Patina Restaurant Group (PRG) announces the opening of STATE Grill and Bar, a new, upscale dining destination at the Empire State Building (ESB). Opening today, the restaurant is the latest component of the World’s Most Famous Office Building’s transformation to New York City’s greatest Urban Campus environment. STATE Grill and Bar’s main entrances are located on the building’s 33rd Street lobby level and the north side of 33rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
“We are thrilled to open STATE Grill and Bar as part of the developing neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan and bring a sophisticated dining experience to the area,” says Nick Valenti, restaurateur and CEO of Patina Restaurant Group. “STATE offers a menu that supports New York State and City purveyors and local businesses, as well as provides special event and private dining space for groups. Through our collaborative efforts with the Empire State Building, we have really created something so unique and so special, it could only happen at the World’s Most Famous Office Building.”
Award-winning Executive Chef Octavio Becerra is the distinctive force behind STATE Grill and Bar, bringing his culinary excellence and inspiration to this signature restaurant. With an emphasis on sourcing New York State products, the restaurant will present Chef Becerra regularly changing breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that reflect a sophisticated rusticity and support local farmers, brewers, winemakers, producers and purveyors.
As a former New Yorker, Chef Becerra returns to the Empire State after spearheading the opening of Acabàr restaurant / lounge / bar in Los Angeles which opened to critical acclaim in July 2013. He incorporates bold flavors into STATE’s menu that are rooted in American cuisine and have a thoughtful approach to his cuisine. Prior to his time in Los Angeles, Chef Becerra had a long tenure with Patina Restaurant Group, where he previously served as Senior Vice President, Chef and Co-Founder of The Patina Group, supervising the daily operations of 14 of the then 31 Patina Group restaurants. With a number of awards and esteemed accolades from the critics, Becerra was nominated by The James Beard Foundation as “Rising Star Chef of the Year” in 1994, one of the nation’s “50 New Taste Makers” by Nation’s Restaurant News and more.
STATE’s elegant bar with a beverage program is also curated by award-winning sommelier and mixologist Aaron von Rock. Chef Becerra works together with von Rock to complement the menus with his carefully selected beverage program.
Designed by the celebrated architect Richard Bloch, STATE Grill and Bar pays homage to ESB’s rich history and 1930s Art Deco design with each finish thoughtfully sourced. The main 2,800 square-foot, street-level space features a central bar and lounge nestled between a 95-seat dining room and sleek open kitchen with efforts taken to include the kitchen within the dining experience.
In addition, there is a 6,400 square-foot downstairs space that can accommodate up to 60 seated guests or 80 standing, reached via private elevator, featuring three versatile private event spaces separated by custom-built, sound-proof, power lift partitions. The restaurant’s private dining rooms can be accessed through the restaurant and bar or through ESB’s new concourse level lobby, which also hosts the building’s new 15,000 square-foot tenants-only fitness center, and management offices.
“STATE Grill and Bar adds the fine-dining establishment to the Empire State Building which has been missing since the building’s completion. Its menu is designed to be varied, healthy and good to eat every day, and continues our master plan to make the Empire State Building the highest quality, best located Urban Campus in New York City for our tenants, their visitors, and our community,” says Anthony E. Malkin, Empire State Realty Trust Chairman, President and CEO.
STATE Grill and Bar is owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT) and operated by PRG.
For more information, visit stategrillny.com.
