Abracadabra, Fiamma Costata

Michael White made his New York debut in 2002 as the executive chef of Fiamma. The restaurant closed at the beginning of 2009 and has sat dormant since, but former building owner, BR Guest’s Steve Hanson, recently sold it. The new owners have leased the space to White and his business partner Ahmass Fakahany, and while the ghost of Fiamma still stands, the pending project marks the third on Altamarea Group’s horizon.

The Butterfly has been on our radar the longest, having been granted a liquor license almost a year ago last March. The smallish, 55-seat space will be opening this spring on West Broadway in Tribeca. Butterfly's menu will be inspired by White's Midwest upbringing, and bartender extraordinaire Eben Freeman, who hasn't worked behind a bar since his time at Tailor over two years ago, has been resurrected to head-up the cocktail program.

The Upper West Side will welcome White later this year on Madison and 86th Street, where Ristorante Morini will open in the former Centolire space. The restaurant will be an uptown, upscale version of the more casual Osteria Morini, which has locations in Soho and Jersey. The two-story 1167 Madison Avenue address will have a cafe downstairs with white tablecloth dining on the upper level, and the menu will take a broader tour of Italy's cuisine, rather than the Emilia Romagna-focused fare served at Osteria.

The new SoHo restaurant taking over the Fiamma space is going to be called Costata, the Italian name for a particular cut of beef, which suggests this might be White's first go at a steakhouse. Costata will likely happen after The Butterfly and Ristorante Morini, but this early in the year, a 2013 opening isn't out of the question.

A Taste of Tastes to Come

Summer is (unfortunately) over.  September will sometimes hang on to the warm weather and allude to an endless summer, but the cool breezes of late carry the rigorous truth.  It's time to get back to work.  The last quarter will be a busy one for restaurateurs, many of whom are approaching the remaining months of 2012 with a double-or-nothing attitude.  Michael White has The Butterfly and Ristorante Morini on the horizon, Andrew Carmellini will add The Library in the Public Theater and a yet-to-be-named French place to his resume, and the Torrisi guys will introduce The Lobster Club and Carbone to Thompson Street.  In addition to the double features, a slew of other restaurants are opening by the end of the year and we're excited.  Here's a look at a few storefronts with news about the restaurants moving into them.

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