Andrea Strong comes back from friends-and-family at 10 Downing with news that partners Vincent Seufert (5 Ninth, Rhone), Stephane Dorian (Waterloo and Le Zoo), and Joel Michel (5 Ninth) will open a casual café next to the restaurant. As for the existing dining room, it has a “light, lofty, sunny Zuni Café vibe, with high ceilings and butter colored walls hung with an eclectic mix of striking artwork by James Casabere, Alex Katz and Lorna Simpson, among others.” Executive chef Jason Neroni's menu (also influenced by consulting chef Katy Sparks) includes “a roasted celery root soup garnished with chicken livers, yogurt and pimenton croutons ($9), and a salad of butter lettuces and spot prawns with trout roe, tarragon cream and rye bread croutons ($13), along with Bobo Farms chicken served with a saffron paella stocked with morcilla sausage, mussels ($23 for one, $43 for two), ouvo ravioli filled with duck egg, sheep’s milk ricotta with market greens and crispy shallots ($18) and a grass-fed Bison hanger steak with a potato, leek and date gratin with olives and daube jus ($26). Desserts include a Meyer lemon curd with pound cake and lavender cream ($8) and bittersweet chocolate soufflé cake with malted ice cream ($9).”

What's Really Happening at 10 Downing [Strong Buzz]