The Manhattan Times

Altus’ menu is as colorful as its LED facade

by Adam Garrett-Clark

The first few months in the life of a new restaurant are a getting-to-know-you period between a chef and his clients, according to executive chef Jorge Adriazola.

“In this business it is very hard to satisfy everybody,” Adriazola said.

But in his latest restaurant, Altus Café on Broadway near W. 184th Street, Adriazola is fairly certain he now knows what the majority of his customers want.

An Italian-Peruvian who has worked with a number of different food styles as a restaurant consultant for 14 different venues throughout the city, including 809, Mamjuana and Mamasushi in Inwood, Adriazola has spent the last two months since the restaurant opened watching customers react to his menu.

This week he unveils an updated menu for the winter based on what he has learned.

Adriazola said customers told him the menu was un-themed, too international. His quinoa with seared tofu came from South America, the grilled shrimp in a sun dried tomato chimichurri sauce from China. The braised pork shank with moro rice and tostones was rooted in Latino cuisine and the short rib tangine was Moroccan.

“I wanted to cover everything,” Adriazola said, “spread my wings and test the waters.” His feedback was to go more towards “American flavors” he said, “the roots of America” – comfort food.

The new menu will include short ribs, mashed potatoes, collard greens, grits and meatloaf. But Adriazola said the new menu will always have that Latin fusionist touch that has become a recurrent thread through many of Northern Manhattan’s high-end restaurants. On the menu is a traditional paella except served with black forbidden rice.

Adriazola, who makes it a point to visit a new restaurant at least twice a week with his wife who is also in the business (she inspects the front-end while he scrutinizes the menu), describes the latest trends like a food fashionista.

Last year everything seemed to be very European influenced, he explained, with a lot of foams and gelatins appearing on the plate. Now he’s seeing a move towards American comfort food. He suspects the trend is based in the growing popularity of the “eat local” movement along with the economic incentive to avoid pricey imported goods. 

Adriazola also hoped to cater to the large orthodox Jewish community just a block west of the restaurant on Bennett Avenue. Getting kosher ingredients was no problem, he said, but having a kosher kitchen meant just that, buying a complete separate set of cooking equipment that only touched kosher ingredients and regularly bringing in a rabbi to bless the food.

“I was trying to touch that part of the neighborhood but I can’t unfortunately,” he said.

Adriazola learned all this from the rabbi that married him to his Jewish wife.

Despite that, business has been consistent since the opening, said Lenin Lopez, one of the co-owners who is also part of the Mamajuana ownership team.

Beyond the food, Lopez, a party promoter, along with co-owner Israel Ramirez designed a lavish high-end environment that literally lights up the streetscape.

Perhaps the signature touch of the establishment are the columns of LED lights along the face of the restaurant that change  colors, matching the strips of light that illuminate the bar, stairs and even the trim of the main dining room.

Lopez said he has already seen many of the newer establishments in the area implement the LED style and predicts that many more venues scheduled to open in the near future will use them as well.

Part of the unique character of the location is its excessive use of glass making the structure nearly completely transparent. Like a Barbie doll playhouse, you can see every room in the restaurant from the street. Likewise diners can people watch and enjoy the weather outside through the wide glass front wall.

The glass walls open like an accordion in the summer to create an even more immediate connection with the street, and Lenin promises a unique take on the sidewalk cafe this summer, which will be faithful to the restaurant’s style.