Opening
La Tête d’Or by Daniel
The centerpiece in the plush, bronzed and soaring dining room of Daniel Boulud’s first steakhouse is an impressive two-level grill fueled with charcoal and wood that sits in an open kitchen. Its marble counter frequently bears a display of steaks, from a tomahawk with its flying buttress bone, to compact portions of densely marbled Wagyu, all to be served with choices of butters and sauces. “I’ve always had a steak or two on my menus, but not eight or 10 like here,” Mr. Boulud said. French touches dapple the varied menu that includes sweetbreads, grilled langoustines and sundaes. The 120-seat dining room provides some more intimate areas, including an elegant bar.
Oncheon
Unlike the majority of restaurants, both new and old, this one at the edge of Koreatown offers an uncommonly serene dining room. (No disco beat.) It’s by Glow Seoul, making its debut outside South Korea, with a focus on hot springs healing and dining traditions. Slow-cooked shabu-shabu with various broths, sous-vide pork belly, seafood kimchi jeon and a layered chanhap meal box ($26) are served. Soft lighting, flowing water and natural finishes provide calm, no app needed.
Crane Club
Melissa Rodriguez, 45, has been cooking in this location for 14 years. First was at the grand Del Posto, then the short-lived Al Coro. Now, again as grand as ever, though with fewer seats (only 200) for a little more intimacy, is this partnership between her, Jeff Katz and Tao Group Hospitality. The menu is à la carte with main ingredients like lamb chops, pork, potatoes, baked clams and more, often grilled then dressed with vibrant seasonings from a global pantry. There’s a list of housemade condiments from which to choose. As for the name, the partners said that cranes have a “positive vibe”; a membership club will eventually be in the lower level. (Wednesday)
Leon’s
Just about five years since opening Anton’s in the West Village, the husband and wife team of Natalie Johnson and Nick Anderer have added this light-filled all-day Italian spot to their portfolio. The name commemorates Ms. Johnson’s great-grandfather Leon Hakim, who was from Egypt; the rice pilaf on the menu is from his wife, Lucie. Other tastes of Cairo and even touches of France (falafel, eggplant boulettes) inflect food that more broadly expresses Mr. Anderer’s passion for Southern Italy.
Kinjo
An industrial space said to have been a torpedo factory under the towering approaches to the Manhattan Bridge is the setting for omakase at a counter (11 courses for $95), and, in a lounge, cocktails and small plates with Asian flavors. Johnny Huang, formerly of Masa, is a partner and in charge of the sushi.
Kancil
Malaysian folklore inspired the name of this new collaboration between the chef Simpson Wong and the restaurateur Salil Mehta of Fungi Hospitality Group. They’ve opened it in what had been Mr. Mehta’s Wau. With his sous-chef, John Lim, Mr. Wong concentrates on Southeast Asia with Malaysia ascendant. Street snacks like sticky rice with dried shrimp; plates of crispy tofu with tamarind and peanut; Malaysian clam dip; taro and pumpkin dumplings; and local striped bass with a black calamansi crust provide a sampling. The dining room has become somewhat dressier than Wau.
B&L Diner
This season witnesses a proliferation of diners. Taking the trend head-on, Franklin Becker and Stephen Loffredo have converted their Press Club Grill restaurant in Herald Square into a haven for comfort food, like meatloaf, burgers, cheesecake and breakfast. Milkshakes, spiked or not, go alongside.
Branches
Tanoreen
The first expansion of this long-established Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Palestinian restaurant, owned by the mother and daughter duo Rawia and Jumana Bishara, has joined the lineup of the Time Out Market. Outstanding Middle Eastern fare is on offer. (Thursday)
Sarabeth’s Greenwich Village
If you include the bakery in Chelsea Market, there are now five New York outlets of the chain notable for sweets and brunch started in 1981 on the Upper West Side by Sarabeth Levine. Globally the total is 18, mostly in Asia and the Middle East. This latest is the first to put rotisserie chicken on the menu.
Looking Ahead
Lex Yard
The landmark Waldorf Astoria hotel is gearing up to reopen next year and will introduce this new restaurant, replacing Oscar’s and expanding the space on the Lexington Avenue side of the building, under the aegis of the chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern. He will also oversee dining and food service for the rest of the hotel, working with its own culinary team. He is not leaving Gramercy Tavern. Billed as an American Brasserie and designed by AvroKO with grandeur on two floors, it will have coffered ceilings and Art Deco lighting to honor the hotel’s historic style. The name reflects the location on the Lexington Avenue side of the building and the track system from Grand Central Terminal that runs beneath it.
Shopping
Farm to People Thanksgiving
This online marketplace guided by sustainability has a vast Thanksgiving menu. Whether you’d like a single cooked turkey leg or a whole 16 pounder to roast, or maybe a brown butter pumpkin pie or a portion of mashed sweet potatoes, it can be delivered to your door. The company, based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, sources the food from local farms and also prepares it in its kitchen. Order by noon for next day delivery in Manhattan, much of the other boroughs and parts of New Jersey (by noon Nov. 26 for delivery Nov. 27, the final day for Thanksgiving orders). Minimum order is $20 and $50 for free delivery.
Hani’s Bakery
Miro Uskokovic, a former pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern, is opening his own American bakery named for his mother. His family is Serbian but his focus here suggests Betty Crocker, not Belgrade, with layer cakes, biscuits, muffins, pies and lunch sandwiches. On the pie front, for Thanksgiving, his interpretations are pumpkin-maple-meringue, chocolate-hazelnut cream and apple-cranberry crumb. (Wednesday)
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 Daniel Boulud Opens La Tête d’Or, His First Steakhouse appeared first on New York Times.
