Opening
FOOD
In 1971, artists who were stretching canvases in SoHo opened the restaurant FOOD. Art world names, including Donald Judd, Philip Glass and John Cage, initially contributed avant-garde dinners. Now, the artist Lucien Smith, who is too young, at 36, to have experienced the original, is trying to recreate it. He’s working with the estate of Gordon Matta-Clark of the original FOOD, and he’s engaged Mathieu Canet, a Parisian bistro chef, to assemble po’ boys, salads and a daily stew, often a curry. Artists will participate. The narrow storefront is fitted with a counter and stools; an expansion into the neighboring space may be in the works.
89A Canal Street (Eldridge Street), foood.world.
Limusina
Having already done a number on Italian food (Bad Roman) and Southeast Asian (Twin Tails), Quality Branded has taken its creative wrecking ball to Mexican in a part of the city which, thanks to the Moynihan and Hudson Yards, is the latest dining hub. Queso fundido in flames, oysters with iced margarita mignonette, quesadillas oozing truffles and guava jam, lobster al pastor dressed with pineapple, and majestic bone-in pork shank, short rib birria and tomahawk prime rib for two, give you some idea of what’s coming out of the kitchen overseen by the versatile Craig Koketsu, the company’s executive chef and a partner. The soaring setting, glowing fiesta red, seats 225.
441 Ninth Avenue (34th Street), 212-970-8838, limusinanyc.com.
Seahorse
John McDonald’s long-simmering seafood brasserie is finally ready to serve. John Villa is the chef who gets the oysters and puts finishing touches on swordfish barigoule, tuna au poivre and even classic duck à l’orange (ducks also swim). The Rockwell Group setting is elegant and polished without formality. (Opens Wednesday)
201 Park Avenue South (17th Street), 212-219-8119, seahorsenyc.com.
’ino
If you live or work in Chelsea, then Bottino, an Italian restaurant that leans Tuscan and has been around for nearly 30 years, might be your ultimate neighborhood spot. The partners, Danny Emerman and the chef Jamie Kenyon, have spun off a sibling, named with a hint of the parent, in the Flatiron district. All-day Italian, with a few British items, come in a bold, skylit black-and-white 60-seat setting. (Friday):
31 East 20th Street, 646-357-3944, inonyc.com.
Branches
Time Out Market Union Square
Like parking lots and restaurants, food halls also come and go in New York. The global chain of Time Out markets has added a Union Square location, its second in the city, replacing a former UrbanSpace market. On the money trendwise are participants like Kwame Onwuachi’s Patty Palace, for Caribbean; Kebabwala by Unapologetic Foods with Indian on skewers; and Kam Rai Thai with the Southeast Asian cuisine of the moment; plus outer-borough visitors like Paninoteca by Anthony (Staten Island) and Fornino (Brooklyn). (Friday)
124 East 14th Street, timeout.com.
Barbuto Brooklyn
Jonathan Waxman was in no big hurry, but he’s finally crossed the East River to open a bright new edition of his West Village magnet, which is nicely upholstered and well-windowed to take in the greenery outside. He’s brought his signature roast chicken with salsa verde, pillowy gnocchi and leafy kale salad with him, while introducing a seafood tower, a 32-ounce Chateaubriand with bordelaise sauce, and seafood pizza featuring lobster. (This might be the year of the lobster pizza, cue Il Leone coming to Park Slope, Brooklyn.).
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, 60 Furman Street (Doughty Street), Brooklyn Heights, 347-807-0239, 1hotels.com.
Motek
Based in South Florida, this chain of lively, family-owned South Florida Mediterranean restaurants has landed in New York. From labneh to lamb chops, it thoroughly covers the Eastern Mediterranean. They call the food kosher-style but it’s not kosher; you just won’t find any pork, shellfish and nonkosher cuts like tenderloin. They also avoid seed oils.
928 Broadway (21st Street), 212-537-6505, motekcafe.com.
Reopening
Red Farm
A fire two years ago forced the closing of Ed Schoenfeld’s original groundbreaking West Village Chinese restaurant. It has now reopened. The basement duck destination, Decoy, is running as a cocktail lounge with bar snacks for now and will soon offer its lavish Peking duck dinners.
529 Hudson Street (Charles Street), 212-792-9700, redfarmnyc.com.
Rosa Mexicano
As seamlessly as sets change at the neighboring Opera, the Lincoln Center edition of this Mexican restaurant has relocated around the corner to a more spacious hacienda.
44 West 63rd Street, 212-977-7700, rosamexicano.com.
Looking Ahead
Pujol Pop-up
Enrique Olvera has three restaurants in New York, but he’s still best known for his Michelin-starred Pujol in Mexico City. From Nov. 11 through 22 he’s bringing a version of the original here, serving an eight-course menu of highlights, $295 plus $195 for wine pairings. The dinners, at 5 and 8 p.m., will be at the WSA Test Kitchen.
161 Water Street (Pearl Street), resy.com, tickets available Oct. 1.
Shopping
Bub’s Bakery
Ingredients like raisins and cinnamon are what you’d expect in a bakery. But what about the necessary eggs, routine dairy products, nuts, soy and wheat flour? Strictly verboten in this allergen-free establishment that avoids most of what some people can’t eat. Running the show is the talented bagelera, Melissa Weller, working with her partners Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong of 55 Hospitality (Fish Cheeks). Ms. Saesue got into the world of allergen-free baking to accommodate her husband. They’re producing kouign amann, cinnamon rolls, egg and cheese biscuit, and cookies, cupcakes and banana pudding. The shop is mostly for takeout but has seats for about eight people.
325 Lafayette Street (Mulberry Street), 646-449-8814, bubsbakery.com.
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.
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 This Restaurant Revives the Artistic Spirit of ’70s SoHo appeared first on New York Times.
