ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams has a new project on the way to the Flatiron District. He will open American wine bistro Danny’s at 46 West 22nd St. later this year.
Though the menu is still to come, Abrams told What Now New York that Danny’s will feature elevated, high-quality American comfort food. He is currently in the process of interviewing chefs.
The 75-seat restaurant will also feature a selection of American wines, focusing on underappreciated wine markets.
“With every business I’ve started, I’ve looked for where there is a hole in the market,” Abrams said. “It seems to me that when it comes to restaurants, there is a big gaping hole when it comes to wine from states in the U.S. outside of California, Oregon and Washington. That is exciting for me.”
Customers can expect to see wines from places like Texas, Virginia and New York. Highlighting wines that might not be found elsewhere is a differentiator for Danny’s, and a driving factor in Abrams’s desire to open the concept.
“I feel they have reached a point of quality that people don’t know about,” Abrams said. “So that was a piece of it — the celebration of the wines — but a large part of it was that I enjoyed both of the restaurant experiences I’ve had.”
This is not Abrams’s first foray into the New York restaurant scene. He was previously a co-owner of Tribeca restaurant White Street, as well as the now-closed The Lion in Greenwich Village. He hopes to build on that experience with Danny’s.
“I wanted to find something smaller near where I live that would serve great food and could be both a locals’ place and a destination spot,” he said.
Danny’s will occupy a roughly 2,300-square-foot space, with an additional 2,300-square-foot basement space. It will feature a bar area in the front, alongside a mural celebrating the history of the area. Customers can expect an old-school atmosphere, with dim lighting and design elements like small lamps and leather banquettes.
Abrams is hoping to open the spot at the end of September.
“I don’t think there’s anything quite like this in this neighborhood,” he said.
