First Taste
Glisten Up
 Photo Credit: Dan Watkins
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“This place has great bones,” restaurateur Ed Kane says, standing in the construction melee for his latest venture. Gem was once Kennedy’s Midtown, but the bones are really the only thing his glitzy project will share with the shuttered Irish bar. Kane’s Big Night Entertainment Group worked wonders on the old Bertucci’s space last year, turning it into the sleek, if excessive, Red Lantern. Here, the space will be transformed from a stale steakhouse to a 1940s European setting. “It’s a little bit English private dining club and a little bit French,” says Kane. That means luxe fabrics like mohair and leather in rich chocolate and crimson hues.
Executive chef Kevin Long has a harder time finding a definition. “The menu is extremely diverse. There are a lot of different flavors—some French, a little Italian, a touch of Asian here and there,” he says. “I’m really not the most excitable guy, but food-wise, this is one of the most eclectic projects I’ve seen.”
When they open in early February, dishes like Wagyu hanger steak with shoestring potatoes ($38), miso-crusted sea bass ($29) and deconstructed salad Niçoise ($15) will be available in the 35-seat dining room or the cushy lounge. Long will make fine use of antique servingware sourced from shops around New England, like cut crystal trays for salumi and pickles ($15) or tiny copper pots for sauces.
Despite its glamour, Gem will be more subdued than Big Night Entertainment Group’s other venues, like the showy Estate or the mini-empire Kane’s developed inside the MGM Grand at Foxwoods. Interior designer John Stefanon will speckle the floor with a custom honey-colored mosaic to provide footing for sipping craft cocktails at the tufted banquettes in the bar area, while a hand-carved door opens onto the lounge. It’s a more grown-up version of the luxury Big Night’s patrons expect. One that’ll likely carry over into Kane’s newest project, an Asian-inspired restaurant on the Waterfront, set to launch later this year.
