Opening
Lélé
Lately, chefs with Caribbean roots and prestige on their resumes are giving luster to Caribbean menus, often from a French and African viewpoint, in locations leafy with palm fronds. The executive chef here is Rúnar Pierre Heriveaux, who is from Haiti with French training and is known for his food at ÓX in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is now serving jerk oyster mushrooms, Hamachi with piri piri, monkfish on the bone with red curry, goat in a yellow curry, oxtails with coffee and barbecue seasonings and Caribbean rum cake. Tropical fruits and rum define many of the drinks. The 150-seat restaurant covers three floors draped in velvet and decorated with scenes that evoke the tropics.
237 Madison Avenue (38th Street), 212-999-6476, lelenyc.com.
Hudson Local
With the terraced 16th-floor venue open since the spring, the Ink 48 Hotel is now ready to serve on its ground floor with the same chef, Samuel Drake-Jones, running the show. His street-level specialties include yeasted pasta with Sunburst tomatoes, seared steelhead with a tahini sauce, grilled cabbage with Indian spices and, for dessert, cross-channel choices of French chocolate mousse and Eton mess. The wood-accented room relies on warm tones and a swath of windows.
Ink 48 Hotel, 653 Eleventh Avenue (48th Street), 917-960-9961, www.hudsonlocalnyc.com.
Nourish
This new restaurant cafe and food market in the South Bronx is the work of the Oyate Group, a five-year-old local nonprofit with a mission to reduce poverty, with all profits going to the organization. The chef consultant, Travis Spear, has worked in cities across the United States, often in hotels; the chef is Juan Abad. Mr. Spear’s approachable menu for the 50-seat dining room, with prices that are fairly moderate by today’s standards (steak-frites topping it at $37, and a $19 shrimp cocktail), has touches of Mexico with ceviche, and avocado mousse alongside black bass. The cafe has salads and sandwiches, and the shop sells coffees, condiments and tinned fish. The restaurant will also provide training for local people hoping to find work in the hospitality sector.
141 Alexander Avenue (East 134th Street), Mott Haven, Bronx, 212-871-6155, nourishcafe.nyc.
Serano’s Italian
Add this option for classic Italian fare, square Sicilian pizzas and panini to the thickening brew of Penn District restaurants. It’s adjacent to Friedman’s Restaurant from the same owners: Alan Philips, Jonah Philips and Marom Unger. (Thursday)
132 West 31st Street, 212-971-9400. seranositalian.com.
Rosehill Rooftop
This new gathering spot on the 9th floor of the Park South Hotel offers food like pizza and sliders, drinks both classic and inventive, and views both open air and weather protected.
Park South hotel, 127 East 25th Street, 212-204-5222, rosehillrooftop.com.
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The post Lélé Takes a Lush Approach to Caribbean and African Fare appeared first on New York Times.
