With a new restaurant by Alon Shaya opening in New Orleans and the return of Una Pizza Napoletana to New York City, the second week of May is particularly thrilling for food lovers. Families celebrating Mother’s Day, meanwhile, can toast mom with a spa and afternoon tea package, or an indulgent Middle Eastern brunch.
Rush Jagoe
New Orleans: Saba
Late last week, James Beard Award-winning chef, Alon Shaya (Shaya) opened a new modern Israeli restaurant in the Big Easy. The menu celebrates Shaya’s heritage and Israel’s diverse and overlapping cuisines, featuring dishes like harissa-roasted chicken, hummus with lamb and pickled apricots, labneh cheesecake capped with cardamom meringue, and wood-fired pita baked with locally-milled flour. Saba means grandfather in Hebrew. A sister restaurant Safta (grandmother), is slated to open in Denver this summer. 5757 Magazine St.; eatwithsaba.com.
Photos: Alex Lau (L); DYLAN + JENI (R)
New York City: Una Pizza Napoletana Returns
Last week, pizzaiolo Anthony Mangieri’s iconic Neapolitan-style pizza restaurant returned to New York City after eight years in San Francisco. Mangieri’s approach remains the same–handmade rounds baked with naturally-leavened dough and a carefully curated selection of toppings. His new chef-partners Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra (Contra, Wildair), meanwhile, turn out a series of small plates to match the pies. (Think: shaved turnips with ‘nduja-mascarpone, and lobster oil preserved tomatoes with burrata.) 175 Orchard St; 646-692-3475; unapizza.com.
Jack Hardy
Limerick, Ireland: The Carriage House at Adare Manor
On May 8, the 5-star hotel will welcome a restaurant, terrace, and bar that serves the resort’s guests and golf community by day and transforms into a dining destination at night. The art deco-inspired space will be illuminated by a seeded glass skylight and gold leaf mirrored wall panels. On the menu: charcoal grilled beef, Connemara lamb, and Atlantic lobster. An intimate cigar bar, outfitted with bronze and burgundy fabric, will sit next door for diners who want to end the night with a cigar and a glass of whiskey. Adare, Co. Limerick; 35-3/6160-5200; adaremanor.com.
Courtesy Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
Paris: Mother’s Day Spa and Tea at Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris
Mothers and daughters can celebrate and indulge together at the 5-star hotel’s My Blend by Clarins Spa. After a morning of pampering massages, a sweat in the sauna, and manicures, they can convene for royal afternoon tea. On the menu: madeleines, pastries, cakes, and macarons from Pierre Hermé Paris. The mother and daughter spa packages begin May 13 and extend through the end of August. 37 Ave. Hoche; 33-1/4299-8800; leroyalmonceau.com.
Will Engelmann
New York City: Mother’s Day Brunch at Shuka
On May 13, diners can take mom out for a celebratory brunch at chef Ayesha Nurdjaja’s Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant. The special brunch includes Turkish-style scrambled eggs with crispy shallots and Urfa pepper and poppy seed coffee cake with cardamom-lemon glaze. Mimosas and Nurdjaja’s four takes on the Bloody Mary (including one mixed with cucumber-infused vodka and harissa) will also be available. 38 MacDougal St.; 212-475-7500; shukanewyork.com.
Photos: Courtesy Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona (L); Emilie Baltz (R)
Barcelona: Employees Only Pop-Up at Banker’s Bar
The bar at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona has been transformed to recreate New York City’s popular speakeasy bar, Employees Only. The spirits-focused pop-up welcomes Employees Only mixologists and offers classic and inventive cocktails and nibbles like steak tartare and lamb and bacon chops. The pop-up bar will be in place through May 19. Passeig de Gràcia, 38-40; 34-61/072-6449; mandarinoriental.es.