Being a top chef is all about creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences that their dishes always provide.
But in the case of Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, that’s just the start of it.
While the France native grew a global empire from his base in New York to become one of the world’s most respected toques, he’s now also launching his first branded residence in Miami.
So, Gimme Shelter traveled to the balmy shores of the Magic City to meet up with him and see what Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences is all about.
In short: Eating well, Vongerichten said, also now means living well.
The idea for Vongerichten’s participation in the luxe 48-story branded tower started when the developers — Terra and Lion Development Group — asked if he would be interested in opening a restaurant inside.
But Vongerichten — who has at least 45 restaurants around the world — wanted more.
“I have so many restaurants,” Vongerichten said. “I’d like to extend my knowledge to the whole building.”
Vongerichten’s empire currently encompasses restaurants and private eateries in a luxury tower on Billionaires’ Row to Chez Margaux, his first private supper club in the Meatpacking District, where his former beloved eatery, Spice Market, once stood. And, if all gets approved, a chic spot inside a beloved public space, Midtown’s Bryant Park.
And yet, this is the first time that Vongerichten is taking a holistic approach and infusing his own personal lifestyle aesthetic to an entire edifice.
“It’s an exciting project,” Vongerichten said, adding he’ll be opening not just one ABC restaurant there — but three.
“It’s a trilogy,” he said, adding that the building will host ABCV, ABC Cucina and ABC Kitchen.
Designed by Arquitectonica, the tower brings Vongerichten’s lifestyle vision to almost every aspect of the development, starting — but not ending — with the food.
The building’s interiors are by New York-based design firm Yabu Pushelberg, who also happen to have been the designers for The Fulton by Jean-Georges in Lower Manhattan’s Seaport District.
But the homes’ kitchens are created and curated by Vongerichten — from the high-end appliances to the chic pots and pans. He’ll even curate the food and beverages in your fridge.
Wellness and pool areas will also have JGV-curated healthy eats and drinks, including green juices and house-made kombucha.
There will also be a floral shop, a coffee shop — and a private rooftop restaurant for residents only.
The tower will have 329 condos for sale, from one- to four-bedrooms starting at $1.6 million — plus 41,000 square feet of amenity spaces, including pools, landscaped gardens, a gym and even a podcast recording studio. The ground floor will also have 27,500 square feet of retail space.
It’s slated to open in 2027.
Terra’s CEO, David Martin, also told Gimme he hopes Vongerichten will encourage his restaurateur friends to join him in the Design District. Residents want to walk the neighborhood and entertain at home.
These residences aren’t just places to store your stuff and to sleep — they are also “sanctuaries of the soul,” Martin said.