Part of Mercer Street Hospitality, the Bowery Meat Company was founded by John McDonald and chef Josh Capon. A sister restaurant to Lure Fishbar, Burger & Barrel, and The Gordon Bar at Sixty Hotel – to name a few of the fine spots of the group – Bowery Meat Company is a evening-only establishment. Located just off Bowery and 1st Street, dinner is first served at 5:30 PM seven days a week, with happy hour kicking off daily at 5:00 PM.
The Bowery Meat Company’s Wine Director, Julien Moreno, spoke to Downtown about how he wound up on the Lower East Side. Beyond the drink offerings – his favorite wines including reasonably-priced selections from E. Guigal – Julien went into depth about their Josh Capon-approved food offerings, which include a lot of vegetarian-friendly options for a place with “meat” in its name. Julien can be followed on Instagram via the account @kikouyou01, while the Mercer Street Hospitality spot can be viewed online at www.bowerymeatcompany.com.
Do you ever get vegetarians coming into the Bowery Meat Company to dine in?
Julien Moreno: Yes, we do have a few people that comes in that are vegetarian and usually they feel a bit awkward about it. But our menu is broad enough to give them options. My recommendation would be the Zucchini Carpaccio, followed by the Cauliflower Steak and finally the Burrata Ravioli.
What is your favorite item on the menu?
J: Without hesitation, the Duck Lasagna.
Meat aside, what does the Bowery Meat Company have to offer in terms of cuisine?
J: Our menu is eclectic. We offer three different kind of Raw Oysters and we also have Broiled Oysters, Roasted Cauliflower Steak, Salmon Sashimi, Fresh Burrata, Crispy Polenta, Shrimp Cocktail, Shrimp Scampi, three types of salads, Burrata Ravioli, Spaghetti Pomodoro…We also serve Skuna Bay Salmon, Grilled Branzino, and Broiled Lobster.
Is there an extensive wine list?
J: The wine list at Bowery Meat Company is diverse and extensive, accessible, and supports our food offerings to enhance our guests’ dining experience. We take pride in appealing to all guests with a wide range of preferences and price points, while remaining relevant to our menu. We showcase wine from 12 different countries, and aim to offer classic representation of each region. We have a wide range of price points, producers, and style among a list of about 420 references by the bottle.
Do you have a go-to wine when it comes to a steak?
J: I am personally very much into Rhone and Sud de France wines. I have always been very interested and attracted by Syrah or Grenache-based wines, and specifically Côte-Rotie with such producers like E. Guigal and its stunning Cru “La Mouline” – that can be enjoyed young but becomes a total different and savory animal with age, or smaller producers as Jamet or Gangloff.
The list is very long for the ones that I enjoy the most, but if I had the chance to, I would drink those wines on any occasion!
Are there any happy hours or specials at your establishment?
J: Yes, we do have a happy hour from 5pm to 7pm everyday at the bar. We offer a special happy hour food menu including Salami Chips ($6), Eggs & Caviar ($9), Shrimp Cocktail ($12), Chinese BBQ Pork Belly ($9) – one of my favorite appetizers — Wagyu Meatball ($6), Steak Tartare ($10), and to accompany all those delicacies we do Cabernet Sauvignon Lyeth from Napa Valley and Sauvignon Blanc Domaine Plouzeau from the Loire Valley, both for $10…all of our specialty cocktails are priced at $12.
I understand that you’re originally from France. What brought you to New York?
J: That is a very long story…but I moved here in 2008 to follow my ex-wife who was a dancer and joined the Martha Graham Institute of New York.
How did you wind up working at the Bowery Meat Company?
J: A friend who I was working with at Betony left and came to open Bowery Meat Company as the Wine Director. One day he called me to let me know that the place was great and that there would probably be a job opening soon. I left Betony, started here as a server for a few months, then my friend decided to move into a different work environment to become Fine Wine Specialist for a big wine distributor. That is when the Mercer Street Hospitality Group offered me the job I came in for in the first place.
How does one go about becoming a sommelier? Are there any prerequisites beyond having a strong palette?
J: I can’t talk about everyone because we are all different. We have different palettes but also different personalities. But what I can say in my case is that my grandfather was “Vigneron” in Corbieres his whole life, and when he passed away, no one took the flame. My mom has always had the desire to take over, but as many probably assume, there were old-school thoughts about what a “man job” may be.
As for the prerequisites, there are none other than dedication, passion, and hard work.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
J: Organization and multitasking.
What is your favorite thing about being a sommelier?
J: Having the possibility to educate the people that have the will to learn, but also tasting all wines…
How do you usually go about learning about new drinks? Industry events? Magazines?
J: On my free time I love to go out with friends to bars that specialize in cocktails. I also read a lot of specialized magazines. I recommend all to read Eater and the dining section of the [New York] Times because it gives a good information of what New Yorkers’ expectations and excitements are.
When not busy with the Bowery Meat Company, how do you like to spend your free time?
J: I like to spend time with friends around a large table full of food and wine.
Finally, Julien, any last words for the kids?
J: Study hard but mostly have fun.
