Opening
Lex Yard
The name of the two-story flagship restaurant in the newly renovated Waldorf Astoria New York refers to the train line that runs under the hotel on its way to Grand Central Terminal. Designed by AvroKO with a subdued palette and touches of Art Deco, the restaurant has a bar on the street level for American brasserie fare like fluke tartare, a restyled Waldorf salad, lobster roll, leek ravioli, roast chicken, a burger and sliders. Upstairs, on the lobby level, where gilded accents enrich the décor, the chef and partner Michael Anthony, of Gramercy Tavern, showcases a five-course market menu with an emphasis on seasonal vegetables. Cocktails are by Jeff Bell, of PDT.
550 Lexington Avenue (50th Street), 212-872-4900, lexyardnyc.com.
Yoshoku
A Japanese restaurant in the Waldorf is not new. But having this one inside the hotel, without a street entrance, distinguishes this luxurious dining room for à la carte maki, nigiri and sashimi; small plates like snap pea and watercress salad; and more substantial grilled madai and Wagyu striploin. Kaiseki is also an option. Ry Nitzkowski is the chef de cuisine.
301 Park Avenue (50th Street), 212-872-4920, yoshokunyc.com.
Peacock Alley
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served in the grand passageway and lounge, the axis of the hotel and a famous destination for meet-and-greets at or near the iconic clock. The chef de cuisine, Andrew Whitcomb, who also has that title at Lex Yard, offers a few of the items served in that restaurant, like the Waldorf salad, beef slider, and lobster roll, but also crab cakes and pigs in blanket. Jeff Bell is creating the cocktails here, too.
301 Park Avenue (50th Street), 212-872-4910, waldorfastorianewyork.com/dining.
I Cavallini
Opposite their Four Horsemen, Nick Curtola, Amanda McMillan and their partners have their own little ponies with this compact Italian spot. Mr. Curtola’s approach, working with his chef de cuisine, Ben Zook, probes some offbeat notions like nervetti (slow-cooked nerves and tendons, popular in the north) and onion salad, mussel panzanella with pickled green tomatoes, trofie with pesto and belper knolle cheese, and grilled chicken hearts to accent the roast chicken. (Wednesday)
284 Grand Street (Roebling Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, no phone, icavallinibk.com.
Al-Andalus
Ravi DeRossi’s Overthrow Hospitality has added something new to its collection of vegan places in the East Village. This one taps into the tradition of the Maghreb, North Africa, interpreted through a Spanish lens. The chef, Amira Gharib, whose heritage is Egyptian, is serving a tapas array of dishes like Spanish tortilla seasoned with harissa, Egyptian falafel, breads like the baladi with za’atar and labneh, and pan con tomate with harissa butter, with a $10 ceiling. The 40-seat dining room, decorated with tiles, Moroccan and Egyptian motifs, brass lanterns and ceramics, was designed by Nora Gharib, the chef’s sister.
511 East Fifth Street (Avenue A), 833-328-4544, alandalusnyc.com.
Lucky Tiger
This Asian adventure loaded with atmosphere fills four spaces in the financial district. There’s a night market setup with food carts; the Dragon Bar hung with silk lanterns; Toraya, also for cocktails and vinyl; and the tranquil, monkey-themed Bamboo Grove. Within these areas the food and drink cross borders with Peking duck tacos, karaage chicken bao buns and shrimp dumplings with ají serrano ponzu. Along with sake and beers, the cocktails include martinis straight out of the freezer.
66 Pearl Street (Broad Street), 212-725-4766, luckytigernyc.com.
Sirrah
Another reason to raise the tricolor in the meatpacking district is this opulent 120-seat bistro that takes an inventive approach to classics like steak frites. The fries are dispensed tableside from a cart, and the four-course prix fixe begins with onion soup served in a shot glass to whet the palate. The co-owner Ryan Harris (the restaurant name is his surname spelled backwards), is working with Cody Pruitt, the owner of Libertine, as consultant. (Tuesday)
1 Little West 12th Street (Hudson Street), 212-767-9278, sirrahny.com.
Café O’te
A set menu ($35) showcasing the Japanese burger (hāmburg, no bun) is the centerpiece for this addition to the Japanese retail and culinary complex at 50 Norman. Some à la carte options are the burger ($25); salads, including Japanese potato salad; and desserts like cream puffs and canelés.
38 Norman Avenue (Dobbin Street), Greenpoint, Brooklyn, instagram.com/cafeote.bk.
The Yacht Club
More crow’s nest than main deck, this latest from Crew, the maritime-themed restaurant group owned by Miles and Alex Pincus, offers 20,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor space on the 10th floor terrace of the Starrett-Lehigh building. Oysters, including the company’s own Sailor Baby, and lobster, are served. The executive chef, Andrés Gundy, is working with Kerry Heffernan, the company culinary director, and Lars Viola, the director of oysters (a title straight out of Lewis Carroll). (Thursday)
212 12th Avenue, 212-601-2669, crew.fun/the-yacht-club.
Turbo Pizza
Retro sets the tone for this new pizzeria that also looks to Detroit. Focaccia is the foundation for the usual toppings and more inventive ones like taleggio, onions and chives. Salads and wings round out the menu. The pizzas come small, medium and large, two to eight slices. The owners, the brothers Max and Spencer Nelson, and Jordan Dubey, have put John True, with plenty of Roberta’s experience, in charge of the kitchen.
1540 DeKalb Avenue (Irving Avenue), Bushwick, Brooklyn, 718-749-0250, turbo.pizza.
Branches
Dim Sum Palace
Once a Gilded Age social club, what was recently known as Brooks 1890, is now home to the 10th edition, and the first in Queens, for this chain of Cantonese restaurants serving dim sum. Unlike many of the city’s new dim sum destinations, it’s homegrown, based in New York and not an import from China.
2428 Jackson Avenue (Court Square), Long Island City, Queens, 718-937-1890, dimsumpalace.com.
Looking Ahead
Martini Expo
Organized and produced by The Mix, the drinks writer Robert Simonson’s Substack, there’ll be way more than the classic three at this new event at Industry City in Brooklyn. It starts the evening of Friday, Sept. 12, with a dinner ($225) featuring martini pairings at Confidant restaurant. Saturday’s events, from noon to 8 p.m., include sessions devoted to history, variations and spirits tastings. Authors will be on hand, and there will be a Martini Mixer from 5 to 8 p.m. with bartenders mixing and serving their versions, as well as other events. Admission for Saturday is $125 (noon to 5 p.m.), the mixer is $150 (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and a ticket for both is $250. Food from restaurants will be served. Tickets are sold starting Friday.
237 36th Street (Third Avenue), Sunset Park, Brooklyn, martiniexpo.com.
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Florence Fabricant is a food and wine writer. She writes the weekly Front Burner and Off the Menu columns, as well as the Pairings column, which appears alongside the monthly wine reviews. She has also written 12 cookbooks.
The post The Waldorf Astoria Reopens With Lex Yard, Yoshoku and Peacock Alley appeared first on New York Times.
