Dining Agenda: New Restaurants And Food News May 2017

Molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne (wd-50, Alder) is focusing on decidedly simpler fare at his new doughnut shop, which opened at the stylish William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg at the very end of April. Still, his inventive spirit shines through with a Technicolor array of doughnuts with flavors ranging from grapefruit chamomile and malted coffee to peanut butter yuzu and pistachio pink lemonade. Coffee is sourced from Brooklyn Roasting Company, and an oversized kitchen window allows customers to watch their fried confections getting glazed. 107 N. 12th St.; dusdonuts.com.

Closing out April on a high note, James Beard Award winning chef Jose Garces (Amada) brought his take on Basque cuisine to the new Luma Hotel in Times Square. Small plates of fluke with chickpea powder and sea beans join showstoppers like braised oxtail with fennel sofrito and a 24-ounce bone-in ribeye with green chili. Basque-region wines are available by the glass, bottle, and porron—a Spanish wine pitcher to be shared at the table. 120 W. 41st St.; 212-730-0099; lumahotels.com.

Acclaimed chef Meir Adoni (Mizlala, Blue Sky, and the recently closed, but much loved Catit) opened his first restaurant outside of Israel at the end of April. The region-blending menu brings together his classic training and vibrant inventiveness with years of "field research" cooking in the kitchens of Israel's Jewish and Arab grandmothers. Moroccan-inspired doughnuts filled with smoked trout and medjool dates join black bass with preserved lemon and freekeh, and his signature "Palestinian tartare"—a whirl of chopped raw beef, smoked eggplant cream, and sheep's yogurt that he first developed years ago in honor of the Arab cooks who worked in his kitchen. 34 East 20th St.; 212-505-3420; nurnyc.com.

Dirty French’s acclaimed former wine director, Lelañea Fulton, is curating a pop up wine and oyster bar in celebration of The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel’s 90th anniversary. From May 1 through October, diners can sit amidst lush palms indoors or out by the Tropicana pool, and share platters of Miyagi, Kumamoto, and Wellfleet bivalves. The wine selection will skew heavily toward summery champagnes and rosés—many produced by innovative female winemakers. 7000 Hollywood Blvd.; 323-466-7000; thehollywoodroosevelt.com.

In early May, cafe power couple, Benjamin Sormonte and Elisa Marshall (of Maman in Toronto and New York), are heading south, opening an elegant French Mediterranean restaurant along with Sormonte's brother at the Tropical Hotel in St. Barts. Chef Matthieu Savariaud's bright, effortlessly indulgent menu of mahi mahi gravlax with citrus cream, and baba ghanoush with grilled halloumi and eggplant caviar can be enjoyed from the open-air patio while overlooking the resort's postcard perfect beach views. Fans of Maman's nutty chocolate chip cookies will delight to find them freshly baked on the island. Baie de Saint Jean.

Starting May 2, coffee devotees will gain access to some extraordinary beans. Nespresso’s limited Explorations line includes Kenyan peaberries with their jammy, candied fruit notes, and the toasted wheat undertones found in Laotian-grown Arabica beans. The window to sip and savor these brews is short: Nespresso’s Explorations line will only be available twice a year in micro-batch quantities. nespresso.com.

Chef Tim Meyers (formerly of Charlie Bird) is launching a 124-seat, bi-level American restaurant, Out East, early this month. As its name suggests, the menu is a seafood-focused affair, with starters like crudo (including Nantucket bay scallop with Meyer lemon, celery, and olive, and black bass carpaccio with strawberry, rose, and pistachio) and entrees such as the Block Island Sound porgy with herbs, cabbage, and lobster butter. Also on offer: fresh salads, vegetables, and dishes featuring seasonal ingredients, like a springy seared culotte steak with wild ramp romesco. The complementary wine list is an impressive 300+ bottles strong, with special attention paid to varietals from California and France. The space references its nautical, beachy inspiration with a blue-and-white (and Millennial pink) color scheme, brass accents, ocean wave-inspired floor tiles, and a glass atrium-style roof. 509 E. Sixth St.; 212-509-5096; outeastnyc.com.

