According to various sources at the restaurant, Per Se is in the planning stages of launching an a la carte menu in its salon and bar area. A reservationist tells us the menu is in the trials but has yet to get the final go ahead. PR confirms a decision has yet to be made, however Chef Johnathan Benno's wife, Liz Benno, is already pimping the menu in a Facebook status update. Once the menu is confirmed, we hear it should be available to the public in the next few weeks.
We probably don't have to tell you this is huge—21 Club Losing the Tie, Chanterelle Dropping the a la Carte Menu—huge, a seismic shift for the restaurant.
On the one hand, It means both fans of Per Se and the uninitiated don't need to commit to a full nine course meal, the accompanying price tag, or the two month advance notice needed for getting a resy to get a little taste of Sir Thomas Keller. But the major departure for the restaurant that could change the vibe substantially, proving every restaurant—even New York's finest—must adapt with the economy in the crapper.
More on the menu when the restaurant and PR confirm it's been given the green light.
