The Musket Room is a restaurant in New York City.[1] The restaurant originally served food inspired by the cuisine of New Zealand, but has since expanded its menu.
History
The restaurant opened in June 2013.[1] The restaurant was founded by husband and wife Matt and Barbara Lambert and "developing partner" Jennifer Vitagliano.[2] Matt and Barbara eventually left The Musket Room in 2019.[3]
Raf's
Chef Mary Attea, Musket Room pastry chef Camari Mick, Jennifer Vitagliano, and Nicole Vitagliano opened Raf's in 2023, located near The Musket Room.[4][5] Raf's, characterized by Nina Friend in Air Mail as an all-day café,[6] serves pastries on weekend days and serves a full dinner at night.[4]
The space occupied by Raf's was formerly occupied by Angie's, and, subsequently, Parisi Bakery.[5]
Reviews and accolades
Reviews
In a positive 2013 review published by The New York Times, Ligaya Mishan praised the restaurant's food as "ambitious and meticulously detailed".[1]
Pete Wells wrote a positive review, also published by the New York Times, in 2022.[7] Wells highlighted what he interpreted as a "border-hopping" approach to the menu by chef Mary Attea, noting inspiration from Spanish, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern dishes and cuisine.[7] Wells also praised the restaurant's atmosphere, writing that a "lot of Musket Room’s energy radiates from the bar", which he credited to the fact that the restaurant does not allow patrons to reserve bar seating.[7]
Mary Attea was nominated for the James Beard Award award for Best chef: New York State in 2023.[8] Junghyun Park of Atomix ultimately won.[9]
In 2023, in a rare occurrence, several Michelin star chefs dined together at the restaurant including Mary Attea and Camari Mick as well as Malyna Si of Orlando's famous restaurant Capa.[10]