Hospitality operator Gilded Group has partnered with the Selina Chelsea hotel to launch two new food-and-beverage concepts in New York City: Howm Cocina & Cocktails and the Rooftop at Selina Chelsea.
Howm Cocina & Cocktails
The 120-seat Mesoamerican restaurant, pronounced "Home," will open Sept. 1 at Selina’s flagship hotel with Chef Byron Peñafiel at the helm of culinary and mixologist Daniel Bedoya in charge of drink. The cuisine of Howm Cocina & Cocktails is a nod to the Selina brand’s portfolio of hotels throughout Central America.
Definition Design’s principal, Heather Maloney, was tapped to spearhead the design of Howm, with a mission to turn the hard industrial design elements of the former Hotel Americano into textural soft finishes. The restaurant and patio space is light and airy with Central American patterns and designs with natural materials and textiles in muted earth tones and playful colors. Guests will be seated at oak butcher block tables and rattan lounge chairs. Greenery will include tropical and native flora. There will be seating in an outdoor garden that looks out on the Highline. The dual-level garden terrace will have banquette seating in pinks, fuchsias and yellows with hammock chairs.
The menu will include fare from across the Americas and consists of small plates and large plates intended for sharing. The mixology program includes ingredients like strawberry vermouth, Guyusa-infused vodka, avocado and pistachio oil and tarragon-infused Cachaca.
The Rooftop at Selina Chelsea
The rooftop lounge and bar space serves traditional and zero-proof cocktails built on the bases of mezcal, tequila, pisco, rum and aguardiente, using in-house ingredients.
“Chelsea is one of New York City’s most diverse neighborhoods and we couldn’t envision a better location for Howm Cocina & Cocktails than at Selina Chelsea," said Jonathan Knudsen, principal of the Gilded Group. “We chose Mesoamerican cuisine because of its authentic, bold flavors and we hope the restaurant captures the distinct feeling and energy found across all of Latin America.”
The Gilded Group is a newly formed joint venture formed by veterans Jonathan Knudsen, Josh Pendley, Danny Bazechouin and Caitlin Francis during the COVID-19 pandemic. An offshoot of New York City-based Concrete Hospitality, the Gilded Group’s inaugural project will be Howm at the Selina Chelsea.
"We are proud to bring the Latin cultural heritage from all the unique places we operate in Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panamá) to the NYC scene,” said Selina's VP brand & creative, Ariel Levinsohn. “The key to our success is finding incredible local partners that understand our global experiential community of locals and travelers to bring relevant food & beverage concepts that will resonate deeply with the values of a new generation thirsty for authentic experiences. The Gilded Group is the perfect partner to launch this new venture that will grow together with our footprint in the U.S."
Coming later this year, the Gilded Group will also open The Den at Selina Chelsea. The Den will be a lower-level venue ideal for special programming, social events, unconventional corporate meetings, private dining and gallery displays.