Parisian comfort food inspires the Michelin-starred chef.

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The new Bar Benno, his ode to the Parisian bistro, is about to debut as Jonathan Benno prepares to reopen his restaurants after their pandemic slumber. It was originally his Roman-style tratorria Leonelli Taberna that used to house the restaurant.

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Benno opened three restaurants in Manhattan's Nomad neighborhood in 2018 at the Evelyn Hotel. While helming the popular Italian restaurant Lincoln and being part of Thomas Keller's Per Se team that earned three Michelin stars, the chef was able to experiment with multiple concepts.

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Leonelli Focacceria e Pasticceria was the Italian-inspired bakery at the front of the hotel with grab-and-go options. In the Taberna, which was located just past the hotel lobby, you had dishes like Berkshire pork chops with horseradish gremolata and gnoccho accompanied by braised oxtail, as well as much more.

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Benno’s eponymous restaurant was tucked away in the back of the hotel and served prix fixe menus that were influenced by the food of the region of Liguria and Provence, a cuisine that crisscrossed Italy and France. Throughout his career, he has been able to combine the best of foods from both countries in his menus, earning a three-star rating from the New York Times, as well as a Michelin star.

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The pandemic put an end to dine-in service at Benno's restaurants during the midst of the epidemic, but now that the illness has passed, Benno is planning to stage a comeback, though with a new direction. He will be moving both the fine dining restaurant as well as the Taberna to the heart of France.

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In phase one, Bar Benno opened over the weekend with casual and comforting Gallic fare. Benno is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but instead is aiming to provide perfectly executed interpretations of Parisian bistro classics.

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There are several impressive dishes available at the restaurant, such as an amazing seafood tower, escargot with garlic custard, Berkshire pork terrine, and moules frites, which are mussels cooked in a white wine and vadouvan sauce and served with French fries. There will be a rotisserie at the restaurant that will be serving beef prime ribs with Bordelaise sauce and chicken like you would see in the Marais when you wander past the shops.

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Benno, the Michelin-starred restaurant that previously opened in Chiang Mai, will reopen next month with a new focus on French food and a seafood menu. However, Benno and his team are not yet ready to give any further details until the menu's reopening date.