With Weehawken’s latest addition to what’s been dubbed as the Hudson River’s “Gold Coast,” one can’t help but wonder what kind of planning goes into designing a restaurant like Drift, which celebrated its grand opening in November at Lincoln Harbor.
Created by restaurant visionary Jeremy Casilli, the man behind the birth of establishments like the celebrity-driven Soho and Tribeca Grand Hotels in NYC, the multi award-winning 3 Westerly in Ossining, Atelier on the Hudson in Jersey City, Pier 115 in Edgewater and the hyper-popular Hudson & Co within Harborside District of Jersey City, DRIFT’s design was conceptualized by Venessa DeLeon of Vanessa DeLeon Associates (VDA).
“For a project like this, planning is months in the making,” said DeLeon. “You must think about everything. From walking the space that’s going to become the restaurant to how the bathrooms are placed. You ask yourself where it makes sense to put the bar? What are the views of Manhattan like? What are we seeing? What are we touching?”
DeLeon grew up in Union City, but now resides in Edgewater where VDA, a Manhattan-based firm, also has an office. Her interest in interior design came along with her appearance on the first season of Restaurant Impossible, which she saw as a way to get her foot in the door of the design world.
“It was from that point that the requests from restaurants began pouring in,” she recalls. “When you’re working on a house, there’s a lot of emotion involved because it’s your home. When it comes to commercial space, you’re not that self-involved. It’s very mathematical. We’re dealing with someone’s goals and we do the job.”
Drift’s 17,000 square feet of space includes a rotating dining platform, a 100-foot brass and emerald green 3D tiled rectangular bar where restaurant goers can witness sushi and crudo preparation, as well as an ice mountain that features the catch of the day. The dining room also features strategically placed olive trees to add some color and nature to the space.
“Vibe wise, it had to be a sense of feeling with its colors and how the space looks,” said DeLeon. “There’s no theme. It’s smoky, dark, elegant and still relatable. You don’t just have to go there for a special occasion. We went with something like emerald green for the bar because it’s such a beautiful color and also lux. It’s timeless and while not vintage, it is kind of a callback to it. It’s very prosperous.”
The lounge bar features oversized arches with rippled stainless steel and slightly elevated seating meant to create a subtle sense of separation. The space features a semi-private dining area that can accommodate up to 60 guests and also includes a smaller space for 20 guests.
“We chose the bar panels we went with because they felt like water and movement, which was appropriate since we’re facing the Hudson River,” said DeLeon. “Flow is very important. Nothing in the space has points to it.”
The 4,000-sq-ft outdoor terrace includes a fully retractable pergola to provide shade from the sun or shelter from the rain. There is also an outdoor bar for the summer season where patrons can see the sculptures of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton at their famous duel.
The menu includes sushi and hand rolls served with rice, simply prepared entrees with side sauces and flat bread pizza among other choices.
VDA designed Drift in conjunction with Sazzie Zer, owner of Zilkz Studios. The restaurant celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 13.
For updates and reservations, you can go online to www.driftgrp.com. Drift Restaurant & Bar is located at 1200 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken.
