(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

East Side Social Club
230 E. 51st St., nr. Third Ave.; 212-355-9442
If you thought peacefully assembling the clan in one room once a year for Thanksgiving was a challenge, consider what restaurateur Billy Gilroy (Employees Only) is attempting to do: go into the business with his chef son Devon, daughter Grace, brother Jim, and even an ex-wife (number two of five). This daring social experiment takes place in the old Montparnasse space in the Pod Hotel , where the premises have been transformed into a three-section, 113-seat restaurant with burgundy-upholstered booths and red carpeting. And, because nothing says “one big happy family” like old-school Italian-American cooking (given a few contemporary tweaks), Devon will be turning out dishes like linguine with clams, sea-urchin rice balls, and roasted swordfish with olives, capers, and raisins. Plus cocktails by the Employees Only crew, with breakfast and late-night service coming soon.

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• Archive: “Restaurant Openings & Buzz”
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• Table of Contents: Nov 30, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!