New Restaurant Alert: Charlie Palmer’s Steak IV Opens in New York

The famed chef has re-envisioned his Manhattan steak house at a new Times Square spot; on the other hand, Anto Korean Steak House ceases operations in Midtown East.

The ringleader behind: Following the closing of Charlie Palmer Steak NYC back in February, chef Charlie Palmer re-imagines the steak house dubbed Charlie Palmer Steak IV, now housed at a different place in New York City. This is the freshest steak house in Palmer’s restaurant collective, comprising Charlie Palmer Steak locations in Washington, D.C. alongside Reno, Nev., and Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, Calif., all of which garnered Restaurant Awards.

Palmer first made waves in 1988 with his original Aureole restaurant. It was initially located in an Upper East Side townhouse prior to relocating downtown, just a stone’s throw from Bryant Park, in 2009. Aureole shifted to take-away service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic before shutting its doors in 2020, and retracting into Charlie Palmer Steak NYC in 2021. (Palmer’s highly-praised Aureole in Las Vegas shut down two years later. The “IV” in the restaurant’s name carries several connotations: This marks Palmer’s fourth steak house, situated on the Knickerbocker hotel’s fourth floor, in Times Square (opposite the previous Aureole site). The name also serves as a homage to Palmer’s four sons.

Date of opening: Charlie Palmer Steak IV initiated its operations April 30, succeeding Charlie Palmer at the Knick, the Knickerbocker hotel’s café which operated day-round.

The culinary approach: Palmer and executive chef Adam Raksin seek to modernize the classic steak-house experience, emphasizing seafood and pasta along with traditional cuts of beef. The menu features caviar, Beau Soleil oysters in a fennel-cucumber mignonette, tiger prawn cocktail and yellowfin tuna tartare. There are also immersive tableside experiences, including “The Seaside,” a selection of flash-poached seafood served warm over greens, pickled fruits and citrus, and the “Martini Cart,” which offers a theatrical concoction of cocktails. “The world of dining continues to evolve, and as a chef who has always been driven by such evolution and progression, we have an opportunity to create and deliver an exceptional, intimate, and truly fine dining experience within the legendary Knickerbocker hotel,” Palmer said in a statement.

What’s on the wine list: Wine director Frankie Mace has collected about 500 selections for the new wine list, including Bordeaux, Burgundies, California Cabernet Sauvignons and Italian reds, as well as crisp whites from around the globe. Gems include Jean Grivot Nuits-St.-Georges Les Charmois 2012 and Colgin Cariad Napa Valley 2002, along with splurges like Château Mouton-Rothschild 1982.

The design: Barbara Giesel Design conceived the opulent dining room with a clubby atmosphere highlighted by warm velvets, antiqued mirrors, pebbled leather elements and printed hides. It’s right at home in the Knickerbocker, which was built in 1906 in the Beaux-Arts style.—Tim Fish

After only one year of operation, Heirloom Hospitality Group’s Anto Korean Steak House, a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner, closed its doors April 1 in Midtown Manhattan. The fine Korean dining establishment had recently undergone renovations at its East 58th Street location, including the addition of Gori, a chef’s counter that offered private events and kitchen-side tasting menu experiences on the restaurant’s upper level. Heirloom had also opened a second Anto location, Anto 35, on East 35th street in Koreatown, now closed as well.

When Anto opened in April 2023, Heirloom brought on wine professional Joo Lee to oversee the wine list. With his breadth of experience from Grand Award winners such as Eleven Madison Park and Saison, Lee curated a noteworthy wine program before embarking on his own private wine consulting business. He passed the torch to Anto’s head sommelier, Anibal Calcagno, who holds impressive credentials from Best of Award of Excellence–winning New York wine destinations such as Oceans and Indian Accent.

According to Heirloom’s team, most of the Anto wine program—which features more than 750 selections—will be redistributed among the group’s other holdings, including Best of Award of Excellence winner Prime + Proper in Detroit, Mich. The group will also sell some bottles from the cellar. In a statement, the restaurant team extended their gratitude to New York City diners for their “unwavering support and patronage [of Anto] over the past year,” and expressed that they were “excited for what the future holds.”—Olivia Nolan

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!