Every day is opening night.

Punchdrunk & Emursive Open New Restaurant “The Heath” at Mckittrick Hotel

Press Contact:
Rick Miramontez / Pete Sanders / Scott Braun / Marie Pace
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212-695-7400

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

PUNCHDRUNK & EMURSIVE
OPEN NEW RESTAURANT
T H E   H E A T H
AT NIGHTLIFE DESTINATION
THE McKITTRICK HOTEL

CHEF R.L. KING TO HEAD KITCHEN

OPENS NOVEMBER 26, 2013

New York, NY (November 20, 2013) – London-based Punchdrunk—best known in New York as the creators of Sleep No More—opens its first venture into restaurants with The Heath at The McKittrick Hotel (542 W 27th Street, New York, NY), one of New York’s most unique nightlife and entertainment destinations. In collaboration with EMURSIVE (Jonathan Hochwald, Arthur Karpati, and Randy Weiner) and Chef R.L. King, Punchdrunk has crafted a dining experience in the spirit of Sleep No More to compliment Chef King’s menu, which is a modern take on classic American and British fare. Those dining at The Heath can therefore expect hearty cuisine with an ambiance—both on the plate and in the room—as only Punchdrunk could imagine.  The Heath officially opens on Tuesday, November 26, 2013.

“The New York theatre scene has always been an inspiration to me as a director and we’re delighted audiences have welcomed Sleep No More,” said Barrett. “Now we want to derive inspiration from the New York food scene – which is arguably the best in the world – for our next endeavor; our take on the restaurant. Our approach to theatre has always been to take the rules and break them and now we are trying that with food. Like with our theatre shows, we want to breathe a little adventure into the dining experience and that is just what we will do here at The Heath.”

Heading the kitchen at The Heath is Chef R.L. King whose use of sustainable food, solid technique, and thoughtful creativity fit perfectly into the milieu of the restaurant. King’s cooking talents have brought him from Charleston, to Washington D.C., to New York City, where he has resided as Sous Chef at Il Buco, and Executive Chef at Hundred Acres.

“Working with Punchdrunk on The Heath restaurant concept has been a wild ride of culinary freedom,” said King. “It’s refreshing to work with such an innovative organization whose philosophy is creating an experience for each guest beyond the confines of a limited imagination. The menu created for The Heath is elevated English fare with a strong emphasis on seasonal, regionally sourced ingredients. Expect to see vegetable heavy nibbles and shareable appetizers, two to three different twists on classic savory pies, and Sunday style roasts.”

The menu at The Heath includes:

Nibbles
HP Glazed Quail Skewer
Walnut bacon marmalade

Rabbit Toast
Hot mustard

Beginnings
Black Caesar
Dinosaur kale, fried bread,
pecorino, anchovy dressing

Bubble and Squeak Cod Cakes
Saffron aioli

The England Chowder
Cockles, shrimp, halibut, scallops, bacon,
potatoes, thyme, parsley velouté

Entrees
Yorkshire Fry Up
Grilled pork belly, sausage, three sunny eggs,
marinated peppers, bean salad

Sir Bev’s Pork Chop
Roast fall squash, brussels sprouts,
pears, fried sage, brown butter

Pies
Beef & Mushroom
Grass fed short ribs, potatoes,
chanterelle mushrooms, baby carrots, pearl onions, flaky crust, prune-bacon marmalade

Fisherman’s Pie
Halibut, scallops, shrimp, cod,
salmon, braised leeks, parsley velouté, mashers

Roasts
Roast Chicken
Charred broccoli, apples, hazelnuts, boiled cider

Spit Turned Lamb Leg
Braised beans, baby carrots,
cipollini onions, parsley pesto

Half Lobster
Bubble and squeak cod cakes, coral butter, cress
The Heath and is open daily from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for cocktails and nibbles, 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for dinner, and 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. for a late night menu. For reservations, call 212-564-1662, or visit www.theheathnyc.com.

