Being a perpetually hungry bunch, we hate to see good restaurants closing their doors, especially those of celebrated but short-lived diner M. Wells’ calibre. The major silver lining to this apparent rental dispute tale of woe though is that the culinary brains behind the much-missed Long Island City eatery in Queens are back with a spin-off venue at a branch of New York’s Museum of Modern Art tree.
Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis have rung the bell and called assembly at M. Wells Dinette, MoMA PS1, taking their cue for the interior theme from the building’s former use as a school. The pair were known for their rather strict but delicious one-dish meals at their previous venue, so the austere look of this new cafeteria-style place seems a match made in heaven. Big communal tables ensure the atmosphere is convivial, and as long as customers chew with their mouths closed it’s a lot more fun than we remember the real thing being. What do we have to do to get a detention around here?
Photography, Jesse Winter
