Since 1990, The Singh Hospitality Group has enjoyed a reputation on Long Island for pursuing excellence in service, quality, flavor and freshness in their six venues – each a unique setting and dining experience.
Now, they have added a seventh jewel to their crown, with their first venture into the city, here in Queens at Water’s Edge restaurant in Long Island City.
Located on a barge on the East River, overlooking Roosevelt Island and a spectacular swath of the midtown Manhattan skyline, Water’s Edge has provided a generation with the ultimate dining vista.
Now the group, headed by restaurateur Harendra Singh, is restoring the luster to this gem – meeting and surpassing desires for the elegance of a bygone era, while bringing the dining experience in line with more contemporary expectations.
When it first opened in the mid-1980s, Water’s Edge caused an immediate stir among the dining cognoscenti for its simple yet elegant menu, five diamond service and, of course, the breathtaking panoramic view.
Almost immediately, inquiries for corporate and private affairs began streaming in. The romance engendered by the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings – the King and Queen of the Manhattan skyline – made Water’s Edge one of the most desirable wedding venues in the city.
In 1986, Water’s Edge expanded to meet the growing demand by adding a second floor, housing the grand ballroom.
The floor-to-ceiling windows of the back wall made for a truly breathtaking setting as a backdrop for the eclectic menu and elegant service. This shimmering riverside venue at the foot of 44th Drive became the city’s premier waterfront location for private events, drawing local, national and even international notice.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan, word spread of the “remote and mysterious” Water’s Edge restaurant “on some corner” in Queens, as if it were an unmapped realm of the Amazon rainforest.
Then, in 1990, Water’s Edge introduced the ultimate amenity – private ferry service from Manhattan aboard their 50-passenger Water Ferry. The convenient and complimentary service departed from the 35th Street pier and crossed the East River at regular intervals during dinner hours.
The 12-minute crossing transported diners, both physically and spiritually, from the hubbub of Manhattan to their intimate dinner at a cozy table. A triumphal return to Gotham’s glittering canyons arrayed before them, completed a horizon-expanding experience for many diners at Water’s Edge.
As the years progressed, the demand for private events outstripped the capacity of the dining and banquet rooms, even with the addition of sunset dining and events outdoors on the riverside pier terrace.
It was time for Water’s Edge to extend their reach.
In 1999, Water’s Edge acquired the yacht “Marika,” a 100-foot cruiser, luxuriously appointed on two levels and having a fully-stocked commercial kitchen, state-of-the-art sound system and dance floor. Marika seats from 50 to 80 for dinner and can accommodate125 for cocktails.
Since then, two more yachts have been added to the Water’s Edge fleet.
The 125-foot “Romantica” is fitted out with the luxury appointments and amenities necessary to provide 80 to 130 persons with a notable dinner experience and up to 150 for an unforgettable cocktail party.
The Atlantica, at 150 feet, can provide a flagship dining experience for 180 to 200 dinner party guests and accommodate up to 600 for cocktails, in the luxury that has become a standard at Water’s Edge restaurant.
With the passage of time, the charm of the nautical décor and intricacies of old-world service regime started becoming lost on younger visitors – some of whom thought the “Captain’s gratuity” was for the ferry pilot, rather than the headwaiter who oversaw their dining experience.
In 2008, what had become, after six years, one of the of the highpoints of the year – the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks – were moved downriver with very little notice, leaving faithful diners and management high and dry.
Shortly afterwards, Harendra Singh, as CEO of Singh Restaurant Group, completed negotiations and acquired Water’s Edge, determined that it would surpass its previous heights.
“I was very disappointed,” he admitted, over the loss of one of the city’s greatest shows, which this year moves back to the Hudson. “We’re considering dinner cruises on the Marika and Romantika for the fireworks,” Singh said.
He looks forward to bringing the Water’s Edge experience to new generations – beginning from the ferry ride that now leaves from the more placid 23rd Street Marina, rather than the pier near the 34th Street Heliport.
Of course, no one can overstate the impact of the New York City skyline arrayed in a panorama that includes the city’s latest celebrant, the 100-year-old Queensboro Bridge, to a new generation of savvy gourmets and private clientele.
But for all the attention on Manhattan, as a corporate citizen, the Singh Group views Water’s Edge as a part of the neighborhood.
“It’s a jewel,” Singh told The Queens Courier during a recent conversation. “Long Island City is an up-and-coming neighborhood and I want Long Island City to be proud of this place.”
To that end, he pledged that Water’s Edge would continue to support and participate in activities supporting such organizations as the Food Bank, James Beard Foundation, City Harvest and the American Heart Association, as well as the family’s very own foundation – The Raj & Rajeshwari Foundation, which delivers healthcare to people excluded by poverty and lack of infrastructure in northern India.
If the past is prologue, the neighbors will be proud of Water’s Edge.
