Hold the molten chocolate cake — at least for now.
Michael Weinstein’s Bryant Park Grill won a temporary court reprieve from its landlord’s plan to replace it with a fancier eatery run by famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who created the often copied dessert.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Anar Rathod Patel barred the nonprofit Bryant Park Corporation from shutting down the Grill, which has served park-goers for nearly 30 years, until an April 22 hearing on Weinstein’s lawsuit against the corporation.
However, it wasn’t clear why the Grill needed such a reprieve since its lease runs until April 30.
The increasingly bitter dispute has roiled the leafy Midtown oasis since corporation president Dan Biederman chose Vongerichten over Weinstein’s Ark Restaurant Corp. to renew its lease.
Vongerichten’s empire includes his flagship Jean-Georges at Columbus Circle, Four Twenty Five on Park Avenue and The Fulton at the Seaport. Ark’s 20-odd US restaurants include Robert atop the Museum of Arts & Design at Columbus Circle.
If Vongerichten prevails in court, park-goers could face a summer without food other than from snack stands. Biederman told Community Board 5 the plans include a year-long closing to redesign the venue, as The Post previously reported.
“We’re all crying but we have hope the court will keep us here,” said a Grill employee who wouldn’t share her name on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.
The Grill, including its satellites in the park, Bryant Park Cafe and The Porch, reportedly took in $28 million in revenue in 2024, making it one of the country’s highest-grossing restaurants.
Ark claims that Biederman’s choice of Seaport Entertainment Group, which would manage Vongerichten’s restaurant, was “a sham process” because he didn’t sufficiently publicize the request for proposals and he brushed off the fact that Ark’s bid of $3.3 million was $1 million more than Vongerichten’s.
“This is a public concession in a public park,” Weinstein fumed. “Bryant Park is not private property to do as you wish. You have to follow the law.”
But Biederman insisted the choice of Vongerichten was entirely lawful. He told the community board that Vongerichten’s company “presents the best combination of operating record, financial strength, and creative talent in the food and design field.”
Biederman expressed confidence that the Bryant Park Corporation will prevail.
“The judge stated she will not prevent the landlord from commencing eviction proceedings against Ark” after the lease expires, Biederman told The Post.
A Vongerichten rep said, “No contracts have been signed, so we can’t comment.”
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