FLORENCE FABRICANT
Art in Chelsea is not just in galleries. Elmo, 156 Seventh Avenue (19th Street), opening Monday, has a bright, joyous Ross Bleckner painting from his DNA series. It was commissioned by Stephen Heighton, an owner, and hangs smartly over the bar. It is Mr. Bleckner’s first commission since 1991, when he created a work for 3 World Trade Center, which was destroyed on Sept. 11.
The restaurant, also owned by Bob Pontarelli, is a dressy-looking, mirrored place with generous swaths of mosaic tile. The name is an allusion to El Morocco, the famous uptown supper club; the zebra stripes are not on the banquettes but on the back of the menu. Chef Kevin Reilly’s food, however, is suitable retro, with clams casino, veal Oscar and bananas Foster.