(Zandy Mangold, Alan Gilbert)
Award-winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is in talks to take over the former Conran Shop in ABC Carpet & Home’s flagship store in the Flatiron District, Side Dish has learned.
The 8,500 square-foot space in the basement has been vacant since The Conran Shop closed in July.
The space would be in addition to Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen, at 35 East 18th St. — awarded best new restaurant of 2011 by the James Beard Foundation.
The famous chef said the former Conran’s would be transformed into a local, green and artisanal market, with lots of local breads, cheeses and fun food, like donuts.
“Harrod’s started the concept, and look at the success of Eataly,” Vongerichten told Side Dish.
“It’s just an idea now. But food is a part of life. People are foodies and love to shop for food. We will keep it very local and very American. There may not be good olive oil in New York, for example, so we will bring it in from California.”
A second Vongerichten Flatiron-area spot, Pipa, now known as ABC Cucina, will close after the holidays and re-open in mid-February as a tapas/small dish-style restaurant with Spanish and South American influences, Vongerichten said.
He added that ABC Kitchen, shuttered after Hurricane Sandy, re-opened yesterday for brunch.
Vongerichten had to leave his Perry Street residence because the area and his basement was flooded and without power. He and his family moved into the Mark Hotel, where his uptown restaurant is booming.
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Uptown and downtown chefs are banding together to raise money for hurricane victims.
Chef Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud joined with Momofuku Ko and Momofuku Ssäm Bar to host a dinner this past weekend — $495 a person with all proceeds going to the Red Cross.