At the heart of the newly transformed Penn District, The Dynamo Room is redefining what it means to be a modern New York steakhouse. In conversation with DSCENE’s Editor Zarko Davinic, Co-Founder and Head Chef Jaime Young offers a candid look into the inspirations, ambitions, and creative process behind Sunday Hospitality’s latest venture. The Dynamo Room is a thoughtful revival of the city’s grill tradition, designed for a new generation of diners while honoring the classics that shaped New York’s culinary landscape.
Chef Young’s vision for The Dynamo Room is rooted in a deep respect for the city’s historic grills and oyster cellars, but it’s equally driven by a desire to move the narrative forward. “We took a look historically at classic and even vintage menus throughout New York’s history,” he shares, highlighting the importance of signature sauces, a variety of beef cuts, and familiar appetizers like crab cakes and Caesar salad. Yet, it’s the willingness to build on these foundations, introducing dishes such as deviled lobster, inspired by early 20th-century hotel menus, and a classic American crumb cake, that signals the restaurant’s intent to blend nostalgia with innovation.
The Dynamo Room’s raw bar is another point of pride, reflecting Young’s commitment to seasonality and quality. Oysters aren’t just an afterthought, they’re integral to the experience, with a curated selection that evolves throughout the year. This attention to detail extends to the restaurant’s design, where the team collaborated with Evidence of Things to create a space layered with references to New York’s engineering feats, the grandeur of the original Penn Station, and the city’s ever-changing identity.
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For Young and his team, The Dynamo Room is a gathering place for commuters, office workers, travelers, and locals, a vibrant intersection where tradition meets creativity. As the restaurant looks to the future, the focus remains on evolving the menu, fostering collaborations, and continuing to honor the city’s legacy while forging its own path.
Below, Chef Jaime Young speaks with Zarko Davinic about the philosophy, inspiration, and ambitions that shape The Dynamo Room.
The Dynamo Room comes as a contemporary revival of classic New York grills. From a culinary perspective, what were the non-negotiable elements of a “classic” grill experience you felt you had to preserve, and where did you feel free to break the rules? – As far as the non-negotiables, we took a look historically at classic and even vintage menus throughout New York’s history to begin our thought process. A variety of sauces to choose from, options for cuts of beef wet-aged and dry-aged, as well as some classic recognizable appetizers that we believed guests would expect to see. Crab Cakes, Caesar Salad, a great burger, even with desserts such as a Chocolate Layer Cake to our classic Crumb Cake. We looked to add to what was considered classic and non negotiable. The deviled lobster was a concept I had found on an old hotel menu from the 1900’s which I’ve not seen, but felt was classic in thought and expression. The Crumb Cake is not classically on New York grill menus, but for me it’s a classic American concept. So we looked to build on what guests perceive as “classic” and we tried to expound on what was expected at a classic New York Grill while integrating the perception of familiarity. Personally drawing from my own food memories to help connect people to outside the box food concepts.
You and Jaime Young drew inspiration from Chef Charles Ranhofer’s era at Delmonico’s as well as historic oyster cellars. Can you walk us through one or two specific dishes where that research most clearly shows up on the plate? – We didn’t directly use any specific dishes from the epicurean, more that it gave inspiration to develop a menu that wasn’t just beef focused but also dish focused beyond the steak offerings. Again referencing the Deviled Lobster, we did a fresh spaghetti with mimolette and pancetta. These dishes were developed with the same idea that a grill is not just built on beef, but on ideas that we hoped could become iconic on their own. Like the Delmonico’s Chicken a la Keene, or the Lobster Newburg.
