Michael Blizzard appointed head chef of D&D's Avenue
D&D has appointed Michael Blizzard as the head chef of its soon-to-be-relaunched Avenue restaurant in London's St James's.
Blizzard was previously executive sous chef at Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental, and has also worked at the Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne, Kent.
He has helped D&D to create a menu featuring new American dishes such as: corn crab (fried soft shell crab with avocado, arugula and chipotle mayo); lobster mac (macaroni with chopped lobster and sauce); clam chowder (served in sour dough with littleneck clams and paper bag ‘crumbled' bay crackers); and pig ‘loaf' (winter truffle with caraway and smoked tomato sauce).
There will also be a selection of sandwiches and burgers on offer including the Avenue hamburger (made with USDA beef and served on a brioche bun with house hot relish and green pickle) when the restaurant reopens in February. A selection of sharing dishes for two from the Josper Grill will also be available.
Sommelier Andres Ituarte, previously at Lutyens restaurant, will be in charge of the wine at the restaurant, which offers a range of USA and French classics.
The list of over 200 wines will include Sine Qua Non, a quirky Californian make that never produces the same wine twice; Cayuse Bionic Frog, a Washington State Syrah; and Diamond Creek, an ‘old-school' Californian Cabernet.
Avenue will also use the new-to-the-UK Coravin wine system, allowing diners the opportunity to taste a variety of prestige wines by the glass or ‘pail' at their table, at Avenue's onyx Bar or at the restaurant's decanting station.
In addition, the Bar will serve a regularly changing list of classic cocktails, inspired by the US prohibition era but with a modern house spin.
With a nod to American architect Rick Mather's original design based on New York art galleries of the 1990s, the new interior, designed by Russell Sage, will reflect elements of a Manhattan loft exhibiting works from new and upcoming artists.