The aptly named The Sound Bite, a new restaurant from Emmy-winning news anchor Julian Phillips, has opened in Hell's Kitchen. It marks a fresh space for TV journalists to mingle after broadcasts over drinks, live jazz, and tasty Southern fare. The new venture is a longtime dream made reality for the Brooklyn-born Phillips, who has worked with WPIX-TV, WNBC, and from 2002 to 2006 co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend. Phillips has also been a chef for more than 30 years (once beating William Shatner and Emeril Lagasse in a 2005 cooking competition!).
Photo: David Handschuh
This new hotspot on Ninth Avenue offers a mix of Cajun, Southern, and Italian flavors. The kitchen showcases Phillips' unique technique in blackened wings, along with comfort food standouts like the Southern Smoked Mac-N-Cheese (toppings include lobster, shrimp, alligator, and andouille sausage) and The Sound Bite Half-Pound Burger, which also boasts a variety of unique toppings.
Drinks here aim to make you feel better, too. The selection of cocktails has been prepared by Alex Ott—a biochemist/alchemist who has worked with NASA, JLo, and Taylor Swift, among other clients. Ott is able to create specially formulated alcoholic beverages that are nutritious and optimize one’s feelings, rather than the typical hangover sensations usually experienced from excessive imbibing. The drink titles play with media terms, such as “The Anchor,” “The Live Shot,” “The Crash & Burn,” and “The Headliner.”
World-renowned jazz singer Barbara King performs at the opening of The Sound Bite. Photo: Brian Francis.
“I want this to be a place for news people,” said Phillips on opening night, speaking to a standing room of cheering veteran television journalist friends, including NY1's Kristin Shaughnessy, Magee Hickey, and Pat Battle. The Sound Bite's walls are affectionately adorned with 8x10s of some of the news industry’s biggest names.
Patrons can enjoy a variety of live jazz artists, three times a week. Phillips' wife, Barbara King, a world-renowned jazz singer and his partner in crime in this venture, thrilled the house with the venue's inaugural performance.