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UPDATE: Word from the Belly & Trumpet team is that the opening date has been pushed back slightly — they'll now open on Thursday, February 14 instead of the 12th as previously announced (and no, there will not be any molten chocolate cakes or heart-shaped anything).
Monday brought the exciting news that the old Bowery space on McKinney Avenue would transform into a brand new concept called Belly & Trumpet. Now, a press release gives more details on the new dining destination from Richard and Tiffanee Ellman (Oak) and John Paul Valverde (Outpost).
Belly & Trumpet's kitchen will be headed up by Oak sous chef Brian Zenner; second in command is Rudy Mendoza, who comes off a three-and-a-half year stint cooking under Bruno Davaillion at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. (Zenner "will remain the Chef de Cuisine at Oak while overseeing Belly & Trumpet on a daily basis.") General manager Adam Karpf also hails from The Mansion.