Alligator Pear Brings New Orleans Cuisine And Cocktails To Manhattan

Alligator pear is another word for the avocado but it’s now the name of a New Orleans-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant near Madison Square Garden.

With a soft opening on July 18, 2023, but officially happening in September, the 7,500-square-foot, contemporary American restaurant consists of three different levels. Eight private dining rooms are spread across the cellar, ground floor and second floor, varying in capacity from 10 guests up to 90; overall, the restaurant can accommodate up to 500 people.

“Our overall strategy with a place of this size was that no matter where you’re sitting, if you’re looking over at another section, you want to come back and experience that again,” said Alligator Pear Co-Owner Rehan Alam.

Each space has a different vibe. “Sally’s Corner” is a three high table section named for the mother of Alam’s business partner and fellow restauranteur, Kevin Doherty. “NOLA in the Autumn” has a nature depicting wall mural and functions as a banquette area.

As for leading the kitchen, Alam and Doherty hired New Orleans native Dominick Lee as Executive Chef. For the menu, Lee draws upon not only his lifelong love for his city’s food and his culinary skills but his studies of the city’s gastronomy to bring the flavors of the Big Easy to an NYC crowd.

Lee started working in restaurants in his hometown during his teens. Then, in his twenties, Lee went to Texas to pursue his culinary training at The Art Institute of Houston.

“I just always loved food,” said Lee. “When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a chef. After Hurricane Katrina, I went to school to study law; I hated it. Then one day, I was like I think I’m just going to be a chef.”

Paying his way through school, Lee won the “Underbelly Scholarship Award,” created by alumnus and James Beard Award winning Chef Chris Shepherd. It required him to work full-time in a restaurant while maintaining a GPA and other requirements.

While still in school, Lee offered the executive chef position at Houston’s Poitín Bar & Kitchen and earned accolades from Houston publications as one of the city’s rising culinary stars.

“Houston did amazing things for me,” said Lee, “And, then the rest is where we are now.”

Lee met co-owner Kevin Doherty, when the latter developed the beverage program at Poitín. In 2019, Doherty brought Lee to run the kitchen at Tara Rose, a cocktail in Manhattan’s Kips Bay.

“I asked Kevin, ‘do you have anybody who can run the kitchen program,” explained Alam, “and he’s like, ‘I’ve got a guy who’s extremely passionate; loves what he does. And that’s how I met him as well.”

Prior to joining Alligator Pear, Lee was in Europe, studying the food derivatives of Creole cuisine, and the finished menu evokes both NOLA’s culinary richness and Lee’s family’s recipes.

Aside from the restaurant’s name, avocado is not something on the menu. However, there are tempura alligator bites that come seasoned with a popcorn spice and basil. There are two versions of jambalaya – one having the traditional shrimp and sausage and the other more vegetarian friendly.

Gina’s Potato Salad is based on Lee’s mother’s recipe, and Cousin Ash’s Secret Catfish comes from another relative of Lee’s with Marsh Hen Mill blue cornmeal, served with cabbage slaw and pickles.

Austin Leslie’s Fried Chicken is named for the late NOLA chef whose restaurant, Chez Helene, brought Creole soul food to the forefront. Along with oysters, a black-eyed pea humus, and a chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, the menu includes a selection of steaks, a classic burger and Louisiana Red Devil Sausage and potatoes dish. For dessert, beignets are served in the same manner as would Café Du Monde. They come in a white bag for shaking up to distribute the powdered sugar.

The beverage menu features classic and creative craft cocktails, curated spirits, refined wines and beers, and a selection of zero-proof beverages.

Another NOLA signature at Alligator Pear involves the display of framed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival posters. These originals had belonged to Lee’s late father. “I put them there as a reminder of him,” Lee said.

Currently, Alligator Pear is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with upcoming plans to extend their business hours and include lunch and brunch times. For more information, visit their website and booking platforms on OpenTable and soon, Resy.