A MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT

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ABOUT GREY SALT

The menu at Grey Salt takes its inspiration from Murphy’s childhood, highlighting items that trace back to his French heritage and Italian roots. With a focus on locally sourced fresh seafood, the menu will feature artisanal flatbreads, handmade pastas as well as rotisserie and
grilled meats.

Murphy compliments his diverse menu with a world class bar program, featuring local craft beers, barrel and bottled aged cocktails and an international selection of wines focusing on the Mediterranean region served by the quartino, half and full bottles.

“I grew up throughout Europe – predominantly in Southern France and Italy where grey salt is a staple,” says Murphy. “When I was thinking about the menu for this restaurant, I decided to incorporate the finishing salt into some of my dishes to serve as a reflection of my childhood and when it came time to think of a name, I realized that the words, Grey Salt, felt very in tune with my concept to open something that is tranquil, soothing and calm.”

Grey Salt's interior, designed by the award-winning TBD Architecture + Design Studio, is a calming oasis with a bright atmosphere and a restrained palette of warm neutral materials. Reminiscent of Mediterranean Seaside villages, a sun-bleached boardwalk welcomes guests to the round zinc bar, while the white textured walls and sand-colored floor bring diners to the beach. Rosemary planters, preserved lemons, spice jars, olive oil, wine and firewood for the grills are scattered throughout the space, creating a true feeling of dining by the sea.

PHOTOS BY CEDRIC ANGELES

MENUS

DINNER MENU

DESSERT MENU

BAR MENU

PRIVATE EVENTS

CHEF MARC MURPHY

Owner and Executive Chef of Benchmarc Restaurants by Marc Murphy and Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy

Ask Chef Marc Murphy where he grew up and he’ll fire off a list of cosmopolitan destinations — Milan, Paris, Villefranche, Washington DC, Rome and Genoa — “and that’s before I turned 12,” he’ll explain. This dizzying list of hometowns served as an excellent education in French and Italian cuisine, though as a teenager this was not his first passion. When the reality hit that he didn’t have the funds to become a professional race car driver, Murphy followed his brother to the Institute of Culinary Education. Following graduation, he apprenticed at restaurants in France and Italy before returning to New York where he landed a job as a line cook at Terrance Brennan’s Prix Fixe. He stayed there for almost two years, working his way through every station in the kitchen and forging a professional bond with Brennan’s Sous Chefs Joseph Fortunato and David Pasternak.

Eager to return to Europe, Murphy flew to Paris and landed a position at the one-star Le Miraville, where he stayed for one and a half years. Afterwards, he staged at the famed Louis XV in Monte Carlo, where Executive Chef Alain Ducasse was so impressed with Murphy’s skills that he personally made arrangements for him to work with Sylvain Portay at Le Cirque once he returned to the States. Murphy still considers Portay to be his greatest teacher. “Sylvain was above all concerned with coaxing out the most vibrant, interesting flavors any ingredient had to offer, yet he insisted on minimal manipulation,” he recalls. Following Le Cirque, Fortunato tapped him to work as a Sous Chef at Layla, Drew Nieporent’s Middle Eastern fantasy in TriBeCa, where he met consultant Georges Masraff. When Masraff joined forces to open Cellar in the Sky at Windows on the World, he recruited Murphy to serve as Executive Chef. After receiving critical acclaim, including a two-star review from the New York Times, Murphy headed uptown to serve as Executive Chef of La Fourchette where the Times’ critic Ruth Reichl awarded him another glowing two-star review, citing his “open desire to transform food [so that] in his hands, even a simple green salad ... Looks like a ruffled hat in a painting by Renoir.”

In March 2004, Murphy opened his first solo enterprise with Landmarc [Tribeca], which won rave reviews both for its eclectic French and Italian menu as well as its highly untraditional wine list. Following its success, Murphy opened Ditch Plains in the West Village in 2006 serving casual, beach-style cuisine such as lobster rolls, fish tacos and the infamous ditch dog as well as other comfort food favorites. In 2007, Murphy was given the opportunity to open another Landmarc restaurant in the prestigious Time Warner Center where he brought his bistro-style cuisine midtown. In October 2013, Murphy opened Kingside at the Viceroy New York hotel on New York’s iconic West 57th street, serving his interpretation of New American cuisine. And in Fall 2015, Murphy opened Grey Salt. Murphy’s restaurants now fall under the Benchmarc Restaurants by Marc Murphy name, where he acts as Executive Chef and Owner. In addition to the restaurants, Murphy also heads up the company’s catering division, Benchmarc Events by Marc Murphy, where his signature style of accessible contemporary cuisine transcends the boundaries of what is offered in his restaurant locations.

Today, Murphy’s involvement in the industry moves beyond the restaurants as well, with a regular role as a judge on The Food Network’s highest rated hit, CHOPPED as well as appearances on IRON CHEF AMERICA, GUYS’S GROCERY GAMES, BEAT BOBBY FLAY, WORST COOKS IN AMERICA, UNIQUE EATS, THE BEST THING I EVER ATE, THE BEST THING I EVER MADE, THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW and THE TODAY SHOW among others. He is the President of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association, a board member of City Harvest, Culintro and Passport NYC at the 92nd Street Y Culinary Camp, as well as a member of the Food + Finance High School’s Industry Advisory Board, a member of the Leadership Council for Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and a national spokesperson for Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry. In 2012, Marc joined the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, where he takes part in public diplomacy programs that engage foreign audiences abroad as well as those visiting the United States.

Marc’s debut cookbook, Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking was released in April 2015.

COOKBOOK

the story behind Season with Authority

The recipes in Chef Marc Murphy's cookbook, Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking, run the gamut from artifacts from his family's history to some of the greatest hits from this restaurants Landmarc, Ditch Plains and Kingside. Each recipe will serve to nourish and inspire you for years to come. And more importantly, they will teach you that whatever you do in the kitchen, always cook with confidence, and never, ever be afraid to Season with Authority.

Order Season with Authority on AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE OR INDIEBOUND.

SHOW US YOUR
SEASON WITH AUTHORITY #SELFIE!

Like the photos in this book? We bet we’ll like yours even better! Grab your copy of the Season with Authority and show us your best #selfie.

Use the hashtag #seasonwithauthority on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, make sure to tag Marc (@chefmarcmurphy), and watch our feeds to see which photos we repost. Extra credit if the photo includes a completed recipe from the book that has (of course) been seasoned with authority!

*A very special thanks to the incredible Cedric Angeles for the amazing photography in the book. Please check out his portfolio here.