Updated posts 2026
John McDonald has established his position as a bona fide celebrity of the culinary world. He has sizzled and served his culinary expertise for decades as the famed West Village restaurateur who proudly carries the title of Founder of Mercer Street Hospitality.
Notable restaurants like Lure Fishbar and Bistrot Leo have served as the launchpad for his long-standing relationship with New York City. His endurance and skills helped him rise to the top year after year. And his passion helped him establish some of the most famous restaurants around the country.
Like a beautiful love letter, McDonald has composed with exquisite elegance a list of food establishments. And now he has written the next chapter in his novel with his new American bistro, Hancock St.
Along with friend Serge Becker and Chef Ryan Schmidtberger, the iconic McDonald has opened doors to the hot new spot that offers both indoor and year-round heated outdoor seating in the garden veranda woven with string lights and lush greenery.
That outdoor space is doing more work than it appears. Before 2020, a heated garden in New York was a seasonal bonus; since then it has become something closer to essential infrastructure, and restaurants that secured usable outdoor square footage gained an advantage their neighbors cannot easily replicate. Covered, heated seating extends the usable calendar by months and gives a room capacity on nights when the dining room alone would turn people away.
The neighborhood has come to warmly embrace the restaurant where dinner and brunch menus offer a raw bar selection with oysters, shrimp cocktail and one of the most affordable Caviar services in the city, signature house made pastas that are made fresh daily, and familiar, comforting classics perfect for sharing or enjoying solo. There are even weekly specials like “Prime Rib Night,” which add an incredible flare that New Yorker’s taste buds greatly appreciate.
Blissful and memorable
moments to be found in dishes at Hancock St that include Yellowfin Tuna & Crispy Potato, which includes fresh tuna with sesame, truffle-yuzu sauce and scallions served on crispy potato hash browns, chef’s version of your favorite fast food breakfast potatoes; East and West Coast Oysters, served with shaved scallions and a trio of exclusive house sauces including a plum wine mignonette, serrano salsa verde and chef Ryan’s spicy hot sauce; Russian Osetra Caviar, the popular caviar service with four or eight ounces of caviar, sour cream and onion potato chips and creme fraiche; Adult Mac & Cheese, with fresh housemade pasta, 2-year aged parmesan, and house-cultured butter.
There are also entrees that guests travel from all the boroughs to taste like Duck Bolognese & Whole Wheat Mafaldine, with housemade pasta, roasted shiitake mushrooms and a rosemary manchego; Crispy Veal Schnitzel, golden brown and crispy schnitzel served over roasted dill potatoes and a lemon-caper brown butter; and the Schmidt Burger, a nod to chef Ryan’s last name, the popular burger features an aged prime beef patty with white cheddar and all the fixings on a toasted brioche sesame seed bun.
A lively beverage program highlights American wine producers and classic cocktails with a twist, like Noir Martini with Chopin Vodka, vermouth, and California black olives; Grand Manhattan with rye, vermouth, Grand Marnier, and bitters; and Smoked Margarita with mezcal, lime, agave, Cointreau and smoked sea salt.
It’s dishes like these along with a divine setting that are making Hancock St. a standout in New York City. McDonald has done it once again in the city that never sleeps. His energy keeps the beat of town going as their desire for good food and good surroundings never tires.
McDonald and his dedicated team deserve a key to the city. See why yourself with a visit to the phenomenal Hancock St. yourself.
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https://www.mercerstreethospitality.com
https://www.mercerstreethospitality.com/location/hancock-st/
