Empire Building

What, Does Anthony Martignetti Want to Turn Canal Street Into the New Bowery?

Photo: Melissa Hom

According to DNA Info, the Martignetti brothers of Brinkley’s and Southside fame are taking over a storefront (at Canal Street between Baxter and Centre Streets) that was shuttered during a 2008 raid of Canal Street’s Counterfeit Triangle, and with the help of chef Keith Harry of Macao Trading Co., they plan to turn it into an Asian-inspired restaurant that’ll perhaps serve “spicy lamb and eggplant dumplings, a bun sandwich of shrimp and snow pea leaves with miso mayonnaise and a lobster hot pot with curry, sauterne and lo mein.” Remember, Anthony Martignetti is a big fan of Indochine, so the concept isn’t a total surprise — the location, however, is a bit of a challenge (for years, the great Forlini’s has toiled nearby in relative obscurity).

But then again, Martignetti is also an admirer of Keith McNally, so maybe he considers Canal and Baxter his Ninth Avenue and Little West 12th. And who can blame him? Isn’t it only a matter of time before all these counterfeit shops are the new cooking supply stores, and Canal Street is the new Bowery?

Upscale Restaurant to Replace Counterfeit Handbag Shop on Canal Street [DNA Info]

What, Does Anthony Martignetti Want to Turn Canal Street Into the New Bowery?