Mayor-elect Eric Adams was out on the town Thursday night, enjoying a three-hour dinner at a splashy new Italian restaurant in midtown Manhattan.
“We’re supporting nightlife!” Adams gushed during an 11:00 p.m. phone call to a Post reporter.
The soon-to-be leader of the Big Apple snagged a corner table indoors at Osteria La Baia on W. 52nd Street for the eatery’s grand opening.
“It’s a great restaurant,” Adams said. The former diabetic-turned-vegan recounted his meal in an exclusive interview with The Post.
He tucked into a mushroom dish he declared “amazing” and noshed on “a nice salad and a nice cross-section of asparagus and broccoli and a couple of other items.”
Confidante advisor Ronn Torossian, a PR executive, organized the outing with Adams to promote nightlife tourism. They were joined for dinner by attorney Frank Carone, who is a member of Adams’ inner circle, and real estate consultant Ed Mermelstein.
But the visit was about more than fine dining, Adams said.
“It’s about making sure that people come here. It’s about our hotels, having them eat at our great restaurants and that’s how we have the cooks, the waiters, the dishwashers.”
“People don’t realize these restaurants employ those who are looking to be gainfully employed in this city,” he said.
Adams — who visited nightlife hot spots Zero Bond and Casa Cipriani just hours after winning the general election on Nov. 2– said he’d be popping up at clubs and restaurants across the five boroughs as mayor.
“We’re going to patronize nightlife, every night finding a new place to eat at throughout the city. Not only Manhattan. We’re going to the South Bronx, South Jamaica Queens, Staten Island.
“Exposing all the people to the great nightlife because it’s jobs,” Adams said.
He also vowed to stay true to his blue-collar roots.
“I’m leaving the restaurant now and going to see transit workers to let them know we’re there for all the night workers,” he said.
Andrew Rigie, head of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said he hopes Adams will help the industry recover from the devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’d love to take our incoming mayor on a tour of restaurants and nightlife spots throughout the five boroughs for great meals, drinks and music, and mostly importantly to meet and chat with the owners so he can have a frank talk about how he can help support them out of the crisis,” Rigie said.
