Our Story

About Us

Simon Oren, Dudi Sasson and Chef James Tracey bring midtown Manhattan a glamorous bold American restaurant. A raw bar features every crustacean imaginable, and servers stroll through the dining room brandishing custom gueridon carts preparing items tableside. The menu circles the globe offering Chef Tracey’s seasonal cuisine alongside an extensive selection of Prime Dry-Aged Steaks, and Roast Prime Rib of Beef. Designed by Scott Kester and Dudi Sasson, the two-floor lofty space is comfortable and lavish with an expansive bar and seating for upwards of 200 guests; perfect for large group dining, with private rooms for business and social events. Befitting the group’s other properties, including Isabelle’s Osteria, Dagon, Nice Matin, Marseille, and Barbounia, beverage director Aviram Turgeman’s wine list is award-winning, and his cocktails are expertly shaken and stirred.

Monterey Brasserie

Our Team

Executive Chef & Partner

Chef James Tracy

Chef James Tracey is Executive Chef/Partner of Monterey, Midtown Manhattan’s latest retro-chic American Brasserie and Isabelle’s Osteria, a seasonally driven Italian restaurant in New York City’s Gramercy Park neighborhood.  A nationally acclaimed chef with over 30 years of culinary experience in the kitchens of Craft, Starr Restaurants, Gramercy Tavern, Colicchio & Sons and Lespinasse, Chef Tracey’s culinary inspiration comes from greenmarkets and local farms, creating dishes with clean, bold flavors that best showcase the ingredients. Tracey garnered Craft and Colicchio & Sons three-star reviews from The New York Times.

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Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, he started his career as a line cook in Washington, D.C. before moving to New York City in 1997 where he held several positions in top restaurants including Executive Chef of Crafted Hospitality. He moved to Philadelphia where he was the Director of Culinary Operations at Starr Restaurant Organization, overseeing 34 restaurants along the East Coast, and collaborated with external chef partners on new restaurant food concepts and staff development.

In 2016, Chef Tracey moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as the Culinary Director of Neighborhood Restaurant Group, overseeing 18 restaurants in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland, including directing and collaborating with chefs on menu development, staffing, and the overall running of their restaurant.
In 2019, he moved back to New York City to open Isabelle’s Osteria, a neighborhood favorite offering contemporary Italian and Mediterranean dishes. In his free time he loves to fish and golf.

Beverage Director

Aviram Turgeman

Aviram Turgeman is the Beverage Director for all Chef Driven Group’s ventures including Isabelle’s Osteria, Nice Matin, Marseille, Nizza, Dagon and the recent addition Monterey, Midtown Manhattan’s latest retro-chic American Brasserie.
Aviram left his hometown in Israel in 2001 to join New York City’s hospitality scene where he learned the restaurant business from the ground up. Growing up in a gastronomically focused family, he always had an innate passion for the wine space. In 2003 he joined the ​​American Sommelier Association, where he studied and taught. In 2009, he successfully completed the comprehensive WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits, both of which are an integral part of the ever going beverage expert career.

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Aviram has received the Grand Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine for the (2,500+ bottle) selection at Nice Matin every year since 2014. His background and passion for hospitality is the main force behind how he chooses wine and curates for each venue. Regardless of restaurant concept and region, you’ll find something that pairs perfectly with every menu item.

Aviram is also the mastermind behind Chef Driven Group’s innovative cocktail lists. Aviram always goes for an imaginative take on classic favorites. His menu offers everything from Martinis and Negronis to Highballs and Margaritas but with a unique creative touch.

Executive Pastry Chef

Juan C. Pardo

Chef Juan C. Pardo has worked in the pastry department at some of New York’s finest restaurants including Picholine, Boqueria, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Zengo. He now serves as the executive pastry chef for two other restaurants operated by the Chef Driven Group; Barbounia, and Dagon.   Thanks to his creativity and a passion to always incorporate fresh and unique ingredients in each of his dishes, Juan continues to innovate with every dessert he creates.

Executive Pastry Chef Juan C. Pardo

37 East 50th St. at Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10022

(212) 377-7171
info@montereybrasserie.com
events@montereybrasserie.com

BREAKFAST
Mon – Fri | 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
LUNCH
Mon – Fri | Lunch 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM
DINNER
Mon – Thu | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Fri & Sat |  5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

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