CHELSEA — Celebrity chef and TV host Cat Cora will take the helm at a new Southern-style eatery opening on West 14th Street.
Cora, the first female contestant on “Iron Chef America,” will lead the kitchen at Fatbird, opening at 44 Ninth Ave., in either March or April, its manager said.
“It’s a Southern kitchen that’s going to feature breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Thomas Recine said. “We think we’re going to add a new culinary option to the neighborhood.”
Fried chicken will be a staple at the eatery, along with “specialty biscuits” and other Southern fare, he added.
Though Recine said the restaurant is still working on its menu, a tentative one filed with Community Board 4 includes items like crawfish hushpuppies, spicy shrimp and grits, catfish tacos and brisket.
The eatery will replace The Diner, which closed on Jan. 4, he noted.
Signs hanging in the windows say the eatery closed its doors after 12 years. Management for The Diner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Recine’s group also operates Sugar Factory in the Meatpacking District.
“It’s something I think is going to be good in that neighborhood,” he said. “We think it’s going to be a good fit.”