Barbarians at the ‘Gate’

Well, I suppose there won't be actual barbarians, but there will surely be gourmands at the gate when the much-anticipated new restaurant of chef Kerry Heffernan, South Gate, opens at the Jumeirah Essex House, on Central Park South, tomorrow. Heffernan, formerly the executive chef for newyorkinsider.tv's much-loved Eleven Madison Park, is happy to be showcasing his culinary talents in this swank hotel, which once counted Alain Ducasse as a chef-in-residence. (Ducasse flopped at Essex House, of course, though he is giving it another try, this time, with Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel.) Heffernan's space has a Tony Chi-designed interior that positively shimmers, with a wall of angled mirrors, glass sconces and the suddenly requisite (in contemporary restaurants anyway), wine towers made of glass. The restaurant's web site promises "priority reservations and a sparkling welcome" for anyone who calls maitre' d Marc Mover at this number: 212-484-4719. If you get in for a meal, drop us a line and let us know whether you found the welcome—not to mention the food—to be sparkling. %%showphotos [setid=72157603871475913]%%