Photos of The Heath are available for download here:
https://www.hightail.com/download/OGhkZFhseWFFd2ZOUjhUQw

Bios

Punchdrunk’s current productions include The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable, a co-production with the National Theatre at Temple Studios in Paddington, and their New York debut Sleep No More at the legendary McKittrick Hotel in the Chelsea district. Sleep No More won a 2011 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience and a Special Citation For Design And Choreography at the 2010-11 Obie Awards.  Other previous work includes The Borough (Aldeburgh Festival, 2013), The Crash of the Elysium (Manchester International Festival, 2011), The Duchess of Malfi (with ENO, 2010), Sleep No More (with the American Repertory Theatre, Boston, Mass., 2009), It Felt Like A Kiss (with Adam Curtis and Damon Albarn, Manchester International Festival, 2009), Tunnel 228 (in collaboration with The Old Vic, 2009), The Masque of the Red Death (2008) and Faust (in collaboration with the National Theatre, 2006).  In 2008, the company formed its education and outreach department, Punchdrunk Enrichment, which now works with schools and community groups across London to deliver innovative participatory projects. Their most recent show The House Where Winter Lives delighted young audiences at the Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford last Christmas and will play at Perth International Arts Festival in February 2014. As well as producing epic theatrical productions, Punchdrunk occasionally works with corporate partners in the execution of unusual experiential projects and events. www.punchdrunk.com.

Felix Barrett
Artistic Director of Punchdrunk and a graduate and Honorary Fellow in Drama, University of Exeter, Felix has conceived, designed, and directed all of Punchdrunk’s productions since founding the company in 2000. He is a Critics’ Circle Drama Award winner  and one of the first recipients of a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Breakthrough Fund Award, which supports exceptional arts practitioners in the development of their vision. Outside of Punchdrunk he directed (with Tom Morris) the Stoppard/Previn Every Good Boy Deserves Favour at the National Theatre, London. He has worked with a breadth of practitioners and artists on a variety of projects, from Sarah Burton to the Massachusetts Institution of Technology. Most recently Felix directed and designed Punchdrunk’s most ambitious show to date, The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable.

Chef R.L. King is the executive chef of The Heath restaurant in New York City. King took his first job as a dishwasher and line cook at the Hyatt Regency in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and from there, he followed his passion for food throughout South Carolina, learning his craft in Low Country restaurants. King deepened his culinary roots when he jumped to Charleston, S.C. and worked as a sauté cook at Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B.) with Chef Frank Lee. After two years at S.N.O.B., he became the morning sous chef. When S.N.O.B. opened a sister restaurant, The Old Village Post House, King was offered the position of chef de cuisine where for almost two years, King helped to grow the business and gain a firsthand understanding of what it really takes to operate a kitchen and restaurant. His next move took him to Washington D.C. where he landed at Vidalia working with Chef R.J. Cooper. During his time at Vidalia, the restaurant was honored with a James Beard award and named one of the top restaurants in the city two years running. On his days off, he also worked at the Dupont Circle farmer’s market selling fruit and vegetables for Quaker Valley Orchards out of Pennsylvania. After leaving Vidalia, King moved down the block and helped open Eric Ripert’s restaurant, West End Bistro. During his time there as sous chef, West End Bistro was named best new restaurant in DC. After leaving West End, King worked around D.C. consulting for a variety of different restaurants, including Circle Bistro. From D.C. to New York City, King has resided as Sous Chef at Il Buco, and Executive Chef at Hundred Acres.

Emursive
Jonathan Hochwald, Arthur Karpati and Randy Weiner formed Emursive in 2010 to create immersive experiences in extraordinary places.  Emursive’s first ever production is Sleep No More, Punchdrunk’s New York debut at The McKittrick Hotel, and the most monumental immersive installation ever presented in New York.  Jonathan Hochwald is the president and founder of Madstone Productions, a New York-based producer and promoter of touring concerts and theatre.  Arthur Karpati is an entrepreneur in the real estate, development, and entertainment sectors.  He has produced several stage productions.  Randy Weiner is a managing partner of The Box in New York City and London.

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