This idea in itself puts the product in a place of priority instead of an afterthought. It’s an essential component to the beginning of the meal and an excellent way to gauge the care and quality that we hope to convey to our guests as they journey through a dining experience. – Chef Jamie Young
You have a raw bar and a strong oyster program within a grill-forward concept. How did you approach sourcing and preparation so that the raw bar feels as essential to the experience as the grilled offerings, rather than a supporting act? – Everything with oysters is about freshness and seasonality. We try to keep a rotation of different varieties throughout the year offering differentiating flavor profiles of oysters. This idea in itself puts the product in a place of priority instead of an afterthought. It’s an essential component to the beginning of the meal and an excellent way to gauge the care and quality that we hope to convey to our guests as they journey through a dining experience.
The design references everything from Lower Manhattan oyster cellars to the Roman bath-inspired architecture of the original Penn Station and even the atomic age. Did the interiors and art program influence any specific dishes, plating choices, or the way you think about progression from snacks to large-format plates? – The inspiration from our design team, Evidence of Things definitely had influence on serviceware. I chose a mix of materials in order to give the table during a dining experience more depth and visual variety. From stainless metal, to glass plates with texture, and finally classic heavy bone china. Just like we have a variety of textures and visual dynamics within the interior design, we wanted to complement that idea through our choice of serviceware.
Penn Station is one of the busiest transit hubs in the country, and The Dynamo Room aims to be both an everyday dining room and a destination. How did that reality shape the menu in terms of approachability and price point? – We had to think about the variety of potential dinners in this area. From guests who need to eat quickly and catch a train, to folks headed to MSG for an event, there are different needs that we must be malleable for. Price point, menu variety, or familiarity – all was considered.
Grill culture can be rooted in tradition. Where do you see the most room for innovation right now: in cuts and aging, in sauces and sides, in sourcing, or in how guests interact with the menu? – We definitely had a bit of fun with our sauces. We tried to offer a variety that was classic but off the beaten path. We are most excited about our BBQ beurre blanc. First bites and appetizers definitely lend themselves to more innovative wiggle room. The clam toast is for sure a surprising hit with guests, and not typical on a classic new york grill menu.
These dishes were developed with the same idea that a grill is not just built on beef, but on ideas that we hoped could become iconic on their own. – Jamie Young
How are you thinking about translating the grill-driven DNA and this historic New York narrative into a morning and midday menu without feeling like a completely different restaurant? – For us, we look at what we are using and what can cross over for a quick or even long business lunch. Knowing workers are pressed for time and what most people crave for a quick lunch, we prioritized developing existing dishes into more lunch forward concepts. An express lunch for $30.95 gives guests the ability to sit and have a proper lunch but within the time frame they need while preserving the narrative of our restaurant.
Sunday Hospitality talks about being custodians of spaces with great bones and history, from Hotel Chelsea to Bedford Post. In the context of the new PENN DISTRICT and PENN 2, what does it mean for you personally to be a custodian of New York dining history in a brand-new build? – The rebirth of Penn Station and its revival was something we wanted to be a part of. Its rich history and importance to Manhattan cannot be understated. It meant a lot to us to help steward in change and to support the people who work and commute through this area.
The Dynamo Room sits at the intersection of commuters, office workers, travelers, and locals. Who did you have in mind as the “core” guest while developing the menu, and what dish best captures that guest for you? – It was truly all of those individuals. From the start, we knew our guest would be a mix of commuters, office workers, travelers, and locals, so we built the concept around that diversity. The variety of diners is at the core of The Dynamo Room, and that understanding shaped how we approached the menu and the experience as a whole.
Looking ahead, how do you imagine The Dynamo Room evolving over the next few years in terms of the menu: are you thinking about more large-format experiences, seasonal collaborations, or deeper dives into the historic New York dishes that inspired the concept? – Constantly evolving the experience while learning and understanding who our diners are is how we will move forward. As a kitchen team we are always looking to innovate and refine the menu, so large format cooking and collaborations with other great restaurants are something we for sure are hoping to work on in the future.
For more of the standout dishes and The Dynamo Room interior continue to our gallery:
The Dynamo Room
Located in: PENN 2
Address: 2 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10121, United States
Phone: +1 203-297-9477
For more info and the menu log on to thedynamoroom.com.
