By Bill Parry
The long-awaited opening of M. Wells Steakhouse in Long Island City took place when owner Hugue Dufour invited friends, family and associates to dinner seatings Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Opening night for the general public was scheduled Thursday night.
“It’s been a very long time coming,” Dufour. said. “We’re very excited.”
Dufour and his partner, Sarah Obraitis, became the darlings of the culinary set with their original M. Wells, a highly acclaimed Long Island City restaurant that closed in 2011. Last year, they opened M. Wells Dinette at MoMA PS1, but the hours were limited.
While they will continue to operate the dinette, the new restaurant was their main goal all along.
Housed in an old auto-body garage, at 43-15 Crescent St., the building looks worn down. There are no signs. Indoors, there is seating for 70 in what Dufour calls his concrete and dark wooded “Temple of Meat.”
His European-style cuts of meat and poultry will be prepared on a wood fire grill and there is a cement trough full of live trout.
The one-story building is across the street from LIC Linc, a luxury tower with 700 units, which will have its ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 25.
Rockrose Developments owns both buildings, part of a plan to turn Court Square into a residential and entertainment hub. Rockrose has invested nearly a billion dollars into the Court Square area, with four projects under construction or in development.
Further plans for the area will be announced after the new year.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
