What Happens When

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Address: 25 Cleveland Place (Spring Street)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10012
Phone: (212) 925-8310
Site: Visit the restaurant site
Map: Map
Chef: John Fraser
Cuisine: Nordic
Area: SoHo


Summary:

What happens when you decide to create a pop-up restaurant and give it a nine month run? You get What Happens When. A restaurant that is constantly changing and where the designs are literally written on the restaurant walls. And who's paying for it? Well, you are. For a minimum $5 donation supporters get their name on the wall; $100 gets you a package of designer salts. It's the brainchild of Dovetail chef John Fraser who is now in the second month of this food adventure. For the debut, Fraser focused on Nordic food with dishes like potato skins with beer fondue, and Arctic Char with fennel aspic. Phase two, or "Movement 2" as it's called, turns to spring, hunting season and comfort foods. Think "Where the Wild Things Are" complete with animal tracks and miniature monsters. Dishes for this phase are more earthy. Fraser is offering a three-course $58 meal that might very well exist in the forest. There's venison tartare with Saltine Crackers, and frog legs with potatoes, leeks and mint to start. Mains include pork loin with lentils, and stuffed brook trout with beets and almonds. For dessert; Gingerbread with spiced panna cotta, and maple chocolate cake with mint ganache and praline. What Happens When is bold and adventurous. And what happens next is anyone's guess. I'm thinking summer and bikini bottoms. - Thomas Rafael