Singh has created a unique setting in each of their other locales. The Woodlands, a 350-seat “event center” set amidst 120 tailored acres of the Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course, is surmounted by “The Delano Mansion” with new American cuisine and old-world hospitality. It offers lunch and dinner, and, weather permitting, an expansive pastoral view from the Grand Terrace.
The Woodlands, incidentally, is also the setting for this year’s benefit dinner, on Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m., for the benefit of the Raj & Rajeshwari Foundation, honoring Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. For more information, visit www.rajrajfoundation.org.
True to his word, Singh almost immediately set about restoring the luster to the newest crown jewel. “We began with the things we could do quickly – new tables and chairs, fresh drapery, wallpaper and carpeting,” he explained.
The newly renovated main dining room is still bounded by the wall of glass and famous panoramic display. It is divided into three distinctive dining areas, separated by shimmering hanging sheer curtains that are an ethereal suggestion of waterfalls.
The 14-foot high ceiling, fabric-upholstered chairs and candle-lit tables create a contemporary, romantic setting, overlooking the East River and the deck of the Promenade’s nautical Outdoor Café, which is nearing completion of an extensive reconstruction, in time for a summer of al fresco dining and drinks for 40 to 50.
In front, the cozy, intimate bi-level lounge is found alongside the L-shaped 20-foot long zinc bar. It has also been recently renovated. Enhanced by comfortable, muted lounge chairs, a baby grand piano and fireplace, it achieves a romantic bar/lounge atmosphere.
Above the main dining room are two private ballrooms. The bridal suite features beautiful classic lighting, floor carpeting, soft lounge furniture and dramatic skyline views.
The banquet room is elegant and classic, featuring a lounge area near a warm and inviting fireplace, as well as an outdoor balcony facing the Queensboro Bridge.
It too has floor-to-ceiling windows and the famous panoramic views of Manhattan.
Both rooms are available for private parties, weddings, galas, fundraisers, special events, and corporate parties. Regardless of the season, the views are dramatic, the setting timeless and the experience unforgettable.
For all the renovations, Singh is mindful of the past. “I’m delighted to have taken over Water’s Edge… It has a glorious, esteemed history,” he said.
“However, I wanted to refine, update, and renovate it to showcase a contemporary ambiance that also reflects the water around it. I want to create a romantic, elegant dining experience with a lot of personal attention to all the guests.
The contemporary ambience includes the service. “We eliminated the Captain’s gratuity,” he said, chuckling at the confusion expressed by some earlier patrons. “But we will keep the tradition of the front waiter, back waiter, busboy and food runner.”
By having a front waiter take orders and attend to the table settings, while the back waiter serves the dishes brought by the food runner and attends to clearing settings, Singh hopes to give each table a captain of its own. “What people like to do today is have a connection to the service,” he said. “They want to talk to somebody.”
“At Water’s Edge, I have combined the classic American [menu] with the modern and cosmopolitan, to create an atmosphere of comfortable, understated elegance,” he said.
The New American menus feature the inspired dishes of Corporate and Executive Chef David Salony, combining classic dishes with market-driven, innovative new global ones.
The extensive and varied menu at Water’s Edge reflects the elegant sophistication of Delano’s on the Gold Coast and the eclecticism of Singh’s Thom Thom Seafood and Steak House in Wantaugh, L.I. – with its pan-Asian seafood, no-nonsense New York Steak House meats and a soupcon of French sophistication.
Salony is also keeping an eye for tradition. Water’s Edge has been awarded 3-stars by Forbes four consecutive years and a 24 rating by Zagat Survey 2008 for food, among other accolades.
At Water’s Edge, Salony’s menus represent the regional and traditional cooking styles of America combined with French techniques and presentation, enhanced by a unique, creative selection of fresh seasonal ingredients. His use of fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables as well as a variety of multi-cultural flavors is the foundation of Chef Salony’s culinary style.
The Water’s Edge wine list offers an extensive selection of first-class wines from all around the world; multiple vintages for each label; an extensive and exclusive variety of boutique Greek wines, and a large selection of allocated wines and offerings.
“I work closely with estate vineyards to create a unique selection of wines to complement Chef Salony’s menus,” said Water’s Edge wine director Jay Jadeja. “I continue to enhance the wine list by adding the best wines possible at a value.”
Jadeja’s wine list has received an impressive number of major awards since Water’s Edge opened, such as The Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence; Wine Enthusiast Best in Fine Dining Restaurant Award, and Santé Restaurant Award: Fine Dining New York City.
Considering the cuisine, service and the setting at Water’s Edge, the prices remain moderate. Lunch entrees range from $14 to $22. Dinner entrees range from $24 to $49. The restaurant is open six days and nights a week for lunch and dinner (closed on Sunday, except for private events).
“I want my guests to come and relax as though they were on holiday. Most people like the simplicity, consistency, and warm, comfortable surroundings,” Singh said. “It is my pleasure providing this special hospitality which is a part of the Water’s Edge legacy,” he declared.
For more information on Water’s Edge, call 718-482-0033 or visit www.watersedgenyc.com.
