Tasting Menus, Guest Chefs & Self-Serve Beer, More on the East Village's Común

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Here's an update for the Eater readers who've been asking for the latest on Chad White and his Común Kitchen & Tavern, the East Village restaurant that the chef is opening in partnership with Shane Brennan and Demien Farrell.

White's calling Común a "casual bar with food", and says that they're looking at an early-to-mid June opening.

Though the chef is involved with projects that span from a gastrobar in Tijuana to a pizzeria in Westfield UTC's food court, White says he's committed to cooking at Común five nights a week. He'll be stationed behind a ten-seat counter bordering a souped-up kitchen loaded with grills, a plancha, a CVap oven and a fish file. From there, the chef will oversee a nightly tasting menu that'll allow him to stretch creatively; White will be inspired by foraged ingredients and seasonal produce displayed in a glass-paneled walk-in refrigerator that's a focal point of the restaurant's design.

The main dinner menu will be an approachable set of dishes that range from small snacks to entrees under $20. Large share platters will hold roasted leg of lamb, whole fish and clambake-style shellfish dishes. There will also be tacos, tostadas and tartine/torta sandwiches made with bolillo rolls that he's calling "tortines".

Desserts will range from homemade Mexican paletas and ice cream to fresh fruit "Otter Pops". At lunch, Común plans to offer healthy salads and whole grain bowls topped with proteins. There's even talk of a late night street cart serving fresh tortillas, roasted chicken and salsa.

A corner bar will pour Baja wines and mix up straightforward cocktails, while 12 taps positioned at the center of the room will operate as a dispense-your-own beer station.

Once a month, White will invite in a guest chef for a one-night-only stint. Nate Appleman is on the docket, as is George's at the Cove's Trey Foshee, Corazón de Tierra's Diego Hernandez, George Morris from Beaumont's and former Top Cheffer Jenn Louis of Portland's Lincoln Restaurant. Mision 19's Javier Plascencia is the first guest scheduled for the restaurant's opening month.
· Común Kitchen & Tavern [Official Site]
· All Eater Tracking Coverage [~ESD~]