He’s opening an ABC Kitchen spinoff in Chicago, he’s planning a gonzo restaurant-cum-maritime museum on a boat, and now Jean-Georges Vongerichten says he’s taking over the former Inn at Pound Ridge near his home in Waccabuc, New York. “I am a country boy,” he said, when describing his plan to turn the Inn into a restaurant focused on local, mostly organic food, similar to what’s served at ABC.
Architect Thomas Juul-Hansen — who worked on Perry Street and the Jean Georges revamp — is already working on the 150-seat, bi-level, landmarked restaurant, which will retain five fireplaces and a banquet space for weddings and events. “The look will be country chic,” explains Lois Freedman, the president of Jean Georges Management. “Lots of stone, wood, and brick.”
So, when to expect the restaurant? Let’s just say it’s not going to open in time for the holiday rush: “The whole building has to be restored,” says Freedman. “And we don’t know how long that will take.”
Related: Jean-Georges Planning to Open Massive Lobster Shack on Old Staten Island Ferry
