Riad Nasr & Lee Hanson
Riad Nasr & Lee Hanson
Frenchette
Cooking at:
La Closerie Lunch
Riad Nasr
Chef-owner Frenchette
For over 30 years, Riad Nasr has made his home running the kitchens of some of New York City’s best restaurants. After helping to open Restaurant Daniel — where he landed after working with Michel Bras in France — the Montreal-born chef and his colleague, Lee Hanson, were tapped by restaurateur Keith McNally to open Balthazar as co-executive chefs. This was followed by Pastis, Schiller’s Liquor Bar, and Minetta Tavern, where they received three stars from The New York Times and a Michelin star. In 2018, Hanson and Nasr realized their long-held dream to open their own place: Frenchette in Tribeca combines their love of well-executed classic French food and expert service with a relaxed yet energetic downtown Manhattan spirit. The restaurant was awarded three stars by The New York Times. In 2019, Frenchette won the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant Restaurant and was named a Best New Restaurant by Food & Wine Magazine.
Lee Hanson
Chef-owner Frenchette
Lee Hanson has been working in restaurant kitchens since he was 14. He joined Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque in the Mayflower Hotel out of culinary school, before cooking with Charlie Palmer at Aureole and Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Vong. It was as sous chef at Restaurant Daniel that he found his culinary (and hockey) soulmate in Riad Nasr. Together, the duo was tapped as co-executive chefs at Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller’s Liquor Bar, and Minetta Tavern. 2018 marks a new chapter in their partnership with the realization of their first solo project, the brasserie Frenchette, which channels their love of straight-up French classics in a lively downtown setting. The restaurant was awarded three stars by The New York Times. In 2019, Frenchette won the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant Restaurant and was named a Best New Restaurant by Food & Wine Magazine.
