Headliner
Ixta
What was Daniel Boulud’s modern kitchen and bar, adorned with French copper cookware, now pays homage to Mexico, specifically Tulum, the popular Yucatán destination. (Tulum is big this week; see below.) An elaborately decorated fantasyland with 165 seats, Ixta is the restaurateur Mike Himani’s largest undertaking to date. He and his partners say that they were also inspired by Oaxaca, and they’re certainly on target with an emphasis on mezcals. But the food, by the chef Francisco Blanco, who worked at Le Cirque, is more generally Mexican, with lots of contemporary touches, and long on seafood. Raw bar items, including ceviches, head the menu, which also lists a smoked salmon corn crisp, Caesar salad, a few tacos, whole branzino, halibut in a banana leaf and a whole suckling pig.
Opening
Casa TuLum
Beach house vibes befitting Tulum are delivered at this green oasis by the partners Luis Villanueva, a mixologist, and Rodrigo Abrajan, who is the chef. Coastal fare, not limited to the Yucatán Peninsula, includes seafood bar items like lobster ceviche and broiled oysters, a taco collection that touches on Baja California with a signature fish tempura, and main dishes like cochinita pibil. Tequilas and mezcals dominate the cocktails. (Opens Wednesday)
tán
Richard Sandoval, the chef and prolific global restaurateur, is opening this expression of the Yucatean seashore, with the chef Jonatán Gómez Luna Torres, of Le Chique in Cancún. Tán fills a space that once housed Pampano, which was owned by Mr. Sandoval and the opera star Plácido Domingo. The seafood-forward restaurant will be serving aquachile tán with shrimp, potato and chiles; red snapper Tikinxic style, notably reddened with achiote and wrapped in banana leaves; lobster pozole; seafood enchiladas; and pork belly with charred eggplant purée.
Vin Sur Vingt Bistro
Sebastien Auvet, an owner of the Vin Sur Vingt French wine bars, will opening his first restaurant. It has a more substantial menu than what’s offered at the wine bars, with many bistro classics like escargots, leeks vinaigrette, onion soup, frisée aux lardons, roast chicken, moules marinières and côte de boeuf for two. (Thursday)
Chickenhawk
Though Nashville hot chicken, with a choice of spice levels, is the star at this casual spot in Greenwich Village, there is more going on. Each month, a local chef will add a different style of fried chicken to the menu. Now it’s Persian, thanks to Einat Admony of Balaboosta, and served with feta dressing and red onion pickles. Coming up there will be Indonesian, Portuguese, Mexican and vegan takes on the crispy birds. (Thursday)
Mermaid Oyster Bar
Unlike its other cozy neighborhood spots, this Mermaid Inn sprawls over 15,000 square feet in the former Heartland Brewery space. There is a raw bar, and appetizers like Shanghai spare ribs and calamari a la plancha, and pan-roasted Chatham cod have been added to the menu.
Casino
Clams casino are on the menu to be sure, and coastal Italian is the strong suit from the chef Ken Addington, who is also serving wood-fired prawns, whole roasted turbot and lobster cioppino. Pops of red enliven the pale room.
Aria Korean Street Food
More Korean fried chicken, Korean tacos and kimbap have roosted in Brooklyn. The food is prepared for pickup and delivery at the DoorDash Kitchens in Downtown Brooklyn.
Jacob’s Pickles at MFH
The popular Upper West Side spot known for biscuits, pickles and beer now has a branch in the Moynihan Food Hall, where it’s adding a doughnut breakfast sandwich and pickle ice cream made with oat milk to the menu.
Dim Sum Palace
This chain of dim sum and Cantonese restaurants, with locations throughout Manhattan, will opened its largest branch, with 200 seats,in Chinatown. It plans to serve until 4 a.m. (Sunday)
Ernesto’s Holiday Market
Ryan Bartlow is turning his Basque-inspired cafe on the Lower East Side into a three-day holiday market. Sausages made in-house, ham, condiments like shrimp relish, jams, desserts, vintage glassware and wines will be sold, Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
taïm
This chain of Middle Eastern falafel spots continues to expand with a new location in Midtown, opening Wednesday, and another in Brooklyn. (Wednesday)
Frankly by Snap-O-Razzo
This Las Vegas-based hog dog chain featuring wood-smoked beef and pork franks has landed in New York, in the Citizens food hall.
Looking Ahead
One Madison Avenue
A newly renovated office tower in Madison Square will have a French-accented food market, including a Parisian-style cafe and a steakhouse by the chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud, a first for him. The development, by SL Green Realty, echoes the successful installation of several Boulud venues in its One Vanderbilt tower uptown. In addition to the market and restaurant, other amenities, like a tenant lounge and a rooftop deck, will have food by Mr. Boulud. It is to open in early fall of 2024.
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The post Ixta, Serving Mexican Food With an Eye to Tulum, Opens on the Bowery appeared first on New York Times.
