Renowned Chefs José Andrés and Costas Spiliadis to Open Restaurants at Hudson Yards

NEW YORK, NY – December 1, 2015 – Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group today announced that Chef José Andrés and Chef Costas Spiliadis will both bring chef-driven concepts to the collection of restaurants at Hudson Yards. Slated to open in Fall 2018, the restaurant collection will include a dozen dining experiences curated by the renowned Chef Thomas Keller and restaurateur and developer, Kenneth A. Himmel. Chef Andrés will be revealing a Spanish-inspired restaurant while Chef Spiliadis will bring his Greek seafood restaurant Estiatorio Milos to join Thomas Keller’s classic American concept. The restaurants will be housed in the one million-square-foot Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards, anchored by Neiman Marcus and designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects.

Both chefs bring years of experience and industry recognition to the Hudson Yards restaurant collection. Originally from Spain, Chef Andrés is widely recognized as a pioneer of ‘small plates’ dining in the United States as well as the face of Spanish cuisine. Awarded “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation in 2003, Bon Appetit’s Chef of the Year in 2004 and named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in 2012, Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality and humanitarian. He will combine his Spanish roots and signature modernist flair in his new restaurant at Hudson Yards.

"New York City was my first entry into this great country which I now call home,” said Chef Andrés. “I’m incredibly excited to join the roster of amazing talent and brands that will bring life to this dynamic new Hudson Yards neighborhood, in the beating heart of Manhattan. What Related and Oxford are doing here reimagines city living for generations to come, and I’m honored to play a part in that."

Chef Spiliadis will open a Greek seafood dining experience, Estiatorio Milos, at Hudson Yards, continuing his mission to create a new culinary experience with open market and open-grill presentations that far surpass the standard for seafood restaurants. His restaurants are known as both exquisite dining destinations and cultural beacons, with locations delighting diners in New York and cities around the world, including Montreal, Miami, Athens, Las Vegas and London. Chef Spiliadis is known for his dedication to utilizing the highest quality ingredients, sourcing fresh fish from New York City’s famed Fulton Fish Market to the Greek Islands.

“My work as a chef is intrinsically connected to New York City and I am so excited to bring my newest restaurant to Hudson Yards,” said Chef Spiliadis. “While Hudson Yards is a major modernization project, its roots still lie in the long established essence of a city that means so much to me.”

Kenneth A. Himmel, restaurateur and President of Related Urban, the mixed-use division of Related Companies said, “Chef Spiliadis and Chef Andrés are brilliant visionaries and we are thrilled to bring their concepts to the new culinary destination at Hudson Yards. Both chefs have shown a commitment to helping create the new heart of New York and I could not be more proud of the collection we are creating.”

Thomas Keller, Chef/Proprietor, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group said, “We are thrilled to welcome Chef José Andrés and Chef Costas Spiliadis to Hudson Yards. Chef Andrés has been a friend and colleague for many years and I've always admired his commitment to excellence at his exciting restaurants around the country. Estiatorio Milos is a standout restaurant concept known for its dedication to sourcing the freshest seafood and ingredients, and Chef Spiliadis represents the innovation and culinary commitment we are seeking in the restaurant collection.”

Hudson Yards is the second collaboration for Chef Keller and Mr. Himmel, who previously worked together to open Per Se and Bouchon in Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Together at Time Warner Center they introduced New York City to the concept of bringing best-in-class food, with exemplary design and execution, as anchors in a mixed-use development, a once novel concept that has now become a model for developers around the world. Due to their efforts, Time Warner Center today houses the largest collection of Michelin stars under one roof, and is one of the most visited sites in New York City, welcoming 15 million people a year.

Chef Keller is known for establishing a collection of restaurants that set a new paradigm within the hospitality profession. In 1994, Keller took ownership of The French Laundry in Yountville and debuted French bistro Bouchon in 1998. Over the last 15 years, he has expanded his restaurant group to include Bouchon Bakery, Ad Hoc, Per Se and Bouchon Bakery & Café, among others.

Mr. Himmel is also a famed restaurateur in Boston responsible for opening the legendary Grill 23 & Bar, The Harvest Restaurant and Post 390. In addition to his restaurant collection, Mr. Himmel is a renowned expert in developing successful, mixed-use developments that combine architectural design and urban planning with dynamic shopping, entertainment, residences, offices and world-renowned restaurants to bring forth the energy and vitality of an urban destination with resonance to the local lifestyle and culture. Past developments include Water Tower Place and 730 North Michigan in Chicago, Copley Place in Boston, Reston Town Center in Reston, Pacific Place in Seattle, and most recently two projects on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi: The Galleria, a 355,000 square foot shopping and dining destination, which opened in the summer of 2013, and Al Maryah Central, a 2.3 million square foot super-regional shopping center, anchored by the first international Macy’s and a Bloomingdale’s department store, as well as adjacent hotel and residential towers.

Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the nation’s history. It is anticipated that more than 24 million people will visit Hudson Yards every year. The site itself will include 17 million square feet of commercial and residential space, more than 100 shops and restaurants – including New York City’s first Neiman Marcus – approximately 5,000 residences, a unique cultural space, 14-acres of public open space, a new 750-seat public school and a 200-room Equinox® branded luxury hotel – all offering unparalleled amenities for residents, employees and guests. Hudson Yards will be home to the offices of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, The Boston Consulting Group, Coach Inc., KKR, L’Oréal USA, SAP, Time Warner Inc., and VaynerMedia. The development of Hudson Yards will create more than 23,000 construction jobs and when completed in 2024, more than 40,000 people a day will either work in or call Hudson Yards their home. For more information on Hudson Yards please visit www.HudsonYardsNewYork.com.

###

ABOUT JOSÉ ANDRÉS’ THINKFOODGROUP:

Founded by chef José Andrés and his partner Rob Wilder, ThinkFoodGroup is the creative team responsible for renowned dining concepts in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Puerto Rico and Mexico City, ranging in a variety of culinary experiences that span from food trucks and the fast casual arena to world-class tasting menus. These include award-winning minibar by José Andrés; Jaleo; J by José Andrés at W Mexico City; The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotels in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and South Beach, and the vegetable-focused fast casual brand, Beefsteak. For more information, visit www.thinkfoodgroup.com

ABOUT COSTAS SPILIADIS:

At the forefront of the Cuisine of Naturalism, Costas Spiliadis is widely recognised as pioneering North America’s Hellenic food scene by introducing refined cuisine from the islands of Greece. Decades of effort, intensive research and focused passion, grounded in millennia of Greek tradition, have enabled him to distinguish himself as one of the most influential chefs internationally. Spiliadis has cultivated relationships with small scale family-owned fisheries, independent fishermen and indigenous producers at the shores of Greece and beyond to offer his guests exquisitely simple dishes of the highest order, where flavour prevails.

Spiliadis first arrived in New York in 1966 from his native Patras, a port city near the ancient Greek village of Olympia, to study at New York University and University of Maryland. He then made his way to Montreal to study sociology at Concordia University where, upon graduation, he became a social activist and cofounder of Radio Centreville, Montreal’s first non-profit radio station. In 1979 he opened Filoxenia, a lively boite à chansons, dedicated to the beautiful and haunting music and poetry of Greece, and launched Estiatorio Milos in the space upstairs. Quickly establishing the restaurant as one of Montreal’s most influential dining destinations, Spiliadis would drive twice a week to New York’s Fulton Street Fish Market to find the world’s best catch. In 1997, when he opened Estiatorio Milos in Manhattan, Spiliadis engaged fishermen on Greek islands such as Kythira and elsewhere to cast their lines into the Mediterranean every night to provide the freshest fish in New York City.

Spiliadis then opened Estiatorio Milos in Athens in 2004, followed by Las Vegas in 2010, Miami in 2012 and most recently, London in 2015. For more information, visit www.estiatoriomilos.com

ABOUT THOMAS KELLER:

Thomas Keller is renowned for his culinary skills and his exceptionally high standards. He has established a collection of restaurants that set a new paradigm within the hospitality profession. He is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France. He has received countless accolades, including The Culinary Institute of America’s “Chef of the Year” Award and the James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Chef” and “Outstanding Restaurateur” Awards. In January of 2015, as President for the Ment'or BKB, he led Team USA to a historic silver win in the Bocuse d'Or competition in Lyon, France. Realizing Paul Bocuse's dream, it was the first time ever that the United States placed on the podium.

ABOUT KENNETH HIMMEL:

Kenneth A. Himmel is President and Chief Executive Officer of Related Urban, the nation’s leading developer of large-scale mixed-use properties. Under Mr. Himmel’s leadership, Related Urban has opened two award-winning iconic destinations – Time Warner Center in New York City and CityPlace in West Palm Beach. Both of these projects have created a significant impact in the growth and transformation of their respective surrounding urban core. Mr. Himmel is a renowned expert in developing successful, mixed-use developments that combine architectural design and urban planning with dynamic shopping, entertainment, residences, offices and world-renowned restaurants to bring forth the energy and vitality of an urban destination with resonance to the local lifestyle and culture. Mr. Himmel is also a restaurateur responsible for the formation of a restaurant collection in Boston which includes the legendary Grill 23 & Bar, celebrating its 30th Anniversary, The Harvest Restaurant and Post 390.

For more information on Hudson Yards, please visit www.HudsonYardsNewYork.com.

###

CONTACT:

Related Companies:
Joanna Rose
212-801-3902
[email protected]
[email protected]