A new restaurant by and for queer people is opening in NYC next week
After months of speculation, HAGS—a new restaurant marketed as "by and for queer people"—will officially open for business at 163 First Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets in the East Village on July 20.
The launch has been a long time coming: for quite some time now, New Yorkers have been awaiting the opening of the much-talked-about trans-led destination by chef Telly Justice and sommelier Camille Lindsley, who are business and romantic partners.
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Occupying the space that was last home to David Chang's Fuku, HAGS will offer a pretty straightforward menu that's split into three.
Diners can select the $145 vegan option and devour dishes the likes of tempe served with gold rice, squash and grilled collard; tomatoes with favas, sesame and gooseberry; and "Lo's
The $155 omnivore menu, on the other hand, includes lobster with chayote and summer peppers; a crispy okra dish served with foamy melon, lime and pig's head; and a pork and beans offering that is prepared with melted carrot, endive and smoked oyster.
If you want to try a little bit of everything, you'll want to go for the $215 per person choice—but beware that the entire table will have to participate in the culinary undertaking.
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Wine pairings are also available for $85 per person and, given Lindsley resume, which includes an important stint at Aldo Sohm, the wine bar connected to Michelin-starred Le Bernadin, you're probably going to want to go for the pairings.
If queer potlucks come to mind at the mere browsing of the menu, that's on purpose: HAGS hopes to be an intimate restaurant (there are less than 20 seats on-premise) that reminds of the sorts of memories and experiences that generally define young adulthood within the LGBTQ+ sphere.
The name of the destination has a dual meaning. First of all, HAGS is an acronym for "have a good summer." On the other hand, the moniker calls out to the idea of "old hags," actually promising to deliver quite the opposite experience within its four walls: a very good, joyful time.
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