CH Projects Goes Italian Atop the InterContinental Hotel

Ever-expanding hospitality group CH Projects enters the first phase of its residency on the 19th floor rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel next week with the debut of Seneca, the Roman-style trattoria that will pull double duty, functioning as a stand-alone restaurant as well as a mess hall of sorts for The Reading Club, their members-only social club opening later this fall in an adjacent space.

Opening Tuesday, July 27 for nightly dinner service, Seneca’s exhibition kitchen will turn out fresh pastas, pizzas, whole fish, and porterhouse steaks grilled on a wood-burning hearth from a menu that is a collaboration between executive chef Russell Rummer (Pizzeria Delfina), CH Projects chef/partner Jason McLeod, and director of kitchen development Kat Humphus. The group has an affinity for tableside touches: expect to see mozzarella hand-stretched tableside as well as a roaming cheese cart and tableside dessert service.

The design, by New York firm AvroKO (Faith & Flower, Duck Duck Goat), is nautically-inclined with gleaming striped wood floors, metal-paneled walls, and curve-backed banquettes.

Cocktails are also a key to any CH Projects venture and here they’re split across five categories: spritz, long, fix, gin down, whiskey and agave. The list, from Anthony Schmidt and Andrew Cordero, includes the Lifetime Ban, made with navy gin, Cocchi Americano, fino, and mint, and the Perfect Timing with tequila blanco, Cynar, lemon, passionfruit, and muddled orange.

Seneca Menu

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