At Tatiana, Modellus Novus pays homage to a star chef’s New York youth
Alongside pizza and bagels, the chopped cheese is a quintessentially New York dish. The bodega staple is a deconstructed cheeseburger, with American cheese and onions folded into ground beef on a flat top then loaded onto a hero with shredded lettuce and tomato. While the standard version can be enjoyed at delis across the five boroughs, Tatiana may be the only establishment to serve a truffled chopped cheese—one of many items that pay homage to corner store classics and the city’s culinary diversity.
“Opening Tatiana at Lincoln Center is a longtime dream come true for me,” author and chef Kwame Onwuachi said. “Having grown up in the Bronx, I know this area has long represented arts and culture. We’re drawing on the city’s vibrant 1980s music and art scenes and paying homage to the often-overlooked places which shaped the city’s fabric and creative culture.”
Architect Modellus Novus (MN) matched this energy with interiors that channel the South Bronx of Onwuachi’s youth and honor San Jan Hill, the Black and Brown neighborhood that the city razed to build Lincoln Center. MN wrapped the interior in oil-slick graphite glazed tile that glints in the light from oversize floor-to-ceiling windows. The two structural columns in the center of the dining room are decked out in chromate-treated steel—the same treatment that prevents rust in machine parts.
Read more on aninteriormag.com.
