BlackBook recently caught up with esteemed chef, Thiago Silva – the 28-year-old Brazilian executive pastry chef behind all of EMM Group’s restaurants. Check an excerpt from the interview below:

At The General, the doughnut doesn’t stop there; the Bowery spot has become known for Thiago’s most nostalgic, breakfast creation: cereal-topped doughnuts. Yes, doughnuts topped with Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and filled with their respective cereal creams. “A lot of people think I was high when I came up with the idea,” Thiago says. “But I wanted a breakfast item, so I combined my favorite breakfast cereals with my really great doughnut recipe.”

The doughnut recipe is another wildfire idea Thiago’s concocted that’s become EMM Group’s top-ordered dessert across all their restaurants. On the sweets menus of their spots CATCH NY, CATCH Miami, Lexington Brass, and Abe & Arthur’s, you’ll find one signature doughnut. For CATCH Miami, it’s their key lime doughnut. At The General, it’s green tea. For the rest it changes, with flavors like pumpkin and peaches and cream.

While the food isn't the only thing that keeps folks coming back to Mark Birnbaum and EMM Group's establishments, it's one of the big selling points. Just check out the press section of the EMM Group's website and see for yourself.

And if you could put together any combination of doughnuts and cereal, what would it be?

The General Launching Brunch This Weekend

Fruity Pebbles inspired doughnuts at The General

Starting this weekend, April 20 The General will be serving a full brunch! Aside from the amazing doughnuts that Mark Birnbaum's The General serves up, folks will now be able to sit down to delicious breakfast dishes such as Peking duck hash and eggs, fried chicken & waffles with truffle honey, and Asian-inspired bloody Marys.

Brunch will be served starting at 11:30 a.m. in the restaurant's front café space, which will be opening up its glass doors for the warm weather as spring approaches.

The General's kitchen has Top Chef Season 3 winner, Executive Chef Hung Huynh, at the helm and is open 7 days a week. Aside from the addition to a delicious brunch, the restaurant offers a wide range of dining experiences for the local clientele.

If you're looking to get in early on the new experience, The General does accept reservations and usually accommodates on a first come, first serve basis. For more information don't hesitate to visit the EMM Group's website.

Mussel Monday at Mark Birnbaum's Lexington Brass

A lot can happen in a New York Minute. Like in case you missed it, today is Mussel Monday's at Mark Birnbaum's Lexington Brass restaurant downtown. On such a beautiful day in New York City how can you go wrong with some of the freshest food in town.

Aside from the delicious seafood that Lexington Brass serves up, there's a slew of enjoying Lobster Mac n Cheese, Deviled Eggs, French Onion Soup, Braised Short Ribs and platters of oysters and littlenecks at any hour, from breakfast to lunch through dinner and late evening reprieves.

When Mark Birnbaum and EMM Group opened the restaurant back in 2011 he had a whole new dining experience in mind. The 100-seat American bistro located on the ground level of the luxury Hersha Group features classic American bistro fare conceptualized and executed by Abe & Arthur’s Executive Chef Franklin Becker.

Examiner.com had this to say about the fine NYC restaurant:

Patrons will be treated to sophisticated yet familiar favorites from a menu of fresh, locally sourced, sustainable dishes. Highlights from the breakfast menu include jam-filled pancakes with berries & lemon cream and a Spanish scramble with chorizo, rock shrimp and hash. For lunch, midtown moguls can indulge in a sirloin steak sandwich with truffle fries, or opt for lighter fare with grilled shrimp & couscous or yellowfin tuna ciabatta with avocado & tomato jam. For dinner, patrons can enjoy a range of options from buttermilk fried chicken and biscuits to sweet corn ravioli with chanterelles to spicy fluke ceviche with watermelon. Lexington Brass also will offer a thoughtful beverage program, which includes kombucha tea, three local wines and four local beers on tap, including one signature lager which was crafted and brewed in EMM Group’s name.

Lexington Brass is open 7 days a week. Stop in today and enjoy some of New York's finest of food and drinks.  

Mark Birnbaum's The Jazz Room at The General

The Jazz Room at The General Hosts Marie Claire Magazine

This past Monday night, The Jazz Room at The General hosted the Marie Claire April Issue party with cover girl Olivia Wilde. Guests were nestled at the Bowery staple and enjoyed dishes prepared by “Top Chef” winner and Catch executive chef Hung Huynh. The kitchen turned out a number of Asian fare dishes that included a number of contemporary twists. Dishes ranged from light and creative sushi rolls to updated versions of Chinese classics like Peking duck and hot and sour soup

Also in attendance were Kristen Wiig, Norah O’Donnell and Ari Graynor.

