Chef And Menu Report: Week Of 11/16/14

New York
Andaz 5th Avenue, the boutique lifestyle hotel in Midtown Manhattan, has announced the appointment of Michael Santoro as executive chef. Santoro brings over 10 years of diverse culinary experience, most recently serving as owner and executive chef of The Mildred Restaurant in Philadelphia. In his new role, Chef Santoro oversees the hotel's seasonally inspired restaurant, the shop, and the hotel's cellar bar, the bar downstairs, which serves seasonal, pre-prohibition style cocktails and delectable Latin-style small plate dishes. Chef Santoro also leads the culinary offerings at the hotel's meetings, events and entertaining space, Apartment 2E.

Beginning today, Mandarin Oriental, New York has introduced a new seven-course tasting menu its award-winning restaurant, Asiate. For an optional $180 supplement, White Truffle from Alba will be added table-side to the following four dishes: white truffle risotto with soft poached quail egg and podda classic; turbot with jasmine, leek jam, and mushroom consommé; foglie de noce with fig cake, sunchokes, and local pear, and almond dacquoise with white chocolate mousse and almond praline.

Houston
Give thanks "Texas Creole-style with Thanksgiving Dinner at Brennan's of Houston. From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, celebrate with a three-course prix fixe meal for $60 per person that includes the choices such as duck prosciutto with foie gras mousse and duck cracklings; country ham and biscuit with Calvados apple butter; Texas Creole roasted American turkey with jalapeño and crushed corn pudding, and Southern pecan pie with warm salted caramel.

Santa Ana, CA
Chef and director of operations at The North Left, Ryan Adams, has introduced a slew of new menu items, including a duck salad of duck confit, frisée, bacon, fried egg, and sherry vinaigrette; spicy Moroccan chicken sandwich with kale, fresh harissa, and lemon aioli; tuna melt topped with celery, capers, onion, and white cheddar; octopus accompanied by kombucha tea, pesto, frisée and quinoa; skillet-roasted whole boneless rainbow trout served alongside escarole, potatoes, capers, dill and mushrooms, and many more dishes.

Scottsdale, Ariz.
 On December 19, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain's executive chef Beau MacMillan will welcome Food Network star Guy Fieri for a special interactive dinner 

Washington, D.C.
Lupo Verde has debuted new dishes just in time for the holiday season. Winter offerings on the dinner menu include beef tartare with parsley, capers, anchovies, onions, egg yolk, oregano cream, and tomato caviar; grilled luganica sausage with smoked paprika mayo, polenta cream, and crispy shallots; squash gnocchi with sage, butter, four cheese cream, and black truffle; sous-vide duck breast in walnut crust with cipollini onions, grilled endive, fried taleggio, and raisin pesto, and much more.

Kate Kolenda is the Restaurant and City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @BeefWerky and @theconversant.