The restaurant world buzzed Wednesday after a marquee-name steakhouse announced it will close after 19 years and an ambitious Italian place seemed to flame out after just two months — both at high-profile locations.
Porter House Bar & Grill, long regarded as one of the city’s premier steakhouses, will go dark after Labor Day. Related Companies former CEO Stephen M. Ross often held court at a corner table overlooking Central Park.
Located on the fourth floor of the former Time Warner Center developed by Related and now Deutsche Bank Center, the steakhouse was also popular with masters of the universe such as former Goldman Sachs head Lloyd Blankfein, often seen at the table next to Ross’s, and former mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In a statement released by Related, Porter House chef/partner Michael Lomonaco and the restaurant’s ownership team said, “We have made the difficult decision to forever close our doors after Labor Day. We thank you for making us part of your New York story. Please join us to celebrate one final summer together.”
Insiders suggested Porter House fell victim to the exit of high-spending Time Warner executives from the building to Hudson Yards, and to competition from a surge in new steakhouse openings — including at Bourbon Steak nearby.
The Infatuation and TimeOut both recently ranked Porter House among the city’s top beef joints. But sources said it wasn’t the same after some kitchen and management changes last year, although Lomonaco retained his chef’s title.
Meanwhile, NeroLab Italian Food Zone appears kaput at the Trump Organization’s struggling 40 Wall Street just weeks after it opened.
The mammoth, 350-seat, 21,000 square-foot eatery with multiple dining and noshing rooms was first announced in 2020. But it didn’t open its doors until April two months ago for a “soft opening.”
NeroLab stunned Wall Street honchos when it went dark last week, with a sign on the door saying, “Sorry, due to technical problems the place remains closed until further notice.”
Callers to the NeroLab phone line heard a robotic voice that said to leave a message and didn’t mention the restaurant.
Trump Organization head of commercial leasing Myles Fennon said by email, “no comment.”
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