“Lincoln” to Open at Lincoln Center

Scheduled to Open Late-September 2010 with Jonathan Benno as Executive Chef

Lincoln will be the name of the new Italian fine-dining restaurant scheduled to open at Lincoln Center this September by Patina Restaurant Group. Chef Jonathan Benno, until recently chef de cuisine of New Yorks legendary Per Se, will be at the helm.

Lincoln is named for its location at Lincoln Center which was built in Lincoln Square, the historic Upper West Side neighborhood. The announcement of the name was made jointly by Nick Valenti, Restaurateur and longtime Patina Restaurant Group CEO, and Reynold Levy, President of Lincoln Center.

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Lincoln will be an elegant glass-enclosed pavilion, overlooking the reflecting pool, Henry Moore sculpture and a grove of trees on one side and Avery Fisher Hall on the other, across from the Metropolitan Opera House. Architect Liz Diller worked closely with Nick Valenti to create the unique design for the multi-level space, which features various dining areas, an outdoor terrace and a central open chefs kitchen. The restaurant has a 10,000-square foot grass roof, open to the public and shaped in a hypar unlike any other structure in New York. It will have entrances both on West 65th Street and on the campus plaza level.

We plan to present contemporary Italian cuisine at Lincoln, focused through Jonathan Bennos unique perspective on Italian style and technique, said Mr. Valenti. Lincoln was conceived to be the sister restaurant to Patina, our flagship restaurant in Los Angeles.

Mr. Levy added, ‘Lincoln is a name indelibly associated with the excellence at the world’s largest performing arts center. Lincolns inviting design, in combination with the superb talents of Jonathan Benno, will make it a terrific addition to Lincoln Centers expanded number of places to dine.

For Mr. Benno, this will be a breakout role in a career that has spanned two decades of fine dining establishments such as The French Laundry, Gramercy Tavern and Craft alongside luminaries Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio and Marco Canora. Joining him will be longtime Per Se assistant general manager Paolo Novello.

The menu will be in development until the opening, reflecting Italian cuisine as a whole rather than any particular region. The wine list will share the menus focus on Italy.

Mr. Valenti and Joachim Splichal, Chef and Founder of Patina Restaurant Group, plan to create a unique environment both comfortable and refined. Lincoln will be open for lunch, pre-theater and dinner, seven days a week.

About Patina Restaurant Group

Patina Restaurant Group (www.patinagroup.com), a bi-coastal boutique company, is a leader in the premium segment of the restaurant industry. On the East Coast, its portfolio features New York Citys world-famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, Rock Center Café, The Sea Grill, Brasserie, Brasserie 8 1/2, Café Centro, Naples 45, The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera and La Fonda Del Sol. Other East Coast properties include Tutto Italia Ristorante at the Epcot World Showcase in Orlando, FL.

On the West Coast the portfolio includes the celebrated four-star Patina Restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Nick & Stefs Steakhouse, Café Pinot at the Maguire Gardens, Zucca Ristorante, Pinot Bistro, Catal and three other restaurants in Anaheims Downtown Disney District®, Leatherbys Cafe Rouge at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas and catering and food service in museums and cultural centers throughout California.