Fifty/50's Steadfast Taps Scott Manley For In-House Charcuterie Program

When it opens late next month, Steadfast will be a departure from The Fifty/50 group's bread-and-butter of sports bars and cocktail lounges. Instead, it will allow chef Chris Davies an opportunity to show off his finesse with an in-house charcuterie program overseen by Table, Donkey, and Stick's Scott Manley.

"This is our first shot in the finer dining area and a lot of cooler stuff that we can start getting into," Davies says. The restaurant, located inside the forthcoming The Gray hotel, features several architectural gems including a marble room that is ideal for curing meats. Here, Davies and Manley will establish a cured meat program offering prosciutto, pancetta, finocchiona and more served via a charcuterie tasting menu as well as scattered throughout the lunch and dinner menus. Grilled mortadella sandwiches with pistachios and truffles as well as uni with lardo and lavender served in a marble box, are two of the cured treats diners can look forward to.

Manley, who has been curing meats since his stint at Perennial Virant and Vie 10 years ago, is sourcing whole hogs in addition to cuts of lamb and venison for the program. It will allow him to expand on the creative selection he serves at Table, Donkey and Stick. "I've had charcuterie in a lot of places and, for the most part, it's the same plate," Manley says. "As much as I like eating that charcuterie plate, I didn't want to serve it, so we decided here that everything would have its own garnish." That idea will be expanded upon at Steadfast, with each cut paired with a specific jam, pickle, or preserve as well as bread prepared by pastry chef Chris Teixeira.