“ Queer Eye ” food expert Antoni Porowski will officially expand his culinary empire with a New York restaurant.
Porowski will partner with restaurateurs Eric Marx and Lisle Richards on a “fast-casual” eatery focused on “a wholesome yet fulfilling lifestyle.” Together, the trio will relaunch the Village Den ― which operated as a diner in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood for 36 years before closing in May ― as a counter-service establishment with a “market-driven menu,” Eater New York reports.
The avocado aficionado confirmed the news on Twitter Thursday.
While details on the restaurant are scarce, it’s currently projected to open sometime in September, according to the report.
The first two seasons of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot have, at times, raised doubts about the legitimacy of Porowski’s culinary prowess. Still, the Montreal native has considerable restaurant experience on his résumé and even served as a personal assistant to original “Queer Eye” food expert Ted Allen.
Porowski first announced his plans to open a restaurant last month at a 92nd Street Y panel in New York. At least from the sound of it, his beloved avocados may not play a large role on the menu.
“I’m all about, like, cheese and pork belly and decadence,” he said, according to Food & Wine. “As a result of the increased vanity of being on camera all the time and working out and eating healthy, I’m developing a fast-casual food concept restaurant that I’m gonna be opening here in New York.”
Regarding his love of food overall, he added, “I realized that it’s been this constant that’s always been there in some way, shape, or form, whether it’s privately cooking for my family and loved ones and friends, to working in a professional capacity. It’s always been there.”