New Harlem Restaurant Is Accessible To All Comers

EAST HARLEM, NY — Amid complaints that the city's restaurant scene too often caters to only a small subset of privileged New Yorkers, a new wine-focused restaurant in East Harlem has opened with a focus on accessibility — a mission that is personal to its owners.

Contento opened June 10 on East 111th Street near Park Avenue, serving a diverse wine list and a seasonal menu of Peruvian-inspired dishes like ceviche, octopus with black chimichurri, risotto-style quinoa and short ribs.

The restaurant is designed to be accessible both physically and financially: its low bar counter, elevated tables and spaced-out furniture allow people in wheelchairs to move around freely, while the main wine list was written with affordability in mind. (A separate reserve list includes pricier bottles.)

Its managing partner and beverage director is Yannick Benjamin, a sommelier who formerly worked at top restaurants like Jean-Georges and Le Cirque, who has been paralyzed below the waist since a 2013 car accident.

His partners in the venture include George Gallego, an East Harlem resident who, like Benjamin, also uses a wheelchair and mentored Benjamin after his accident, Eater reported. When Gallego and fellow partner Lorenz Skeeter found the Contento space in 2019, they invited Benjamin to join, having already collaborated on Gallego's Axis Project that provides fitness services to people with disabilities.

More than 550,000 New York City residents have physical disabilities that affect their ability to walk, according to a 2019 city report. Many restaurants across the city remain inaccessible to wheelchair users, though a city program gives businesses the ability to advertise if they are wheelchair friendly.

Contento's other accessible features include adaptive utensils and plans to host programming focused on social sustainability and job training for people with disabilities.

The restaurant's chef, Oscar Lorenzzi, hails from Peru and has worked at prominent eateries like Nice Matin and the Waverly Inn. Mara Rudzinski, the sommelier and a fellow managing partner, has more than a decade of industry experience at spots like Lafeyette and Terroir Wine Bar.

Besides food and wine, it also features cocktails reflecting "New York history and Latin and Caribbean flavors," according to a news release.

Contento is open Tuesday-Saturday at 88 East 111th St., including happy hour from 3-6 p.m. and dinner from 5-10 p.m. Outdoor and indoor seating are available; walk-ins are encouraged and limited reservations are available.