Author Topic: Coming Soon: Swim Two Birds (Read 61852 times)

dssjh · « **Reply #30 on:** August 23, 2015, 09:37:30 PM »

i was actually talking about the Woodside location, same family, same excellent service. i do understand wanting to use a purveyor you know and trust (in the case of the lamb)

Stew · « **Reply #31 on:** August 23, 2015, 10:14:53 PM »

Quote from: dssjh on August 23, 2015, 09:37:30 PM

i was actually talking about the Woodside location, same family...

I guess I feel obliged to say that Ottomanelli on Bleecker Street, which has been in business for 100 years, has nothing to do with the other Ottomanelli butcher shops in New York. I'm not saying anything about the quality of the other Ottomanelli butcher shops, only that, apart from sharing a family name, there is in fact no connection.

petegart · « **Reply #32 on:** August 28, 2015, 06:16:35 AM »

Hi, any update? It looks as if work has stopped.

Stew · « **Reply #33 on:** August 28, 2015, 08:28:56 PM »

Quote from: petegart on August 28, 2015, 06:16:35 AM

Hi, any update? It looks as if work has stopped.

Hi petegart,

We are full steam ahead. Most materials have been ordered and paid for and work on the buildout should start within the next couple of weeks. We are working on a late October/early November opening.

That said, it's amazing how slowly even simple renovation proceeds in this town.

And the costs can be crazy. How much is HVAC to supply heat and air conditioning to 1,000 square feet? Try $30,000.

And no, you can't just install heating and/or air conditioning by yourself, because our city requires that it be done by "certified" specialists.

And depending on how you do it, the city wants $5,000 for a permit to give one's customers, via HVAC, heat in the winter and air conditioning in July/August.

Now you know why there are restaurants and take-out places in Jackson Heights that are not air conditioned.

dssjh · « **Reply #34 on:** August 28, 2015, 09:01:07 PM »

those of us who have done renovations in co ops know about the 'certification' of contractors.....good luck.

hfm · « **Reply #35 on:** August 29, 2015, 12:44:44 AM »

Quote from: Stew on August 28, 2015, 08:28:56 PM

Quote from: petegart on August 28, 2015, 06:16:35 AM
Hi, any update? It looks as if work has stopped.

Hi petegart,

We are full steam ahead. Most materials have been ordered and paid for and work on the buildout should start within the next couple of weeks. We are working on a late October/early November opening.

That said, it's amazing how slowly even simple renovation proceeds in this town.

And the costs can be crazy. How much is HVAC to supply heat and air conditioning to 1,000 square feet? Try $30,000.

And no, you can't just install heating and/or air conditioning by yourself, because our city requires that it be done by "certified" specialists.

And depending on how you do it, the city wants $5,000 for a permit to give one's customers, via HVAC, heat in the winter and air conditioning in July/August.

Now you know why there are restaurants and take-out places in Jackson Heights that are not air conditioned.

How is it possible that in JH this is more expensive than any other contractor in NYC?

Stew · « **Reply #36 on:** August 30, 2015, 10:17:15 PM »

Only of interest to people really into design ...

We decided today that we're going with Christofle flatware.

Pattern here: https://www.facebook.com/SwimTwoBirdsNY/posts/514835085349395

We've also decided that we're going with Bernardaud china. Haven't chosen a pattern yet, but will in the next couple of weeks.

Great that the woman who runs Bernardaud's North America sales lives in Queens and knows Jackson Heights really well. She and her colleague Alexandre, who is from Brittany, are great to work with.

Crabby_Appleton · « **Reply #37 on:** September 01, 2015, 12:22:02 PM »

Beautiful flatware! I appreciate you letting us see the design in process.

Stew · « **Reply #38 on:** September 02, 2015, 07:21:57 PM »

Quote from: Crabby_Appleton on September 01, 2015, 12:22:02 PM

Beautiful flatware! I appreciate you letting us see the design in process.

Hi,

I'm really keen on the design and the weight. I wondered about the curve of the knife handle, but having tried it I'm surprized that this is uncommon. It has a very nice feel.

I'm kind of into design so it's great to see that others here are as well.