On May 3, acclaimed chefs Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim and David Gingell (Primeur) will launch a seafood-focused spot. The bespoke dining room will be awash in blue British velvet and outfitted with vintage Michael Thonet chairs and handmade pottery from Bristol. The daily changing menu will lean heavily on produce and flavors from the British Isles with dishes like sea bass and seaweed tartare and chargrilled mackerel with miso and chili. 34 Drayton Park;  44-20/7700-3700; westernslaundry.com.

On May 5, the acclaimed Atlanta chef and author of the 2017 James Beard Award-nominated cookbook My Two Souths, is heading up a dinner blending southern and Indian cuisines. Held at Serenbe, an upscale urban village just outside of Atlanta in Chattahoochee Hills, the menu will feature tropical fruit salad with lime cumin dressing, pork vindaloo with cardamom cornbread, and three-spice carrot cake, each paired with wines to match. 10642 Serenbe Ln.; 770-463-2222; serenbe.com.

Bay Area power restaurateur Adriano Paganini's (Beretta, Lolinda, Super Duper) newest spot will focus on handmade pasta (a mano means “by hand” in Italian) with flavors inspired by the surrounding California terroir. Fresh semolina flour pastas will be joined by a selection of antipasti and two elemental pizza offerings: a Margherita, and another pie that shifts with the seasons. The design concept is ultra personal, pulling elements from the garment industry—linens with menswear detailing, a bar top that resembles a tailor’s work table—in honor of Paganini’s family’s tailor shop in Italy. Expect a May 8 opening date. 450 Hayes St.; 415-550-8626; amanosf.com.

On May 9, Harneet and Devina Baweja—the dynamic husband and wife duo behind the successful homestyle Indian restaurant, Gunpowder—will turn their attention to Himalayan cuisine at their new East London joint. Lit by smoky candlelight and perfumed with sizzling spices wafting in from the kitchen, the second floor dining den will turn out Tibetan duck momo, gold coin dumplings, and garlic-coriander steamed chicke, dishes and flavors Harneet first fell in love with while visiting family in North East India as a child. 76 Commercial St.; 44-20/7247-1341; madame-d.com.

On May 10, central Texas’s premiere chefs, farmers, and spirit-makers will convene for the tenth annual Farm to Plate, a benefit for local food organization the Sustainable Food Center. Located at Barr Mansion, a stunning 19th-century Victorian home that has since become the country’s first certified organic special events venue, the menu will include Texas peaches with gorgonzola dolce from Juliet Ristorante and smoked catfish with Carolina Gold rice crackers by Fixe, among other regionally sourced dishes. 10463 Sprinkle Rd.; sustainablefoodcenter.org.

From May 12 – 14, moms and their families can enjoy a Veuve Clicquot-powered stay at the Meritage Resort and Spa in the Napa Valley. The weekend includes a five-course dinner of ahi crudo with creme fraiche and caviar, and cured salmon with smoked pea polenta in the resort's estate cave, an indulgent, champagne-infused brunch, and lots of poolside bubbles and oysters. 875 Bordeaux Wy.; 844-283-4588; meritagecollection.com.

On May 13, John Besh (August, Domenica) will host a traditional crawfish boil in his Slidell, Louisiana, home along with chef and Food Network personality, Aarón Sánchez. Diners can have their fill of “mudbugs” while schmoozing with a true legend of Southern cuisine. Proceeds from the event will go to the John Besh Foundation—an organization that trains and supports aspiring minority cooks. 504-475-4709; johnbeshfoundation.org.

