There are some people you can have mad love for, and the late James Kent is one of them. Everyone he touched recognized that he was a unicorn of a human. This summer, Chef Kent of Michelin-starred Saga and Crown Shy unexpectedly passed away. He had big plans in the works, from running the restaurants at the new Printemps that will be landing in NYC, to a seafood restaurant. This is a look at who’s carrying on his legacy at the new Time and Tide.

Overview

There have been few people who have touched both the culinary world, or anyone who even said hello, like Chef Kent. He was someone who exuded sincerity and kindness. I was lucky to meet him a few times, and while he wouldn’t remember me, I will always remember him. I don’t know what we particularly said to each other. However, I do know how he made me feel with his good energy.

Chef Kent had so much to look forward to. And fellow chefs loved him so much, that they’re taking the torch for this next leg of the relay. Top Chef winner Danny Garcia is at the helm of Time and Tide, a seafood-inspired restaurant. Chef Garcia has big shoes to fill, and he knows it.

Atmosphere

The new Time and Tide is massive. Set in a brand new building on Park Avenue South, Time and Tide is on the scale of a Tao Group restaurant. In lieu of a club atmosphere though, Time and Tide is a series of elegant and formal-yet-casual spaces that make up a chic whole. The front door is hidden on 26th Street, and brings you into a spacious bar with raw bar seating. There is a casual coffee and pastry shop that is in the works as well.

The star is the main dining room, with curved leather booths and slightly austere Japanese-inspired wooden tables and chairs. There is a lot of walkway space. which any other restaurant would have packed with tables. Overall, the crowd and the dining vibe is elegant. This is the kind of place you would take your parents to, or a large party. Reservations aren’t too hard to get at this point, as there are at least 100 seats in the restaurant. With how it’s evolving, Time and Tide is a place to have in your back pocket when you’re in a pinch.

Food + Beverage

I’m going to start by saying that even before I had a bite of the food, I fully expected to love Time and Tide. Saga is one of the most beautiful restaurants in NYC, and any place that has a cheese churro like at Crown Shy is tops in my book. I have so much respect for the late Chef Kent that I’m going to be brief and say that I found the food fishy. With all due respect to Chef Garcia, I can’t imagine that this iteration of Time and Tide would have been the result of Chef Kent’s execution. I know this is a fish place, but there was too much anchovy, mackerel, sardine, and swordfish. The giant goldfish cracker was cooler in photos than it tasted. The fluke crudo was bland. Charred cabbage was doused in so much dressing, and the longfin squid in a cacio e pepe was strange.

Another talked-about dish — the halibut pithivier — was far better in its photos than in person. The halibut didn’t have much seasoning, and the pastry shell was a tad overcooked. It overall would have benefited from a beautiful sauce, as without it, it was kind of a dry mess. Crown Shy is a place where I could drop in any night of the week to eat a good meal. Time and Tide doesn’t achieve what the previous Kent projects have. Personally, I think the space would be better served by an Uptown post of Crown Shy.

Service

In a word, I felt that the service was disjointed. I was the first to arrive and just wanted to sit down, and there was a caucus at the stand on whether that was allowed. After it was decided that they could make the exception, I was promptly seated in an empty restaurant next to the service stand. It was really the worst table in the house. Of course, I asked for a prime booth and there was another caucus. Eventually, I was seated, and our server came over without a lot of enthusiasm to sort our order. It was fine, but not my experience of the warm service at Crown Shy.

While other restaurants that work as a team make it feel like you’re part of a seamless performance, the service was attentive at first, and then dropped off. I went over 15 minutes without a refill on my wine. We still had a great time together, but in this case, it was more about the company I was with than the experience at Time and Tide.

Overall: 7/10

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FAQs

Q: Where is Time and Tide located?

A: Time and Tide is located at 48 E 26th St, New York, NY 10010. Note that the entrance is on 26th Street, although Time and Tide is located on the first floor of the 360 Park Avenue South building.

Q: What are the hours of operation of Time and Tide?

A: The hours of operation of Time and Tide are as follows: