THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Morrells Restaurant

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Morrells Restaurant Restaurant Review:

Amidst the home-design shops of Broadway, wine merchant Morrell & Company has opened its second eating establishment, Morrells Restaurant. Attuned to the Flatiron locale, Bogdanow Partners created a space that combines industrial chic with modern sleek---an iron catwalk installed for wine storage and service (such as decanting) bisects the space between the bar and dining room, and stark white walls are illuminated by a glowing strip of orange light. A lively post-work crowd sips one of 150 wines ($6 to $50 per five-ounce pour) available by the glass at the bar, while a well-heeled clientele fills the booths and tables of the dining room. (There’s also a high-tech 900-square-foot private room equipped with state-of-the-art audio speakers and a floating floor that isn’t disturbed by the rumble of the subway beneath.) Executive chef Michael Haimowitz, from Morrell Wine Bar & Café at Rockefeller Plaza, continues his wine-inspired contemporary American cooking. Dishes are either made with wine, or made to pair with it. Spring mushroom chowder gets depth from Madeira and applewood-smoked bacon; a tiny napoleon of layered yellowfin tuna and hamachi gets big flavor with the accent of creamy uni vinaigrette---the sea urchin retaining its sweet brininess with the clever use of cucumber juice. Haimowitz has really come into his own with strong dishes such as pan-roasted sturgeon in a Kermit-green pool of sweet pea broth, and confit of rabbit loin, stuffed with a tarragon-and-shallot mousseline to keep it delectably moist. As you would expect in a wine-oriented restaurant, wine director Urs Kauffman and sommelier Vanessa Treviño-Boyd will confidently pair your food choices with selections from the 2,000-item list, which is compiled after being filtered through the kitchen---the chefs have veto power on bottles they don’t think complement the cuisine. It’s a selection that reflects the current wine scene: For example, there’s only one Mourvèdre, and it’s American. The by-the-glass selection is edited down to a manageable 30. Desserts by pastry chef Victoria Burghi are innovative---a flight of ice creams made from Sauterne, Muscat and Passito dessert wines, honey semifreddo coated in a crunchy sesame skin in blood orange sauce---but come off as timid after Haimowitz’s creations. On your way out, you can buy a decanter, wine glasses, corkscrews, and other wine and cheese accessories in a nook called the M Boutique.