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Flatiron’s former Veritas space is getting another serious wine address. Amphora, a new restaurant from chef Jack Logue and wine director Chris Miller, opens Wednesday, September 9, on East 20th Street with more than 2,500 bottles on hand—enough to make even the most committed “just one glass” person reconsider.
Logue, who's worked at The Lambs Club, The Clocktower, Daniel and the Michelin-starred Betony, is reuniting with Miller after the pair’s four-year run at The Lambs Club. Their new restaurant is built around the idea that food and wine should be in active conversation, rather than the familiar routine of picking a bottle after the entrée has already been chosen.
The cellar embraces all of the heavy-hitting regions that collectors love to whisper about: Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont and the Northern Rhône are all well represented. There are also marquee names including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Coche-Dury, Raveneau, Rousseau, Giacomo Conterno and Pétrus, plus verticals from producers such as Krug, Domaine Leflaive, Ridge and Opus One. That’s a lot of cellar-door flexing, but the list will also include emerging producers and bottles intended for guests who are curious, but perhaps not ready to make a down payment on their Burgundy.
On the food side, Logue’s opening dishes include Montauk fluke with Sungold tomato, melon and shiso; diver scallops with sweet corn, jamón and Australian black truffle; and raviolo inspired by vitello tonnato, pairing milk-fed veal with bluefin tuna and capers. Bigger-ticket plates include Rohan duck breast with chanterelles, cherry and sansho, and a 48-day-aged ribeye with potato terrine and black garlic Bordelaise.
Guests can go all in with Amphora’s signature tasting menu and curated wine pairings, or opt for three- and four-course prix fixe menus. There will also be à la carte dining at the five-seat bar.
Bentel & Bentel redesigned the space, adding 48 seats to the dining room, giving the restaurant a relatively intimate footprint for such an ambitious collection. Named for the ancient vessel used to transport wine, Amphora arrives with enough bottles to keep Flatiron drinking for a very long time.