Headliner
Virginia’s
Reed Adelson opened the original Virginia’s, named for his mother, in 2015 and found he had the very definition of a neighborhood bistro on his hands. But it was a trifle too compact. So, in 2021, with the pandemic and a new baby, he decided to close it, seeking to reopen in a larger space when the lease ended. He has taken over the former Root & Bone nearby, and now has 60 seats indoors, with another 50 outside in front of the expansive storefront. As at the original, the walls are decorated with framed menus from great restaurants. The executive chef, Justin Lee, who worked at Barbuto, Fat Choy and Lafayette, among others, is here working with the chef Isamar Checo at his side to produce a combination of bistro favorites and steakhouse items like raw bar specialties, crab cake rémoulade, roasted carrot salad, steak frites, clams casino, trout roe dip with potato chips, steak tartare and a burger. Cocktails by Evan Hawkins include a martini garnished with an olive stuffed with blue cheese. (Opens Thursday)
Opening
Döner Haus
The culinary impact of immigration is sharply defined in Germany, especially in Berlin, where Turkish doner kebab, the vertically spit-roasted meats shaved into sandwiches or on plates, has been a staple for decades. This version from Nikolaus von Solodkoff, who moved to New York from Germany in 2010, is focused on three versions: beef, chicken and, soon, a vegan option, all served from a window. There are also fries and a Döner Box consisting of doner with fries and salad. The food is halal., and discounts are offered to city workers in uniform.
Benny John’s Bar & Grill
Bulmaro Rouge, who was behind the grills at Peter Luger Steak House for many years, has been tapped to head the kitchen in a new steakhouse by Dennis and Ben Lekic, brothers whose father, Mirso Lekic, owns Tudor City Steakhouse. In a setting that combines a Modernist aesthetic with beefy raw wood, the restaurant will serve a classic New York steakhouse menu, varied only by a somewhat longer list of burger variations, pastas and risottos than most. Steaks are $56.95 to $115.95. (Thursday)
MakiMaki Sushi
The largest of these sushi spots, where robots help make the food, has three Suzumo machines for remote sushi production. They’re tasked to measure, wash, form and cut the rice to sushi roll shape, two rolls at a time. The 20-seat restaurant serves cut maki and cone-shaped temaki. Sushi bowls are also available.
Eli’s Table
Reopening after a lengthy pandemic hiatus, this restaurant attached to Eli Zabar’s Upper East Side market will again offer a seasonal menu. At the starting gate will be white asparagus with sieved egg and mustard sauce, shaved baby artichoke salad, shad roe with sautéed spinach, and soft shell crabs from Maine. Yes, Maine. A deep list of possible pours alongside includes many well-aged Burgundies.
Taim Mediterranean Kitchen
This week, this chain of more than 10 Mediterranean spots in New York and on the East Coast featuring bowls and sandwiches will open its latest, starting with a series of preview lunches and charity events before fully opening on Wednesday.
The Consulate Midtown
This popular Upper West Side brasserie-style restaurant has opened a Midtown branch, offering fare throughout from breakfast onward. A raw bar selection is being added here. (Friday)
Albert’s Bar
Cocktails and food like oysters, a burger and a crispy pork chop with apple chutney are served at this new hangout near Bryant Park. An Aperol cocktail, Jilly’s Spritz, is dispensed on tap.
The Industry Table
This week, at four of his restaurants, the chef and restaurateur John Fraser will begin offering a table for two each night to hospitality workers, who’ll pay only the food costs of the meal. In exchange, participants, one of whom must be currently employed in the restaurant industry, pay for alcohol and gratuities and are requested to provide feedback. They’re also expected to spread the word. The restaurants are Iris, La Marchande, the Terrace and Outdoor Gardens in the Times Square Edition, and North Fork Table & Inn.
Looking Ahead
Smorgasburg
There will be 20 new vendors among the 80 total when the Smorgasburgs reopen fully for the first time since 2019. In the freshman class are Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse; Common Meadows Creamery for coconut milk products; Everything Oxtail with Trinidadian fare; Mikhuy Peruvian Restaurant for ceviche and more; and Unregular Pasta, known for fried pasta.
Babette’s Feast
It was 35 years ago that viewers of “Babette’s Feast” salivated watching Stéphane Audran as Babette Hersant prepare a high-end banquet in a dour Danish village in the late 1800s. The dinner has been replicated over the years. Now, on March 29, at Cathédrale in the East Village, Ralph Scamardella, the chief culinary officer of Tao Group Hospitality, and the executive chef, Jason Hall, will have a go at the four courses: turtle soup, buckwheat blini with caviar, quail in puff pastry, and savarin au rhum; $150 per person, with $60 or $125 for optional drink pairings. The film will be shown Thursday through March 29 at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village.
Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
The post Virginia’s, a Neighborhood Bistro, Gets a Second Act in the East Village appeared first on New York Times.
