New Zealand wines line the shelves of The Musket Room. A quick glance at the restaurant's menu reveals venison, pavlova and a 'steak and cheese pie' among the offerings.
None of which would be unusual, except that The Musket Room is in New York's fashionable Nolita area and was recently awarded its first Michelin star, just four months after opening.
Chef and owner Matt Lambert ambles into the spacious, 65-seat restaurant with his sleeves rolled up. When I ask to see his cocktail list, he walks over to a pile of bound books, rips a page out and hands it to me.
There isn't a white tablecloth in sight – the casual atmosphere is all part of Mr Lambert's desire to create a neighbourhood restaurant free of pretentiousness.
Perhaps his self-described "normal beginnings" in West Auckland and the fact the restaurant was built on "shoestring everything" have something to do with it.
"You want to go out to dinner and have a good time," he says. "You don't want to follow a bunch of rules before you can eat at the place."
The chef is taking a dig at the clutch of Michelin-starred restaurants in the city that are notorious for imposing rules on diners, including forcing them to wear suit jackets or banning them from taking photos during their meal.
You'll find none of that at The Musket Room – although it's getting increasingly more difficult to get a table since the Michelin guide came out at the beginning of last month.
"We're definitely getting a lot more advanced bookings out of other countries, which is different," Mr Lambert says.
A Michelin star was always one of his goals, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon after opening.
"I was looking two years down the road – but I'll take four months!"
"It feels really good for me. It's my restaurant and my star – I'm not under the umbrella of some personality who receives stars."
It took a year before The Musket Room was even ready to open – a process that was delayed when Superstorm Sandy hit, tying up building contractors for months.
But Mr Lambert says he has been working towards the accolade his whole career, which began in Auckland under the guidance of Michael Meredith and has also included stints at New York favourites Public, and Saxon and Parole.
Relaxed though he may appear, the chef has no doubt that the hardest slog is yet to come. New York is one of the toughest cities to survive in, he says, and to lose his star next year "would really hurt".
He has entertained thoughts of aiming for a second star (out of a possible three) and also wants to open a restaurant back in Auckland, although that plan may have been put on the backburner following Team New Zealand's America's Cup loss.
For the meantime, he is content living the fast life in the Big Apple, where there's no such thing as a quiet day and where he prides himself on serving the only pavlova his nana wouldn't be ashamed of.
3 News
source: newshub archive
