You’re not likely to run into the celebrity chef, Marcus Samuelsson, at his new restaurant Marcus Bar and Grille in the historic Old Fourth Ward.
Since its successful launch in March, Samuelsson has made only a few brief public appearances there. He showed up during the Fourth of July holiday to display some of his skills at the barbeque grill and he makes quick visits to check up on the kitchen, but like most chefs of his stature, who leave the day-to-day operation in capable hands, he’s mostly concerned with the weekly customer counts and the feedback he gets from regular visitors.
The well-known cook stays busy with his cable and public television cooking shows and is a bestselling author of several largely autobiographical books of recipes and reminiscences. He has cooked for state dinners at the White House and, during the pandemic, created a food kitchen that served thousands of meals for first responders and needy residents in New York City.
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Interview requests over the past summer have usually been answered briefly, with a statement that he’s on the road opening new restaurants. At last count he has at least three dozen eating places in his business portfolio, spread across two continents and the Caribbean, and more, presumedly, are on the way.
Marcus Bar and Grill is a cavernous and comfortable space with an open kitchen plan.
Not having a Marcus in the Marcus Restaurant doesn’t seem to matter to the happy crowds who have regularly filled his restaurant to sample the tried-and-true recipes of the master. A recent early evening visit to the Edgewood Avenue operation showed a mostly full house in the large, open, cavernous industrial space that spills out onto a spacious patio in front. There’s room for about 185 diners in the three dining areas of the restaurant, with a generous number of bright blue leatherette generously spaced out across the room.
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