Dining Agenda: New Restaurants and Food News March 2018

From February 28 through March 4, the luxury hotel will partner with Scottish distillery, Glenmorangie, for an extended, libations-focused weekend. Attendees can enjoy one-on-one tastings and hands-on classes, a cocktail competition, and a lavish pairing dinner prepared by Magdalena chef Mark Levy. 205 E. Biddle St.; 410-514-0303; theivybaltimore.com.

When this golf and beach resort re-opens on March 1 after a multi-million dollar renovation, it will welcome a vibrant new rum bar with a killer view of the beach. Inventive cocktails like the tamarind margarita will be matched with locally-inspired bites, including black bean and pigeon pea “hummus,” and mofongo bites with pork belly and spicy crab. 6000 Rio Mar Blvd.; 787-888-6000; wyndhamriomar.com.

On March 2, the team behind NYC’s beloved Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones will open an 85-seat restaurant and walk-up cafe in the former home of Legacy Recording Studios. The modern, laid-back space will be home to an all-star team of culinary and beverage talent, including the reigning “Best Sommelier in the World,” Arvid Rosengren, and mixologist Jeff Bell of PDT. Chef Ryan Hardy’s seafood-focused menu will skew global but feature many ingredients sourced nearby. 517 W. 38th St.; legacyrecordsnyc.com.

Twice during March, the five-star hotel and ski resort will welcome world-renowned chefs. On March 2, father and son team, Jean-Georges and Cedric Vongerichten, will prepare a four-course dinner featuring burrata with Meyer lemon jam and Colorado lamb chops with mushroom bolognese. Then on March 22, Sweden’s Hakan Thornstrom will prepare an array of traditional snacks (think: venison tartar with lingonberry) as well as grilled Wagyu beef with artichoke barigoule and frozen cloudberry yogurt with cardamom crumble. thelittlenell.com

From March 7 to 10, a bevy of celebrated chefs will convene in LA for a series of master chef dinners, events, and classes. Highlights include a vegetable-focused dinner with Amanda Cohen (Dirt Candy) and Wylie Dufresne (Du’s Donuts), and a dinner featuring Spanish cuisine with Jose Garces (Amada) and Katie Button (Cúrate), among others. 800 W. Olympic Blvd.; 866-548-3454; allstarchefclassic.com.

Powerhouse culinary team José Andrés and Aitor Zabala will open a new dining experience at SLS Beverly Hills on March 9. Translating to “dream” from Catalan, Somni’s dishes will be rooted in Andrés and Zabala’s Spanish heritage, with accents and flavors from their global travels. An intimate dining counter will surround the exhibition kitchen from which the chefs will create a theatrical, multi-sensory dining experience. 465 S. La Cienega Blvd.; 310-246-5543; slsbeverlyhillshotel.com.

The Downtown LA hotspot, known for its innovative Indian cuisine, will open a 1,400-square foot Fairfax outpost in early March. The menu will include favorites from tandoor-cooked naan stuffed with cheddar and serrano chiles to the chicken tikka-poutine mashup, which tops masala fries with cheese curds, gravy, and tandoori chicken tikka. 418 N. Fairfax Ave.; badmaashla.com.

In early March, chef Cathy Whims (Nostrana, Oven & Shaker) will open a wine bar focusing on European wines (sans the usual pretense that tends to accompany them) and regional Italian dishes. The bottle selection, curated by Austin Bridges, will highlight vineyards from Italy, Spain, France, Germany and beyond, that focus on natural and experimental wine production. They will be joined by dishes like focaccia stuffed with stracchino cheese and Oregon salt cod brandade bruschetta. 1401 SE Morrison St., Ste. 105; 503-234-2427; nostrana.com.

Food science wunderkind and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, J. Kenji López-Alt (The Food Lab) will open his first brick-and-mortar spot, a restaurant, and biergarten, on March 12. The cuisine will skew inventive-traditional, with a Germany/Austria-meets-California vibe. In addition to plenty of brews on tap and cocktails, the menu will offer up bratwurst and fried potatoes many ways, Bavarian cheese spread with pretzels, and an ice cream sundae topped with pumpkin seed oil and brittle. 310 Baldwin Ave.; wursthall.com.

On March 14, Nashville’s historic Germantown neighborhood will welcome a dynamic new restaurant and bar. Set in a former blacksmith shop, the restaurant will maintain some of the former tenant’s industrial charm and feature a garden courtyard with an outdoor cooking stove. The menu will be helmed by Josh Stockton (Blackberry Farm), while the bar selection will include wine and Prosecco on tap. 311 Jefferson St.; 615-920-5440; geistnashville.com.

On March 17, farmer Nathan Peitso will open a “seed to plate” restaurant that features locally sourced produce, grains, and other ingredients from local family growers, including his own family’s Kenter Canyon Farms. The menu will change often to reflect the shifting seasons, featuring simple, graceful dishes like faro risotto with fried fennel and pea shoots, and grilled hanger steak with herb chimichurri. 8500 Beverly Blvd.; farmhousela.com.

On March 20, Mountain Shadows resort’s fine dining restaurant will partner with Borgogno Winery to offer an intimate, four-course dinner. Executive chef Charles Wiley’s menu, featuring kingfish crudo with Calabrian sweet chile vinaigrette, and rosemary roasted veal with grilled Treviso, will be paired with different vintages, including a double pairing during the entree that showcases a specific varietal and the same wine from a decade before. 5445 E. Lincoln Dr.; 480-624-5458; mountainshadows.com.

St. Louis’ largest craft brewery will fly in nearly 80,000 oysters from both coasts for their annual suds and seafood fête. From March 23 to 24, festivalgoers will be treated to live music and multiple raw oyster bars. Schlafly plans to brew 15 beers for the event, including a Mexican chocolate stout flavored with cocoa nibs and cinnamon sticks, and British-style oatmeal stout. 2100 Locust St.; 314-241-2337; schlafly.com.

From March 23 to 25, chef Michael Fiorelli (Love & Salt) will take up residence at the Ritz as part of the luxury-resort’s yearlong culinary series. Fiorelli will lead hands-on cooking classes featuring his California-inspired Italian cuisine. He will also create two signature dishes that will appear on the Ritz’s fine dining seafood restaurant Navio’s menu. Upcoming culinary weekends will welcome Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn), Gonzalo Guzman (Nopalito), and Dean Fearing (Fearing’s), among others. 1 Miramontes Point Rd.; ritzcarlton.com.

In late March, Chris Bleidorn (alum of Alinea, Atelier Crenn, and Saison) will open a highly anticipated fine dining restaurant. The space, designed by Michael Francis of SAINT (Studio for Architecture and Interiors), will skew elegant-rustic, with a glass meat locker, open kitchen, and floors crafted from Douglas fir wood. The kitchen will offer both a la carte and tasting menus, featuring elevated dishes like fire-roasted yams with maple, and pasture-raised buffalo with spring onion and vegetable ash. 1085 Mission St.; instagram.com.