Team Behind Chelsea Favorite Cookshop Takes Over Co. Space for Middle Eastern Restaurant

The crew behind neighborhood crowdpleasers such as Vic’s and Cookshop is taking over the former Chelsea space of pizza stalwart Co.

Vicki Freeman, Marc Meyer, and Chris Paraskevaides plan to bring Shuka’s chef-partner Ayesha Nurdjaja to helm a spinoff called Shukette at 230 Ninth Ave., near West 24th Street. They anticipate opening the restaurant in May, and menu details still aren’t totally set yet. But like Shuka, Middle Eastern food will be a focus here. Dips, mezze, and shareable plates cooked using a charcoal grill will be available.

For nearly ten years, the space was home to Co., bread legend Jim Lahey’s trailblazing pizzeria that eventually turned into a neighborhood favorite. Freeman and Meyer are also no strangers to Chelsea. They’ve owned Cookshop just a few blocks south for close to 15 years. It too has become a local stand-by, known for its straightforward and seasonal American menu.

Nurdjaja, an alum of Felidia and A Voce, has been working with the restaurateurs since 2015, staying on in 2017 when Hundred Acres flipped into Shuka. Like Freeman and Meyer’s other restaurants, Shuka has become a solid, everyday option.