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“I really wanted to get away from so much technique, fancy-schmancy, frou-frou and just cook really good food for a larger audience,” says chef Jesse Schenker about his sophomore effort called The Gander. “You can’t be everything to everyone, but I wanted to do my best to try.”
Chef Jesse Schenker talks about opening The Gander in the Flatiron district and suggests some of his favorite eating spots around New York.
May 13, 2014
Just Opened: Chef Jesse Schenker’s The Gander
Jesse schenker 2.0 + Chef’s NYC Guide
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General Information
The Gander
Flatiron
New American / Mediterranean
15 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
T: 212.229.9500
Website | Book a Table | The Menu
Recette
West Village
New American
328 West 12th Street
New York, NY 10014
T: 212.414.3000
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The Gander’s Lobster Roll [Photo Credit: Bill Milne]
Photo Credit: Melissa Hom
“I’ve always wanted to build a restaurant in a very high foot traffic, mixed demographic area that could be used by people daily, whether it was for a burger at lunch or a really good salad or a steak at dinner and have a global wine list and a great cocktail program. You can’t be everything to everyone, but I wanted to do my best to try.”
This new Flatiron restaurant is a neighborhood tavern with New American-style dishes, but with the addition of Schenker’s creative touches and Mediterranean influences. He recommends the Crispy Calamari Salad, which has grapes for sweetness, cashews for crunch and saltiness and snap peas for brightness, served with his version of a Ranch dressing. “It has pickled eggs in it and a lot of dill and fried calamari with some Romaine lettuce. It’s like a tweaked out version of a Chinese chicken salad that you would get at the Cheesecake Factory. It’s satisfying and familiar and one of those salads you could eat four times a week and not get sick of it.”
Tête de Cochon
Photo Credit: Bill Milne
Schenker also recommends the Tête de Cochon, head cheese made from suckling pig, as well as the house-made spaghetti with fresh clams, and the Lobster Roll which is served on house-made brioche with lobster butter. “It’s like seafood charcuterie. We take the tails, the roe, all the knuckle meat and the claw meat and we roll it into these cylindrical logs and steam them. Then you slice it and you have this big perfect round rings of lobster tail with orange studded through the middle.
You’ll also find burgers, roasted fish and charcuterie from La Quercia and neighbor Salumeria Biellese, which is just blocks away in Chelsea.
“It’s a big American, familiar, approachable restaurant where you can have really scrumptious food. My goal is not Michelin stars. My goal is to make people happy with good food.”
Chef’s NYC Guide
Here are chef Jesse Schenker’s NYC eating, drinking and shopping picks.
Download the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app here to get more of chef Mike Price’s NYC recommendations.
Charcuterie from Salumeria Biellese
Photograph courtesy of Salumeria Biellese
Salumeria Biellese
We use their charcuterie at our restaurant. I love that an Italian family started it and they do all kinds of things. They get very creative, like they’ll take a Prosciutto di Parma and they’ll cover it in maple syrup and then stud it with fennel and different spices and let it hang in their storage facility for about a month. It's a whole different flavor. They have Mangalitsa Lardo that is unbelievable. I come here and I'll just literary try 15 or 20 different hams and salamis. This place is awesome.
378 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
T: 212.736.7376 | www.salumeriabiellese.com
Murray’s Bagels in the Oven
Photograph courtesy of Murray’s Bagels
Murray’s Bagels
Their bagels are enormous and they don't toast them. They are fresh, crispy on the outside, but chewy and delicious in the middle. I get either cream cheese and lox or lox spread.
500 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011
T: 212.462.2830 | www.murraysbagels.com
Alder
Photograph courtesy of Alder
Alder
Chef Wylie Dufresne is brilliant. His food is whimsical, creative and innovative. It's unpretentious and fun and you don't have to spend a fortune. There are a couple of dishes that blow my mind, like the Pub Cheese and the New England clam chowder with these oyster cracker meringues. The soup is amazing.
157 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003
T: 212.539.1900 | aldernyc.com
Minetta Tavern
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Minetta Tavern
The best burger is here. The cut is just so good. It’s juicy, it’s crispy and you can tell it’s not grilled. It’s cooked on a flattop, so it has a crust with a juicy inside and it is just perfectly delicious.
113 Macdougal Street, New York, NY 10012
T: 212.475.3850 | www.minettatavernny.com
Pasta at L’Artusi
Photograph courtesy of L’Artusi
L’Artusi
This is a restaurant I go to a lot and send people to. It's a neighborhood type place with great food. I like to go in and get a crudo, or a pasta or a chicory salad and it is always consistently good.
228 West 10th Street, New York, NY 10014
T: 212.255.5757 | www.lartusi.com
Doctor Earth from Juice Press
Photograph courtesy of Juice Press
The Juice Press
I get the Doctor Earth here. It’s kale, pineapple juice, ginger and lemon. When I wake up at seven and get home at two in the morning and don’t get enough sleep, I can guzzle one of these and I get a recharge. I just feel good.
1 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010
T: 212.777.0034 | www.juicepress.com
More New York City Recs
Download the F.E.D. iPhone app and get more of chef Jesse Schenker’s recommendations as well as many more New York City recommendations from other chefs, bartenders, sommeliers, and food artisans.
The Gander’s Banana Parfait [Photo Credit: Bill Milne]