During the spring, 664 Manhattan Avenue changed hands again. Once the Polish-American restaurant CinaMoon, it transformed into “664 Wine & Dine” for a few months last year, and is now Cherry Point. The restaurant, which opened in May and named after the first published name for Greenpoint, is owned by The Spotted Pig alum Julian Calcott, artist Vincent Mazeau, and beverage director Garret Smith, each one contributing to Cherry Point’s distinct vibe. Wainscotting, exposed brick and an open kitchen create a warm and inviting space for dinner, brunch or after-work drinks.
The highlight of Cherry Point’s menu is the housemade charcuterie program. And that’s no surprise as chef Julian Calcott comes from the notable kitchen of (now closed) Corton and (still crowded after a decade) The Spotted Pig, two places known for their exalted treatment of meat and charcuterie. To have full control over the process, Cherry Point has a whole-animal butchery program. Currently, a typical week includes using a forequarter, a whole lamb, a whole pig and about 12 whole fish, butchering all on-site (fittingly, at some point before CinaMoon, 664 Manhattan was a butcher shop). For beef, they use Happy Valley Meats, a Pennsylvania company that works with small farms to consolidate and process delivery to restaurants—most of Cherry Point’s coming from Tanis Farms (Center Hall, PA) and Thistle Creek Farms (Tyrone, PA). The lamb and pork are sourced through Heritage Meats, with the sustainably-caught fish coming from Sea to Table.
You’ll want to start every meal, or possibly just have this be your meal, with an assorted plate of meats and cheeses. On the cured side, we went with a succulent, but not greasy, pork coppa sliced thin, and their peppery landjaegar, a German/Austrian/Swiss beef and pork sausage. There was also a huge dollop of ‘nduja, the spicy, spreadable Italian salumi; and a thick slab of meaty head cheese edged with apricot-laced aspic. Rounding out the platter was a mini jar of smoked whitefish salad, also house-made of course, and a wedge of soft cheese.
And this is all before getting to the non-charcuterie menu. You can start with smoked-rosemary-hollandaise-topped grilled oysters on a smoldering bed of rosemary; a dish of creamy, honey-drizzled labna dusted with tekka and mint; or flavorful steak tartar topped with a yolk and served with house-made potato chips for dipping. Of course, a whole-animal restaurant will include a delicious burger; this one comes as a double patty, each topped with a slice of Jasper Hill Farm cheese, a couple slices of lacto-fermented pickles and held together with a Balthazar potato bun.
Or you can go high-end with the juicy pan-seared half chicken Poussin over vegetables, or a luscious Butcher’s Cut Steak Frites au Poivre. The Butchers Cut can be anything from Flat Iron steak to a Chuck Roll to slow cooked, Smoked Beef Brisket. A few times a week, the special is classic Beef Wellington made with tender Petite Filet, and they also offer a limited number of Rib Eyes for 2 or 4 people during the week.
The drinks menu is as well defined as the food side. The wine list is large enough to please even a discerning drinker, with glasses of a Greek sparkling, a Spanish white and a Hungarian rosé available, plus a couple of very affordable carafes. Most of the bottles lie in the $40 & $50 range. The cocktails and beer also differentiate themselves enough from sweet & fruity to smoked & hoppy that there is something for everyone. And just this past weekend, they started serving brunch with sticky buns, Bloody Marys and smoked corned beef hash being spotted on their Instagram.
Cherry Point is located at 664 Manhattan Avenue, between Norman and Bedford Avenues. They are open Sunday to Wednesday, 5:30pm – 11pm; Thursday to Saturday, 5:30pm – Midnight. Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday, 11:30am – 4pm.