CHELSEA — A chef who worked at The Red Cat will take the helm at a New American restaurant opening on Seventh Avenue.
Motel Morris is slated to open in the former Spa Belles location, at the corner of West 18th Street, by the end of March, a spokeswoman said.
Its four owners — brothers Sam and Brett Nidel, Brett Nidel’s wife Tamara McCarthy and his childhood friend Matt Mogil — currently operate The Commons Chelsea a few storefronts away, the group said.
Bill McDaniel, who was Chef de Cuisine at The Red Cat for 14 years, will head up the kitchen as executive chef.
The eatery will serve New American food “with a nod to global influences and regional American classics,” along with specialty cocktails and craft beers, the spokeswoman said, without providing specifics on the dishes.
The restaurant's name pays tribute to the Nidel brothers’ grandfather and Mogil’s great-grandfather — both of whom were named Morris.
“Motel,” meanwhile, “is meant to evoke American culture of an earlier era, when vacations meant family road trips, and travel often involved overnight stays along the interstate, replete with a meal at a reliable restaurant serving American standards perfected over time,” the spokeswoman added.
