Pekarna New York, was conceptualized by Australian-native Dean O’Neill, introduces Slovenian food and culture to New Yorkers in the largest restaurant and events venue on the Upper West Side.
Combining O’Neill’s backgrounds in engineering and hospitality, the 6,500 square foot labyrinth of dining rooms and bars is structurally designed for a good time. Engineered for optimal customer service, each room has its own entrance, maximum soundproofing as to not disturb its UWS neighbors, as well as distinct features designed specifically for each room such as the lighting, furnishings and HVAC so that every guest can enjoy their ideal dining experience.
O’Neill has been working in the hospitality and custom technology arena for over 20 years and was the owner of Infirmary, a French Quarter inspired creole restaurant that was listed number one on Eater’s Best Cajun Restaurants in NYC story. An Avionics engineer by trade, he has created custom designs for The VNYL – Vintage new York lifestyle, Hotel Chantelle, The Writing Room and many other notable venues in New York City.
The idea for Pekarna New York stemmed from one of Mr. O’Neill’s important projects in Slovenia back in 2003, which included The Opera Bar and The Versace Apartment both located in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. Later on, in 2018, he would complete his own endeavor called The Pekarna Boutique Apartments, which launched in January of 2018. It was during this time when O’Neill fell in love with the food culture of Slovenia and wanted to bring the tastes and culture to New York City.
Dean O’Neill has assembled a culinary team with the appointment of Executive Chef Kamal Hoyte and Consulting Pastry Chef Alma Rekvic. Leading the helm in the kitchen is Chef Hoyte, who grew up in the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent and The Grenadines. A passionate love for the culinary arts drove him to The Culinary Institute of America and upon graduating he sharpened his skills working with some of the most renowned Chefs in NYC at Oceana Restaurant and Restaurant Daniel. Acclaimed top Slovenian Pastry Chef and cookbook author, Alma Rekvic, who was a Chief Judge on Master Chef Slovenia, was also tapped by O’Neill to design a few Slovenian dishes along with the dessert menu, as Slovenia is well-known for their special desserts and sweets.
MENU
Chef Hoyte’s dinner menu will be a melding of traditional Slovenian and New American seasonal dishes with French techniques. To start, an array of appetizers is spotlighted with Truffle Matzo Ball Soup with roasted chicken thighs, chicken consommé and truffle matzo balls; Crispy Wild Boar with Rice, Slovenian-inspired crispy spiced batter with house-smoked boar, served with a mustard and sweet chili sauce; and Artichoke Mac and Cheese, featuring a mix of cheeses, elbow macaroni and breadcrumbs with house blend Artichoke baked in.
Burgers include the Pekarna Buger, a colossal burger with a wagyu beef patty, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, house pickled cucumber, pickled onions and house BBQ sauce in a toasted Kaiser bun topped with a fried onion ring; and the Chicken Shnitzel Burger, lightly fried chicken breast with coleslaw, house Cajun mayo and a sunny side egg on a toasted Kaiser bun.
Standout mains are the Pan Seared Bone-In Chicken, soft brined free-range chicken breast, confit cippolini onions, glazed rainbow carrots, potato soufflé with a Movia Slovenian wine sauce; the Slovenian Style Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, served with potato soufflé, roasted Brussels, carrot creme and Movia Slovenian red wine reduction.
Desserts
Acclaimed Pastry Chef Alma Rekvic ‘s desserts bring true Slovenian sweets to the people of New York City. The Apple Wrap or “Slovenian Apple Pie” is made with baked apple roll, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla gelato. As Kremšnita Cake or “Slovenian Bled cake” is traditionally made in Slovenia with numerous variations unique to specific regions and people, the puff pastry with vanilla custard, sugar and seasonal berries features Pekarna’s own variation, a passionfruit glaze, creating a new flavor profile.
Slovenian Wine
Indigenous Slovenian grapes offer New Yorkers new flavor profiles from family-owned wineries focusing on the areas and cuisines Pekarna represents. Standouts include biodynamic Movia Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Primoje Brda among whites, the most refined of the skin contact (or Orange) Slovenian wines, the Ferdinand Rebula Brutus, 2016, Primorje Brda; Chef Alma’s recommended Slovenian red, the Marjan Simčič “Selecija” Pinot Noir Goriska Brda.
The star of the wine list is the special handling of the Slovenian sparkling Movia Puro Rose, which remains fermenting until it is disgorged at the table, the only possible method for wine to be completely free of Sulphur, sugars and additives.
Cocktail Program
The robust cocktail program, curated by Mr. O’Neill and head bartender David Hu, takes guests back to the origins of mixology combining more spirits and quality liqueurs than juices to make drinks boozier and more fruit forward than sweet. Quality products are used to achieve this goal including Giffard liqueurs, which make all the difference.
