Dining Agenda: New Restaurants and Food News February 2018

On Sunday nights from January 28 to March 4, the NoMad Bar will feature a special fondue menu inspired by chef Daniel Humm’s Swiss upbringing. The multi-course meal will augment the pots of fondue moitié-moitié with plates of charcuterie, soft pretzels and mustard, tarte tatin, and coffee spiked with plum eau de vie. 10 W. 28th St.; 212-796-1500; thenomadhotel.com.

Jessi Singh (Babu Ji) will bring his playful approach to Indian cuisine to Santa Barbara on February 1. The innovative menu will focus on locally-sourced seafood and feature dishes with both Indian and Australian influences. (Think black mussels in curry broth and tandoori-style octopus with fennel slaw.) The wine list, meanwhile, will be curated by James Beard Award-winning master sommelier, Rajat Parr (Mina Group). 734 State St.; 805-560-6845; bibijisb.com.

From February 1 to 3, renowned Italian chef Carlo Zarri will head to Jackson Hole’s beloved mountain resort, Spring Creek Ranch, for a truffle-focused celebration. The weekend will include both cooking classes and feasts, including a truffle and wild game dinner featuring smoked saddle of venison, and braised buffalo short ribs. 1600 N. East Butte Rd.; 307-733-8833; springcreekranch.com.

From February 1 to March 15, the three-star Michelin restaurant will take up residence at the Ritz. The seasonally driven kaiseki menu will include multiple courses that stimulate the senses and feature ingredients sourced from the mountains and the sea. 543 Hokodencho, Nakagyo Ward; ritzcarlton.com.

On February 6, Michelin-starred Céleste will team up with renowned Austrian winemaker Weingut Bründlmayer to launch a wine-pairing dinner series at the luxury London hotel. The 3-course menu, which will include oyster mushroom and squid ink caviar canapés, and cod with crushed potatoes and lemon butter sauce, will be paired with 5 varietals from Bründlmayer’s collection. Hyde Park Corner; 44-20/7259-5599; thelanesborough.co.uk.

On February 7, lower Manhattan's beloved Italian restaurant is heading north, landing at the boutique James New York in NoMad. The warm, inviting space, accented with marble and rustic wood details, will be reminiscent of the original location. The menu, meanwhile, will see some exciting changes, including an extended crudi menu and verdant, vegetable-forward dishes like cauliflower Romanesco and farro risotto. 88 Madison Ave.; scarpettarestaurants.com.

Lifelong Appalachian cuisine-enthusiast chef Travis Milton will introduce an authentic “meat and three” in Virginia’s soon-to-open historic boutique hotel, Western Front. The menu will center on heirloom local vegetables and a snout-to-tail approach to meat. (He is building whole-hog pits behind the property.) Two companion restaurants, Simply Grand and Shovel & Pick, will follow later in the year. Expect an early February opening. 3025 4th Ave.; 276-738-3040; westernfronthotel.com.

On February 15, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto will open a 10,800-square-foot eatery that will serve as the flagship restaurant at the brand new Alohilani Resort. The glass-encased kitchen will give diners a glimpse into the action and will turn out dishes like Singapore laska noodles, Peking duck with apricot sweet chili and hoisin miso, and glazed spare ribs. 2490 Kalakaua Ave.; 808-922-1233; alohilaniresort.com.

After taking a temporary hiatus, René Redzepi’s legendary New Nordic eatery is back. Details about the revamped space and menu are under wraps, but the cuisine will highlight Scandinavian seafood, which peaks during the colder months. Reservations for the first booking period (February 15 to April 29) sold out in less than 24 hours. But tables are available for future seating. Strandgade 93; 45-32/963-297; noma.dk.

From February 16 to March 2, José Andrés’ Mexican-Chinese hybrid eatery, located at The Cosmopolitan, will offer a special menu for the Lunar New Year. Diners can order a tasting menu or select dishes like seared black cod with soy fume and fried shiso leaf, and grilled lamb skewers with lamb broth and oat noodles a la carte. 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-698-7900; chinapoblano.com.

The Hong Kong-based, Michelin-starred Lai Sun hospitality company will open a Cantonese-inspired spot just in time for the Lunar New Year on February 16. The menu will feature barbecue pork marinated with ginger, rose syrup, and fermented bean curd, and crab dumplings in a saffron wrapper. 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd; 877-880-0880; mgmgrand.com.

On February 17th, the iconic seaside resort will celebrate its 130th anniversary with a collaborative dinner prepared by five of the nation’s French Master Chefs. The lavish meal will include lemon-poached lobster with sea urchin and chartreuse of quail with truffle and foie gras. Diners will also have a chance to tour a gallery of portraits of iconic stars taken by celebrity photographer John Russo. 1500 Orange Ave.; 619-435-6611; hoteldel.com.

The stunning oceanside resort has partnered with Hakkasan Group to debut a suite of new culinary experiences. On offer: an airy outpost of Los Angeles’ beloved Herringbone and Casa Calavera, a Dia de los Muertos-inspired restaurant serving up charcoal baked clams, octopus tacos, and pozole verde with avocado and chiles. Vidanta will commemorate opening weekend, February 23 to 25, with live music. Blvd. San Jose s/n Lote 12 Campo de Golf San Jose del Cabo; 800-292-9446; vidanta.com.

San Francisco’s beloved delicatessen will bring its nouveau approach to Jewish soul food to Japan in late February. The new location will feature many of the deli’s greatest hits, from hot pastrami sandwiches to glistening matzo ball soup and potato latkes topped with house-made applesauce. Regularly changing deli bento boxes will also be on offer. Marunouchi Building B1F, 2-4-1 Marunouchi Chiyoda-ku; wisesonsdeli.com.

Toronto’s upscale, plant-based eatery will open its first US location—a 200-seater with two indoor dining rooms and an outdoor terrace—in late February. Inventive dishes like charred mushroom “octopus” with pico de gallo will join cold-pressed juices and cocktails and Korean-fried cauliflower lettuce wraps. A vibrant rooftop farm will supply a portion of the veggies. 850 Commerce St.; plantarestaurants.com.