The idea behind salsa, which has had some dinner for friends of the restaurant opens on Tuesday, is to touch New York Southern food. Michael Vignola, the executive chef who worked at Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse NYC, the definition of Southern cooking beyond Hush Puppies and gumbo.
“There are all African influences, Spanish and French and all the ingredients involved,” he said. The a la carte menu is crab fritters Louisiana gumbo, oysters with mignonette chayote, scallops with grits, honey and cornflakes, chicken stuffed with andouille and cheddar crust. For a more in New York also have served as red snapper sashimi hummus, black-eyed peas, Long Island duck with green tomato salsa and black king crab legs.
But unless you can identify walnut furniture, you will not find too many references to the South in the decoration. The rise loft has a marble bar, black floors, a brick wall and geometric panels of mid-century style mustard vermilion and teal. There are two intimate private dining rooms.