Delaware North’s Patina Restaurant Group announced the appointment of Morgan Jarrett as the new Executive Chef of STATE Grill and Bar, located inside the Empire State Building.

Infusing her warm, hyper-seasonal approach to cuisine, Jarrett has created dinner, lunch and bar menus that feature modern updates to the restaurant’s classic cuisine. Inspired by the Empire State Building Observatory’s recent $165 million renovation and the full building renovation’s focus on energy efficiency and sustainability, Jarrett designed the new STATE menu to be forward-thinking and sustainable. Her menu will feature ingredients that are sourced locally from New York City’s farmer’s markets, wherever possible, and it will be updated seasonally.

The new dinner menu will include flavorful proteins and elevated presentations. A new signature dish, Lobster Newberg Pot Pie, updates the classic American favorite with Maine lobster, seasonal chanterelle mushrooms, sunchokes, peas and sherry. Other contemporary seafood dishes include Grilled Spanish Octopus with cranberry bean salad, celery and charred lemon, and Grilled Swordfish Steak with rainbow chard and lime caper butter. Meat lovers have plenty of delicious options, including the State Beef Burger, made with locally raised beef.

Jarrett brings her love of planet-focused dishes to STATE, as well. A new vegetarian entrée Roasted Cauliflower dish was designed to appeal equally to meat eaters, encouraging them to re-think the role vegetables can play in their diet. Jarrett prepares the hearty dish by marinating the cauliflower in fermented black beans; she then serves it on cashew cream herb pistou in a rich farro wheat risotto and finishes it with nutritional yeast, in place of parmesan. Jarrett’s Crispy Brussels Sprouts with shallots and chilis have shown to be an early favorite on the new menu.

Jarrett has also consciously created dishes that will continue to resonate with a core set of STATE’s frequent diners: tourists visiting the Empire State Building Observatory.  A contemporary play on onion rings and ketchup includes a healthier, seasonal Beer Battered Delicata Squash Rings with Tomato Chutney. Her French Onion Dip is a gluten-free modern twist on a classic starter, made with cippolini onions and cashew cream.

“Growing up in Texas alongside hunters and farmers, I became highly aware of the impact one’s food choices have on ourselves and the planet,” says Jarrett.  “I’m committed to supporting local farms and economies and am excited to bring a modern culinary style to the classic dishes served as this iconic New York City landmark.”

Prior to STATE, Jarrett helmed the kitchen at Yellow Magnolia Café at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, also operated by Patina Restaurant Group.