DEPARTURES’ Dining Agenda is going weekly! Each roundup will feature the most anticipated restaurant/bar openings, culinary events, and opportunities of the week—around the globe. From a wine celebration in Santorini, Greece that overlooks an endless expanse of blue water and rocky volcanic islands, to a dream collaboration between superstar chefs/restaurateurs Daniel Boulud and Barbara Lynch in Boston, there are plenty of exciting dining experiences to explore in the first week of April.
Tryfon Georgopoulos
Santorini, Greece: Menu Debut at Lycabettus Restaurant
On April 1, the award-winning restaurant with a view, located on the edge of a cliff and overlooking stunning blue water and volcanic islands, will launch a prix-fixe dining experience focused on wine. The list, curated by master sommelier, Sotiris Kandylis, will feature indigenous grape varieties from Santorini. The menu will include scallops with capers fricassee, lamb with smoked white eggplant and Greek yogurt, and pistachio biscuits with Greek coffee cream. Andronis Luxury Suites, Oia 847 02; 30-22/8607-2041; lycabettusrestaurant.com.
Ray Kachatorian
Beverly Hills: Burgundy Tasting Menu at Maude
Chef-owner Curtis Stone and executive chef Justin Hilbert are looking to Burgundy, France as inspiration for their April tasting menu. Starting the 3rd of the month, diners can expect a bounty of regional dishes and delights, including creative takes on escargots, based off of the culinary team’s visit to a snail farm in Étrigny. A variety of cheeses, charcuterie, and chocolate will meet on the plate with local California produce. Diners can choose from three wine pairing tiers, each will showcase both storied producers from the region, as well as up and coming winemakers. 212 S. Beverly Dr.; 310-859-3418; mauderestaurant.com.
Courtesy Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Boston: Wine Dinner at Bar Boulud
On April 5, James Beard Award-winning chefs Daniel Boulud and Barbara Lynch will team up for a five-course wine pairing dinner. The meal will begin with light canapés, followed by tuna niçoise with saffron aioli, pan-roasted grenouille with green garlic mousse, and lamb loin with morels, with wines to match each course. Half of the proceeds will benefit Ment’or, an organization that supports young professionals entering the culinary field. 776 Boylston St.; 617-535-8800; barboulud.com.
Photos: Christian Horan (L); Randy Schmidt (R)
New Orleans: Jack Rose Launches at The Pontchartrain Hotel
In March, the historic hotel’s Caribbean Room closed to make way for a new restaurant focusing on modern Creole cuisine. In addition to Creole-inspired dishes, diners will find plenty of playful tableside elements like caesar salad and steak tartar served with warm brioche rolls for constructing DIY sliders. Jack Rose, named after the classic 1920s-era applejack and grenadine cocktail, is driven by the bar menu (which includes a bubbles-focused wine list) and we anticipate it will capture the city’s vivacious spirit. (April 6th anticipated opening.) 2031 St. Charles Ave.; 504-941-9000; thepontchartrainhotel.com.
Courtesy Rancho Bernardo Inn
San Diego: Joseph Phelps Wine Dinner
On April 7, Rancho Bernardo Inn and Joseph Phelps Vineyards (Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast) will team up to offer a 5-course wine dinner. Menu highlights include fluke crude with buttermilk, Meyer lemon, and poppy seeds, charcoal-roasted quail with liver mousse, and dates, and filet mignon with black garlic romesco, preserved beet, and cherry jus. A different Joseph Phelps varietal will accompany each course. 17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr.; 855-574-5356; ranchobernardoinn.com.