Stew

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Cassat · « **Reply #39 on:** September 03, 2015, 10:28:26 AM »

Nice. The knives remind me of Laguiole, which I particularly love. By the way, I finally watched the Flann O'Brien documentary, which I really enjoyed. Thank you for posting it!

Stew · « **Reply #40 on:** September 07, 2015, 09:43:35 PM »

Hurray!

Looks like the city will approve our blueprints this week and that we can go from taking things apart to putting them together.

I want Swim Two Birds to be fairly casual, but that isn't inconsistent with good design. Looking forward to a meeting at Bernardaud Wednesday about matching their china with the Christofle flatware we've chosen.

And I'm having great discussions with my sister, an accomplished potter, about pieces that she's going to make for our guests.

It's starting to come together.

cupcakeparade · « **Reply #41 on:** September 07, 2015, 10:27:24 PM »

it's cool to read about all the design elements and decisions that you are making (and no doubt these little things add up to a more significant whole) but my main concern is the food. how about keying us in to ideas you're floating around in terms of the menu composition, such as the type of dishes you're going to be offering? from the little that i've read or heard about swim two birds, it's going to be a bistro type place with french-canadian influences? or did i get that totally wrong? so...does that mean poutine and terrine de foie gras, or more french-canadian-american type of fare, like twists on classics? it would be great to get a sense of some of the types of dishes and flavors STB will offer. as a vegetarian, i'd like to put in a plea to please consider us herbivores and put at least one creative vegetarian entree on the menu (that isn't just "grilled vegetable plate"). also, maybe a heads up on the price points you're thinking...will entrees be around the $20-30 mark, higher, or lower? how about appetizers, salads, etc? i'm really looking forward to this restaurant opening up--the sooner, the better! ALSO, please consider putting the place on seamless! i'm in desperate need of new options for delivery!

Stew · « **Reply #42 on:** September 07, 2015, 11:29:11 PM »

Quote from: cupcakeparade on September 07, 2015, 10:27:24 PM

it's cool to read about all the design elements and decisions that you are making (and no doubt these little things add up to a more significant whole) but my main concern is the food. how about keying us in to ideas you're floating around in terms of the menu composition, such as the type of dishes you're going to be offering? from the little that i've read or heard about swim two birds, it's going to be a bistro type place with french-canadian influences? or did i get that totally wrong? so...does that mean poutine and terrine de foie gras, or more french-canadian-american type of fare, like twists on classics? it would be great to get a sense of some of the types of dishes and flavors STB will offer. as a vegetarian, i'd like to put in a plea to please consider us herbivores and put at least one creative vegetarian entree on the menu (that isn't just "grilled vegetable plate"). also, maybe a heads up on the price points you're thinking...will entrees be around the $20-30 mark, higher, or lower? how about appetizers, salads, etc? i'm really looking forward to this restaurant opening up--the sooner, the better! ALSO, please consider putting the place on seamless! i'm in desperate need of new options for delivery!

Hi, thanks for the questions.

I happen to be Canadian, and trained in France, but I'll be offering what is best described as contemporary American cooking. We want Swim Two Birds to be a great experience for a civilized dinner, lunch or maybe somewhat more energized brunch. And maybe, although we need to gauge demand, a great experience for parents and their children on Sunday evenings.

We're working on the menu and I can tell you that we are very much keeping vegetarians in mind.

I'm sorry, but we will not be delivering.

amsci · « **Reply #43 on:** September 08, 2015, 03:33:25 PM »

Sounds good to me, Stew!

You're offering cocktails as well, correct? If so, are you creating that menu as well?

Stew · « **Reply #44 on:** September 08, 2015, 06:30:59 PM »

Quote from: amsci on September 08, 2015, 03:33:25 PM

You're offering cocktails as well, correct? If so, are you creating that menu as well?

Yes, we'll be offering cocktails. I think we want to concentrate on a selection and doing them well. We may create some cocktails over time, but I am acutely aware of a recent New York Times review suggesting that too many of the "new" cocktails being offered are inferior to well-made classics

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Author Topic: Coming Soon: Swim Two Birds (Read 61852 times)

dssjh

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Stew

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petegart

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Stew

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dssjh

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hfm

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Stew

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Crabby_Appleton

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Stew

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Cassat

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Stew

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cupcakeparade

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Stew

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amsci

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Stew

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