NYC but make it 1975. We’re going to Peachy Keen!
NYC but make it 1975. We’re going to Peachy Keen!
That’s it. I’ve officially found my new favorite spot in Hell’s Kitchen. Scott & I recently had the pleasure of having brunch and getting to know the lovely staff at Peachy Keen, and to say I was impressed is an understatement.Peachy Keen first caught Tawk of New Yawk’s eye on Instagram. The vibrant decor, distinctive drinks, and decadent looking food drew us in. With all of the excited buzz about the opening of a unique, retro themed spot, I grew more and more eager to visit. Peachy Keen is a relatively new restaurant that officially opened up May 15, 2022 after doing a soft opening for family and friends the first weekend of May.
When we arrived, Connor, the manager escorted us to a pink and orange painted room (imagine sunset colors) with a red velvet booth. Cozy and cute! We sat and talked all things Peachy and Hell’s Kitchen Hospitality. Yup that’s right -- Peachy Keen is just one of the many spaces owned by Hell’s Kitchen Hospitality.Hell’s Kitchen Hospitality owns some of the most popular and immersive spots around Hell’s Kitchen and Astoria including Dolly Varden, William & Willow, Mom’s, and more! As the gen z kids would say, they create a vibe. If you’re a Hell’s Kitchen regular, you may be familiar with Peachy Keen’s space, as it is the former home of New York Beer Company. What you might not realize is the restaurant didn’t change owners just the theme of this space.HKH really used the opportunity during the closures in the pandemic to redo menus and the motif across the board.
The owners, Tony Doyle and Brian Connell originally wanted to convert New York Beer Company into a '50s themed diner. After a lot of discussion and idea sessions, it was decided that a '70s themed restaurant was the way to go. Personally, having grown up in a house that played a lot of Earth, Wind and Fire, I think they made a great choice!Brian loves showcasing different eras, so you’ll notice that among a few of their restaurants. While Peachy Keen went with a groovy 70s theme, Dolly Varden's, another spot growing in popularity, offers a roaring 20s aesthetic.The transformation of this former finance bro sports bar transformed has been bringing in a whole new dynamic of customers. Peachy Keen has become the new hangout spot for post Broadway shows, brunch, or just an afternoon out with friends among the theater crowd.If you’re lucky, you may even spot someone you’ve seen on stage! The cast of POTUS has been known to hangout at Peachy Keen. Even Peppermint from RuPaul has been spotted here, so you know it must be good!
One thing that hasn’t change since the switch from New York Beer Company to Peachy Keen? There are still showings on the TVs for the patrons that come in! What has changed? It’s no longer sports games, instead, it’s Ru Paul’s Drag Race! That’s one way to bring in a fun crowd if you ask me.Peachy Keen isn’t just for theater folks and Ru Paul fans though. It's the perfect spot for anyone who loves good comfort food! Bonus: this is definitely a kid-friendly spot, so it can be fun for the whole fam.Let’s tawk decor. Wid Chapman, the architects behind Peachy Keen’s incredible decor, did an upstanding job. The second you step inside Peachy Keen you time travel back to the 1970s. The lively color schemes, the velvet booths, the mystery machine colored bar area, and all of the radical light fixtures help bring the aesthetic together. The back wall is hand-painted and helps give off some far out vibes. There’s even a jukebox that’s a perfect spot to snag a photo for the ‘gram!
Let’s tawk drinks. Everything drink wise at Peachy Keen is made in house from the simple syrup to the fresh cucumber juice used in the cocktails.The beverage menu was curated by the cocktail queen of HKH, Kim. We had the chance to chat with Kim to get the scoop on the cocktails at Peachy Keen.Having the '70s theme gives Kim a lot to play with cocktail wise. They started by taking some classic drinks from the disco era and added their own Peachy Keen twists to each of them.What were popular cocktails in the '70s you ask? A lot of the drinks were really creamy and rich, so Kim and her team started there and then just re-imagined those classics.While sitting with Kim we sipped on a few of the staff’s favorites:
First, a Blood Orange Mimosa for a twist on a classic brunch beverage.We enjoyed a Rhinestone Cowgirl, which was light and refreshing. It has a pop rocks rim to add some flare and fun to the drink! The name is a play on the song “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell that was released in 1975.Soon after, we danced and sipped a Disco Sally out of a Peachy Keen branded light up disco ball! This cocktail comes with a souvenir disco cup for you take home. This drink was named after Sally Lippman. Sally was a Studio 54 regular in her 70s. What an icon. This drink also, according to Scott, “tastes like vacation.” He was not wrong!We sobered up a bit with a Strawberry Swing, which is a choice off of Peachy Keen’s new mocktail menu. This one tastes similar to a strawberry daiquiri and is perfect for our friends who don’t drink or a great choice for kids.We noticed that HKH invests time and funding into their cocktails to ensure they’re nothing but top notch. Between the quality, high-end ingredients and inventive glassware, everyone is sure to love them!
Let’s tawk food. We let Connor do the ordering for us. He was the one who recommended the drinks, so we had full trust in his food choices too!We started with Pork Belly Sliders (a new menu item!) and the Disco Tots with bacon added. The Pork Belly Sliders came on mini croissants from Amy’s Bread in Hell’s Kitchen. I’m always hesitant to order pork belly. If it’s not made right, it can just taste like a chunk of fat, but this was the best pork belly I think I’ve ever had, no lie. Flavorful and tender, it went perfect with that fresh mini croissant. The tots were FULLY loaded. They were crispy with cheese curds, gravy, peppers, and more. I couldn’t get enough.
Next we had the Chocolate Banana Bread French Toast. This is something I definitely would have ordered on my own, so I was thrilled when Connor mentioned he put in an order for us. When it came out it looked dense and heavy, but it was exactly the opposite. This dish was light and fluffy and had a strong banana flavor, which is just what I hoped for. Highly recommend giving this a try!Let's discuss the Southern Scramble. This breakfast plate had scrambled eggs, two giant fried green tomatoes, some breakfast sausage and came with a spicy aioli. Usually scrambled is the last way I’ll order my eggs, but again, Peachy did it right! Their scrambled eggs were fluffy and loaded with cheese to give it a really savory flavor. This had all the essence of a true comfort home cooked breakfast that everyone loves.
Last but certainly not least we had ourselves the Chicken and Waffles. This was my first experience with chicken and waffles and man, can I tell you, I am so glad it was. I immediately fell in love with this dish. The chicken was crispy and juicy, sitting on top of waffles with a perfect consistency. I couldn’t stop eating this one. Comfort food at its finest!I was dying to try a shake from Peachy Keen but I legitimately feared I might pop like a balloon. All the more reason for me to run back to Peachy Keen ASAP!
What’s coming next?Keep your eyes peeled for HKH’s newest cocktail bar, Lady Blue, which will be making its home on 46th St!There’s also more in store right at Peachy Keen! There are plans to open the front bar area as a cafe using Amy’s bread products to serve NYC folks some delicious breakfast and coffee.Thank you to Connor, Kim, and all of the people at Peachy Keen and Hell’s Kitchen Hospitality for an amazing experience and amazing brunch. We cannot wait to come back and bring all of our friends!
Peachy Keen
325 W 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
IG: @peachykeennyc
