Toots Brasserie: Toot your own horn

Not to toot our own horn, but we do like to be first here at I-S. We just checked out French joint Toots Brasserie—set to open next week in a space previously occupied by Moroccan restaurant Pasha—at The Sultan Hotel and thought we’d give you a sneak peak. The cozy 40-seater’s name is a reference to the jazz horn (ever present at The Sultan Jazz Club upstairs). And the space is still very much under construction (we saw folks carrying in some velvety upholstered chairs and purple chandeliers when we visited).

But operations manager Farhan Sumad’s enthusiastic about the progress. He says, “Our concept’s special in that there are three very distinct areas: The bar, deli and restaurant. We’re serving Provence-style classics and plan to keep prices affordable—about $40 a head.” For sure, a lot is happening at The Sultan. Upstairs, the hotel’s also launching a lounge—sort of an annex to the jazz club—called Room 101 (formerly Pasha bar), where folks can relax with grown-up drinks into the wee hours.