The Cecil

Afro-Asian-American fusion is what you'll find at The Cecil. In 2013, Chef Joseph "JJ" Johnson helped open The Cecil with Richard Parsons and Alexander Smalls. This Culinary Institute grad worked in New York's most esteemed kitchens including Centro Vinoteca, Jane, and Tribeca Grill and then took off for Ghana to explore the country's exotic markets. The Cecil is a chic brasserie with leather banquettes, but what is on the menu will turn your head. Chef Johnson recently revamped the menu leaving some diners perplexed when their favorites were replaced with braised goat dumplings – quite possibly the best way to start a meal at The Cecil – followed by glazed oxtails, and brown-rice grits. Nevertheless, African roots seep into every dish on the menu. Flavors from West Africa, the Americas, Caribbean and Asia, all merge at The Cecil.