The events continued last tonight, as The Jazz Room at The General launched its new Tuesday night party, which featured music by Dalton and performances by La Dolce Vita. 

The newly inspired Jazz Night was brought to guests by Mark Birnbaum. Those in attendance not only enjoyed the great music but the relaxed ambiance along with great food and drink. The new late night feature will be a continuous running show throughout the summer and into the coming months. Guests can also call 212-271-7101 to make reservations in advance. You can visit EMM's Facebook page to learn more about the Tuesday night gig or check out The General's website here. 

And in case you have any second guesses, here's what the New York Daily News had to say about The General - "Creative presentations stand out in both savory and sweet dishes, including a dessert of cake and sorbet molded into the shape of a coconut and brushed with chocolate.

Drinks such as the Diana Prince, made with Belvedere vodka, kiwi and lime, are carefully crafted and served from an oversize rectangular bar surrounded by high-top tables and comfortable banquettes, in an effort to make the cocktail experience just as special as the dining."

The General Combines Restaurant, Cocktail Lounge and Bakery

The 'nightclub alternative' is latest operation from EMM Group, owners of Catch and Abe & Arthur's

Have you ever been to a place where you'd be able to get great pastries, a delicious lunch and also be able to come back for a cocktail a little later on if your heart so desired? Well, if you're in the Bowery area now you can! EMM Group and Mark Birnbaum's most recent opening of The General is a modern mecca in the heart of Bowery.  

With Top Chef Season 3 winner, Executive Chef Hung Huynh, at the helm, EMM Group's The General is quickly living up to the high expectations of neighborhood patrons. Open 7 days a week, The General is a bustling modern Asian mecca offering a wide range of dining experiences for the local clientele. 

Here's an excerpt of what the Daily News had to say:

"A restaurant powerhouse has brought a new type of adult entertaining to the Bowery.

The General, the latest eatery from the dining wizards at EMM Group, is home to a new kind of laid-back nightlife — restaurant, cocktail lounge and bakery all in one.

The General builds on the acclaim and popularity of EMM’s other restaurants, Catch and Abe & Arthur’s, by adding a modern Asian twist to the same highly effective concept: fun, sharable small plates."

Accepting reservations and accommodating the casual passersby in the first come, first serve Cafe, The General boasts a bounty of something-for-everyone spaces. With environments ranging from the seasonal outdoor patio to the Cafe, pastry counter, social hightop tables nestled around the bar and the elegantly energetic dining room, it's always worth seeing who knows your name at The General.  

Read the full Daily News article here: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/general-nyc-new-nightclub-alternative-article-1.1244300

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Mark Birnbaum Takes CATCH to South Beach

The second floor dining room at CATCH Miami

Mark Birnbaum takes CATCH concept to South Beach, Miami at the James Royal Palm

In early 2013, just about one year after opening CATCH Restaurant in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, Mark Birnbaum, partner of EMM Group recently helped open its first outpost of the popular eatery within The James Royal Palm on Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami.

The globally influenced seafood restaurant, with Top Chef winner, Executive Chef Hung Huynh at the helm, has enjoyed rave reviews and full reservation books since opening its doors in early 2013, proving CATCH’s high energy, city-style of dining has found itself a natural fit among South Beach fans.

The nearly 4,000 square foot restaurant, fashioned between two floors and 190 seats, leaves much of the venue's landmarked, art-deco style interior intact. Upon arrival guests walk thru the 40 seat outdoor patio and into a 1,770 square foot First Floor Dining Room where the Main Bar sits in striking semblance to the hotel's original structure. Across the room a Sushi Lounge, with the capacity to accommodate up to 50 guests for seated dinner, adds an interactive element for a la carte diners or semi-private seatings.

Sprawling, 17 foot, cork-lined ceilings and a bustling South Beach dinner scene greet guests ascending to the Second Floor Dining Room. There, oversized copper drum lamps set an intimate stage, warmly washing patrons in CATCH's trademark honey-colored tones. Hand-painted details on the exposed brick walls create an ambiance like non-other, while Mark Birnbaum assures guests are able to enjoy all the essentials from the CATCH NY menu as well as newer, locally inspired dishes such as Po Little Rich Boys, The Shorecrest Roll, Kampachi Crudo and a conspicuously decadent Key Lime Donut dessert!

CATCH Miami

1545 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach, FL 33139

786.224.7200

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