Landmarc Opens Early at the Time Warner Center

Yesterday at the Time Warner Center, Chef Marc Murphy somewhat stealthily opened the doors to the uptown outpost of Landmarc, his 3 year-old, well-regarded Tribeca restaurant. Murphy began to look northward last year when he opened Ditch Plains in the West Village. With Landmarc firmly established as a neighborhood bright spot with serious food (like the $12 roasted marrow bones with onion marmalade and grilled bread, pictured), and with Ditch Plains going strong with its clam bar/set count aesthetic (the only thing better than its all-day breakfast is its bric-a-brac seafood add-on options- you can order Anson Mills grits with oysters and lobster if you want), many have wondered if the new version of Landmarc can possibly retain the charm of the original inside the glass and steel canyons of a giant mall. With the same Brasserie/New American menu and a big emphasis on straightforward kids' meals (from carrot sticks & peanut butter to orecchiette with plain butter sauce, and toothache-inducing cotton candy), as well as a thoughtful wine list, the new Landmarc stands to remedy the fine dining fatigue suffered by diners who aren’t really feeling another array of microscopic quail egg custards, or truffled whatever du jour (you know who you are). Additionally, Chef Murphy and crew seem to have a fully formed battle plan that includes delivery from Fifth to West End Avenue, from 55th to 66th, and 300 seats to work their magic.

While the Time Warner Center is a mixed-bag location for showcase restaurants (where did you go, Charlie Trotter?), success at Landmarc v.2 might hinge on something it already has in spades downtown: great food, and an almost universal likeability. While some might fret that the plain facts of the new Landmarc’s location almost certainly means a restaurant that is seemingly built both for tourists and its Central Park-edged neighborhood, all fears will doubtlessly be assuaged by a heaping order of mussels, fries and a choice of five sauces ($22), and there’ll be no need at all to call the dish by its French name.

Landmarc, Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor
212-823-6123