SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, The Ultimate NY Sky-High Attraction Opens Oct. 21 – With Elevated Menu From APRÈS, Danny Meyer’s Restaurant
18 Oct 2021 by Helena Simon in Bars, Celebrities, Cuisine, Event, Fame, Film, General, Home, Hot Spots, Lounges, Money, Music, Pleasure, Power, Restaurants
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events have announced the menu for APRÈS, the exciting new cafe, bars and kiosks located at the top of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Manhattan’s highly anticipated art, culture and observation experience soaring above the city opening on October 21st.
APRÈS will consist of indoor and outdoor bars featuring signature cocktails, a casual café serving inventive delights, and various offerings on the outdoor terrace for visitors to grab curated snacks with sweeping views of the incredible Manhattan skyline. Created by Executive Chef of Union Square Events and James Beard Award Winner, Patrick Connolly, APRÈS’ menu combines healthy and delicious fare with added imaginative elements making the perfect addition to the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt experience for New Yorkers and all visitors to New York.
“Union Square Events is honored to have had the opportunity to work on this ambitious project,” said Danny Meyer, Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group. “At a time when the city feels more alive than ever, we’re thrilled to be a part of helping guests experience New York City like never before at this one-of-a-kind destination.”
“It’s been a perfect pairing to work with Danny and the Union Square Events team on creating a bespoke culinary program that perfectly complements the special and thrilling destination we’ve created for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.” said Marc Holliday, Chairman and CEO of SL Green. “APRÈS will offer a peak moment for those making their way through our curated experience and a welcomed respite for those visitors looking to enjoy a fabulous new outdoor bar venue.”
Menu items include a rotating selection of New York-inspired Griddled Hot Dogs including one with mustard and sauerkraut, a Cubano beef dog with ham, deli mustard, dill pickle and swiss, and a Chicken Parm Dog with marinara, mozzarella and basil. There will also be Pretzelsaults, stuffed, soft pretzel pinwheels capturing New York City’s sweet and savory flavors, with one made with pastrami, swiss and deli mustard and the other, a chocolate babka with a cream cheese frosting dip.
Guests can also indulge in whimsical sweets inspired by Connolly’s vision of a cartoon-like version of city life that he observed when designing the menu from 1,100 feet up. These include Air Balloon Cake Pops, which guests can suspend in the sky for the perfect Instagram-worthy photo, and white cookies with a silver skyline. The pastry selection will also include Lemon, Blackberry and Passionfruit “O” and “V” Doughnuts, a nod to the building’s address at One Vanderbilt.
Packaged items to be sold outdoors will include Alpine Cheese Crackers with Gruyere (an alpine take on a manchego cracker as a nod to SUMMIT’s alpine garden), Chocolate Chip Cookies and more. All of the menu items were carefully created with the setting in mind, easy to eat, and extremely wind proof!
The fun will continue at the indoor Après Café where cases will be bursting with color – standing out against the Nordic-design inspired space – featuring satisfying offerings designed to be enjoyed with a cocktail. International influences take center stage here with a variety of Strecchi (Italian baguette sandwiches), French-inspired ficelle sandwiches and tartines, a milk roll with truffled egg salad and caramelized onion, and a variety of Mediterranean spreads including two types of hummus, baba ghanoush and muhammara.
“With the rest of the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt experience being so awe-inspiring and photogenic, we wanted to bring those elements into the cuisine, allowing visitors to have fun with their food before they indulge, and creating menu items that fit seamlessly into the overall experience.” said Connolly, Executive Chef of Union Square Events. “We also wanted to nod to the city itself, incorporating New York classics along with international flavors that reflect its diverse and dynamic spirit.”
The beverage program was designed by Beverage Director Nicholas Bennett, who used his decade of craft cocktail and advanced mixology skills to curate an innovative menu utilizing many different types of spirits. Standout cocktails include the Edgar Wallace with Gentleman Jack whiskey, salted caramel, angostura bitters and citrus oils; the Sunset Margarita with Espolon Reposado, St. George spiced pear liqueur, pomegranate, agave, lime juice and cayenne; as well as namesake cocktail Vanderbilt #1 made with Rittenhouse rye, Method sweet vermouth, Meletti Anisette, coffee, chocolate bitters and brandied cherry.
“We wanted the cocktails to feel classic with a modern twist to them, like sipping a Pumpkin Spiced Latte at the old Waldorf Astoria, or a delicious Tequila Sunrise watching the sunset over Manhattan,” said Bennett.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is a story-driven, immersive experience and observatory located in the crown of One Vanderbilt, the skyline-defining new tower in the heart of Manhattan standing 1,401 feet tall. It is connected directly to Grand Central Terminal in the center of Manhattan and will be the latest in a series of anticipated openings at One Vanderbilt as part of the $3.3 billion development, including Michelin starred Chef Daniel Boulud’s Le Pavillon.
This is a new, innovative destination that combines unparalleled vistas, curated multi-sensory experiences and cutting-edge technology to offer an unprecedented guest experience spanning art, nature, and design. It is produced by SL Green with the immersive art experience designed by Kenzo Digital and interior design by Snøhetta.
Opening this Thursday, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt will provide way more than just spectacular views, it will redefine the way people experience the intersection between nature and the built environment. It will include an all-glass enclosed elevator called ASCENT which travels up the outside of the building to breathtaking views that soar at 1,210 feet above New York City. Adventurers will also enjoy stepping out into fully transparent glass sky boxes called LEVITATION that jut out of the building and suspend guests 1,063 feet above Madison Avenue. SUMMIT features an outdoor bar, seating areas to enjoy the magnificent views and the highest urban outdoor alpine meadow in the world.
Tickets for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt are now on sale at SummitOV.com, starting at $39. There is also an Ultimate SUMMIT ticket package available, for $73, which includes general admission to the experience, a ride on the ASCENT glass elevator and a signature cocktail from APRÈS.