hef Kerry Heffernan has stuck his neck out there for the foodie wolves to deem edible or not. After putting Eleven Madison Park on the map with his fresh contemporary American cuisine, Heffernan has moved into the eye-catching South Gate with a bold menu that has received mixed reviews. Considering the new Essex Hotel eatery could have easily been called South Park, at least Heffernan successfully avoided mass comparisons to The Chef and his Salty Chocolate Balls. We always try to look at the bright side at martiniboys.com.

Celebrated design man Tony Chi gave the old space a new spin. Alain Ducasse’s previous residence in the hotel was tucked into the back and gave off an Old World charm. Chi ditched the back room and built South Gate right up front with a wide view of Central park and tons of natural light. There is an epic glass wine rack that acts as a see-through wall between diners and the hotel lobby. The restaurant’s park view is accented by the cherry blossom-lined entranceway. The whole effect is art deco to the max and makes for a fun place to have a great conversation.

When Heffernan moved in, he did so wholeheartedly and in exactly the way he wanted. Catering to a specific crowd was no longer on his register and it showed in his no-holds-barred menu. Perhaps it was Chi’s imaginative décor that inspired Heffernan out of his box. With such an inventive backdrop the menu had to be edgy. The space wouldn’t accommodate anything less. He’s calling the new menu a French influenced American greenmarket cuisine which sounds normal enough, but names can be deceiving.

Since the focus is on freshness, the menu is apt to change daily depending on the availability of certain ingredients. I can give you a heads up on what sort of choices to expect in the meantime, but there are no guarantees they will be on the menu next week or even tomorrow. There will most likely be a hamachi steak lightly seared with lemon and garlic ($18), which sounds straightforward enough. Add a heap of eucalyptus like Heffernan does and you’ve got a full-fledged aromatherapy bath on your plate. I don’t usually dine out looking for a spa experience, but South Gate offers something like that with this starter. And then there’s the hot smoked Arctic char with olives and thyme and…..grapefruit ($16)? Olives and grapefruit were not meant to be on the same plate. Ever. Trust me.