atmosphere of preference: plop a seat by the bar and enjoy drinks and the raw bar, or mosey upstairs for an intimate evening. Decor reminiscent of the waves of the sea (without being tacky) and hand-blown glass chandeliers are calming; the mahogany counters and staircases are classic.

Limos lined 62nd street as David Burke opened the doors last night. High society, press and a celebrity sighting (well, Ramona from the Housewife's of NYC isn't exactly celebrity material), were all in attendance. Small bites of Fried Calamari and Oysters, Risotto Balls, Oyster Shooters, Taquitos, Red Snapper Ceviche (needed a little salt) and my favorites, Quail Eggs Benny and a Corn and Crab Cappuccino with just the right amount of foam foreshadow a promising dining experience. Cracking lobster and crab shells and shucking the best oysters I've ever had, Fishtail's staff dealt with the massive crowd well and served with smiles.

This seafood paradise menu offers their classic raw bar, sashimi, a daily selection of whole fish and a Calamari Mac & Cheese that switches up the played out Lobster Mac & Cheese.

Fishtail by David Burke
135 E. 62nd Street; 212-754-1300