Opening
Il Leone
The ubiquitous year-round lobster roll has competition. Ben Wexler-Waite, a New Yorker transplanted to Maine and now back to New York, first opened his pizzeria on Peaks Island in Portland five years ago. The inspiration for the Isola pizza with a lobster topping, no cheese, was a typical Italian pasta with lobster found along Italy’s southern coasts, and what better place to realize it but Maine? For some of his pizzas he uses Maine-grown cherry tomatoes in the sauce, his mozzarella di bufala is imported from Campania and he nurtures a sourdough starter. The new Brooklyn pizzeria has 32 seats. (Opens Nov. 13)
158 Seventh Avenue (Garfield Place), Park Slope, Brooklyn, @illeonepeaks.
Willet’s Corner
There’s a reunion at this Upper West Side bistro. Ken Halberg and his wife, Jill, who owned Harding’s in the Flatiron district, have called on their former chef, Joel Zaragoza, and beverage director, Hugo Ayala, also from Harding’s, to participate in their new restaurant. The menu showcases fig toast with ricotta, roasted za’atar cauliflower, and a harvest salad with apples, Cheddar and farro. A seared tuna sandwich, French dip sandwich, grilled tuna tacos and braised short ribs are the more substantial plates. The sweets include apple crisp. A dirty chai espresso martini is among the concocted libations. Autumn tones of leather and wood welcome the season.
420 Amsterdam Avenue (80th Street), willetscorner.com.
Same Same
The owners of the bar Monkey Thief in Hell’s Kitchen have turned the space into a wine bar with wines by the glass, including some from Eastern Europe. There will also be low-alcohol cocktails and food that runs the gamut from oysters to Korean-style fried chicken and Basque-style cheesecake. Expansive windows and touches of copper accent the setting for 60 seats.
401 West 47th Street, 212-245-0675, samesamewinebar.com.
Opera House
A Chinese language theater called the Opera House once operated in the building that houses Chinese Tuxedo restaurant in Chinatown. The owners of the restaurant have now converted the bar Peachy’s, underneath the restaurant, and they didn’t have to search far for a name. Drinks named after Chinese operas are served with dim sum and complimentary snacks like mala-spiced chickpeas.
5 Doyers Street (Pell Street), 646-355-8693, operahouse.nyc.
Sueños Pop-Up
Sue Torres closed her popular Mexican restaurant, Sueños, in Chelsea, in 2014 and relocated to Florida where she’s now working. She’s making a quick return visit later this week to revive her food in Manhattan. The menu, $175 for four courses and two drinks, will include shredded mini beef tacos, roasted kabocha squash panuchos, plantain-crusted halibut and guava and cream cheese empanadas, Thursday through Sunday with seatings at 6 and 8:45 p.m. A few items are sold for takeout on Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
183 Christopher Street (West Street), eventbrite.com.
Branches
Ilili Midtown
The post Il Leone Brings Its Lobster Pizza From Portland, Maine, to Park Slope appeared first on New York Times.
