Slideshow

First Look at Asellina, the Flatiron’s Latest Flashy Hotel Restaurant

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Next Wednesday, the operators of STK and Tenjune will open their restaurant on the ground floor of the Gansevoort Park Hotel. If the name Asellina sounds dirty, that’s because it kind of is: It’s said to mean “little ass” and have belonged to the owner of a Pompeii shop that was also purportedly a brothel. Who knows whether the One Group had all that in mind when they named what they hope will be competition for the Ace Hotel’s Breslin nearby.

In any case, they’ve hired Vegas transplant Marco Porceddu to come up with a menu that combines local and Italian ingredients (the ricotta, for instance, is imported, while the flatbreads are baked fresh daily), making this (along with Villa Pacri and Lavo) yet another entrant in the sphere of nightlife types doing the Italian thing. Check out iCrave’s design via our slideshow. There’s apparently a fireplace somewhere in there, and come spring there’ll be a mossy back patio, too.

Asellina Menu [PDF]

Asellina, 420 Park Ave S., nr. 29th St.; 212-317-2908

First Look at Asellina, the Flatiron’s Latest Flashy Hotel Restaurant