In mid-May, chef Steve Samson (Sotto) will join downtown Los Angeles’s thriving dining scene with Rossoblu. Inspired by the summers Samson spent in Emilia-Romagna as a child, the menu will feature the best of the region’s “nonna cuisine,” with dishes like tortellini in brodo, house made salumi, and milk-braised pork cooked in the wood-burning hearth at the heart of Rossoblu’s kitchen. 1124 San Julian St.; rossoblula.com.

In mid-May, Michelin-starred restaurateur Simon Kim (Piora) will open a sleek oak-and-marble-accented dining room in the Flatiron District that marries the best of the Korean barbecue with the grandeur of the old-world American steakhouse. Artisanal soju and martinis will be on offer, while M. Wells Steakhouse alum David Shim heads up the kitchen with dishes like shrimp cocktail, a variety of banchan, and prime cuts of beef and pork grilled table side and wrapped inside red leaf lettuce leaves with ssam-jang chili paste. 16 W. 22nd St.; 212-401-7986.

California cuisine guru, Daniel Patterson (Coi, Aster, Haven), is opening a second location for his Market Street restaurant, Alta. Located in the Minnesota Street Project artist and gallery hub, it will pair Matt Brimer’s creative, market-driven cuisine with bright, full-wall artwork by San Francisco-based conceptual artist, Catherine Wagner. 1275 Minnesota St.; 415-580-7662; altaca.co.

The latest venture from Food & Wine Best New Chef 2006 awardee Mary Dumont, located at the downtown Ames Hotel, features hyper local, highly inventive cuisine. Many of the ingredients for Dumont’s dishes—fava bean hummus with yakitori morels and fiddleheads, flaxseed stroopwaffel with strawberry compote and birch syrup—are sourced from Dumont’s own one-acre garden and the restaurant’s proprietary hydroponic garden. Expect a mid-May opening. 1 Court St.; 617-979-8203; cultivarrestaurant.com.

Chicago chef Zoe Schor (Ada Street) will focus on innovative new American cuisine at her new restaurant. Housed in a spacious former doughnut factory in the up-and-coming West Town neighborhood, the menu will skew both playful (think reimagined fajitas made with skirt steak, creamy masa, and roasted red pepper gelee) and elevated. Think: “A Study of Eggs,” which tops toasted brioche with a 63-degree egg, uni cream, and Osetra caviar. Expect a mid-May opening. 2500 W. Chicago Ave.; splitrailchicago.com.

On May 15, the Publicis Drugstore will launch the reopening of its Le Drugstore restaurant. Michelin three-star chef Eric Frechon will serve as consulting chef at the iconic Champs-Elysées eatery, bringing his unique understanding French cuisine to the menu of pastries and finger foods during the day and dining and cocktails that stretch late into the night. Expect 1960s design touches that evoke an era of Parisian glamour and sophistication. 133 Ave. des Champs Elysées; 33-14/443-7764; publicisdrugstore.com.

If chefs are the new rock stars, then James Beard is David Bowie—iconic, influential, and utterly timeless. On May 19th, America’s First Foodie, a new documentary about the larger-than-life gourmand, cookbook author, and pioneering television chef, will air on PBS’s American Masters series. Featuring interviews with Jacques Pépin, Daniel Boulud, Alice Waters, and many other culinary greats who were personally and professionally impacted by Beard, it traces the story of the Oregon boy with the endless appetite who transformed American cuisine. americasfirstfoodie.com.

Star chef Marcus Samuelsson is transporting his beloved Harlem restaurant across the pond to the Curtain hotel in London’s vibrant Shoreditch neighborhood. Starting May 26, U.K. diners will have their fill of Samuelsson’s comfort food classics like fried chicken and waffles with bourbon maple syrup. The London menu will also include new signatures including lamb neck dumplings with gnocchi, and matjes herring with brown butter and horseradish. Like its NYC predecessor, Red Rooster London will feature live music at night and a soulful gospel brunch each Sunday. 45 Curtain Rd.; 44-20/3146-4545; curtain.com.