The cocktail menu features 20 selections like the Ying Yang made with Absolut Grapefruit vodka or Malfy Rose Gin, limoncello, St. Germain, Giffard lychee liqueur and Mette Spiriteuex; and the Melting Pot, Venezuelan Diplomatico Rum Reserva Exclusive, Giffard apricot liqueur, pineapple juice, and lime liqueur.Other cocktail highlights are the M47 Bramble, named after the gin used to make this cocktail. Monkey 47 uses 47 botanicals in the production of their gin making this a world class winner. You will find this on tap, along with 3 other cocktails on tap, and it includes Monkey 47 Gin, limoncello, cane sugar syrup, and a Giffard Cassis (blackberry) liqueur. The MacSazerac and Rare MacSazerac, are first of their kind Macallan cocktails. Created in conjunction with Macallan they contain Macallan 12 or Macallan Rare Casket Whiskey, cane sugar, absinthe and Peychaud’s.
Frozen “summer” drinks are served all year round and include the unique Frisky, a frozen whiskey with blue lemonade and the Swedish Colada with Bacardi coconut rum, Kronan Swedish Punsch liqueur, colada mix and honey bitters.
The team will also serve house made Low ABV Spiked Seltzers with liqueurs in flavors such as blackberry, strawberry and passionfruit.
Paying homage to the drink of great artists such as Edgar Allan Poe, Van Gogh and Hemingway, the menu will spotlight many different absinthes, which will be served by the traditional drip method. Four rare Gold Pineapples, which hold two cocktails and four Gold Swans, which hold five cocktails, will be available for sharing throughout the night at a discounted price, but its first come, first served. Any drinks or cocktails can be put into these vessels making them the perfect way to enjoy two or more drinks.
Brunch
The team at Pekarna is looking to reinvent the way guests view brunch, offering quality drinks and a playful menu of dishes to enrich and satisfy.” Featured starters include the Avocado & Crab Toast with cucumber and wild Jumbo crab meat on toasted focaccia. Along with the current brunch menu, exciting new options including waffles and pancake dishes will be added in the coming months.
Brunch drinks include the Champagne Mimosa with fresh squeezed orange juice and GH Mumm Brut Champagne; Passionfruit Mai Tai with light and dark rum mix, Giffard passionfruit liqueur and fresh passionfruit; and A Warm Morning with Jack Daniels, Cocchi, apricot liqueur and angostura bitters.
Interior
Pekarna, which means bakery in Slovenian and other Slavic languages, was in fact a bakery prior to the renovation. While building out the event spaces O’Neill actually discovered four ovens built into the foundation and extending under the sidewalk. The unassuming exterior opens into adjacent dining and bar rooms. The main dining room is set with Bosnian furniture between the variety of rare, modern and vintage glass chandeliers and the durable Croatian wood floor that absorbs enough sound for all guests to talk and interact comfortably. Beside it, the 592 Bar room, with its AC on full blast for those who like a chillier environment, has a greater focus on bar seating perfect for private parties. The 592 Bar’s gloss-finished brick walls are complimented by the “alcohol art” displaying the bars top spirits.
Among the restaurant’s nine total bathrooms, there are four different ADA bathrooms, one of which is completely touchless, and each uniquely designed with notable fixtures such as a vintage water bottle tap sink.
Event Spaces
The lower level, which can be accessed by an elevator or by the stairs, has four differentevent spaces for private and public parties, coordinated by Events Manager Lana Asanin, that are all soundproof and claim their own separate entrances and exits.
The Elixir Room serves as a true multimedia space with a 106-inch drive down screen and 7.1 digital surround sound with stadium banquette seating. The lighting and seating is configurable for events from e-sports and movie premieres to conference meetings or the Super Bowl. A mixing deck and wireless mics are on hand to create any event required complete with a DJ plug in.
Separating the north and south sides of the lower level is the Dragon Room, featuring a Perrier-Jouët Champagne Bar and two cocktails on tap. Reminiscent of a European getaway for a wine night and ready with a screen for a viewing party, the Dragon Room is another versatile option among Pekarna’s private spaces.
The Garden Room is the outdoor backyard featuring white-clothed tables and greenery found throughout with an antique swing, a perfect place to escape the sounds of the city. With a separate entrance and separate bathroom, guests can have a completely outdoor experience, be it for COVID safety or even surprising an unsuspecting guest of honor inside.
The Perilo Room is an additional dining area for guests that cannot be accommodated upstairs and features a Monkey 47 gin bar. Perilo is a Slovenian word that means laundry, paying tribute to Mrs. Kim’s laundry that used to be there. Beginning in September, this room will host The Alice Experience, a 90-minute interactive performance Wednesdays – Sundays complete with cocktails and the madness of Wonderland.
Pekarna’s expansive set of rooms fit for dining, drinking and public or private events is certainly enough to get lost in, but you will always find your way back to a bar.
Pekarna is located at 594 Amsterdam Avenue, New York
Their website address is www.pekarnanyc.com
Their phone number is 646-974-9070
Their Instagram handle is @pekarnanyc
Hours of operation are: Monday: 5-11PMTuesday – Thursday: 5PM-12AMFriday: 5PM-2AMSaturday: 11AM-2AMSunday: 11AM -10PM
They are able to seat 320/ 220: 30 at the Bar; 58 in the Main Dining Rooms; 32//48 in the Elizir Room; 37 in the Dragon Room; 39 in the Perilo Room and 25 in the Garden Room
