Union Square Cafe
Encyclopedia
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, owned by Danny Meyer
Danny Meyer
Daniel "Danny" Meyer is a New York City restaurateur and the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group .-Personal life:...
, with chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
Michael Romano. Opened in October 1985 by Danny Meyer and chef Ali Barker, it features American cuisine
Cuisine of the United States
American cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from the United States of America. European colonization of the Americas yielded the introduction of a number of ingredients and cooking styles to the latter...
with Italian
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
influences. Union Square Cafe has won multiple awards and honors since its inception, including the ranking of "Favorite New York Restaurant" in the Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2008. Notably, the restaurant did not receive a Michelin
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
star, leading to concerns that the guide might be biased towards French cuisine
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
or restaurants that "emphasize formality and presentation".
Union Square Cafe is located at 21 East 16th Street between Union Square West and Fifth Avenue. The restaurant was designed by architect Larry Bogdanow
Larry Bogdanow
Larry Bogdanow was an American restaurant architect.Born in Houston, Texas, Bogdanow graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1970...
.
Awards and accolades
- 1992, Outstanding Service, James Beard FoundationJames Beard FoundationThe James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and...
- 1997, Outstanding Restaurant, James Beard Foundation
- 1997–2001, Zagat Survey #1 Favorite New York Restaurant
- 1998–1999, New York Times Three Star Award
- 1999, Outstanding Wine Service, James Beard Foundation
- 2000, Michael Romano inducted into "Who's Who of Food & Beverage", James Beard Foundation
- 2000–2002, Forbes Magazine Three Star Review
- 2001, James Beard Foundation Best Chef New York City – Michael Romano
- 2003, Zagat Survey #2 Favorite New York Restaurant
- 2004, Wine SpectatorWine SpectatorWine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
Award of Excellence - 2004, Zagat Survey #1 Favorite New York Restaurant
- 2005, Forbes Magazine Three Star Review
- 2005–2007, Zagat Survey #2 Favorite New York Restaurant
- 2006, Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence
- 2008, Zagat Survey #1 Favorite New York Restaurant