Chef And Menu Report: Week Of 01/11/15

Austin
The fourth-annual Austin Food + Wine Festival is returning to the live music capital of the world April 24 to 26, and you can win a luxurious All-In trip for you and three friends before tickets go on sale next Wednesday, January 21 at 10 a.m. CT. Enter here before noon CT on Tuesday, January 20 to win four All-In passes, four round-trip flights, four nights at The W Austin, and perks including spa treatments, personalized concierge services, and more. Official rules and the fine print can be found here.

Boston
Bronwyn is proud to announce that they will hold their first-ever Pig Week during the third week of January. Each night chef Tim Wiechmann will be featuring a special dish based on one lovely part of pig, and plate only costs $20; there's a beer special of $7 and wine special of $8 as well. The upcoming nights are:

Tuesday, January 20: Shanks — Dark beer-braised shank, red cabbage, apples

Wednesday, January 21: Head — Smoked and confit, crispy pan fry with challah and pork liver Knödels

Thursday, January 22: Feet — Cassoeula of pig feet simmered gently with cabbage, root vegetables, and spices, crispy polenta

Friday, January 23: Loins and Chops — Kassler rippchen, the frankfurter classic made from juniper-brined pork loin and boiled to juicy perfection, with riesling sauerkraut, potatoes, and mustard.

Saturday, January 24: Leg and Shoulder — Schnitzel and wurst of foot-long bratwurst, crispy German schnitzel, and potato salad.

Sunday, January 25: Ribs — Eastern European barbecue, caraway and paprika rub, smoke, yogurt–garlic sauce, and cucumber salad.

New York
Coney Island Brewing introduced two new beers this week inspired by Brooklyn's history. The 1609 Amber Ale pays tribute to the year that the Dutch West India Company first laid claim to the dunes of Coney Island; their Overpass IPA is inspired by the community of artists that turned abandoned factory spaces in D.U.M.B.O. into a haven for artists and renaissance souls.

There are many wonderful ways to polish off a great French dining experience, but none sweeter than a free flight to the City of Lights. Starting yesterday, January 15, the new boutique airline La Compagnie is partnering with Claudette to offer two lucky diners the chance to win roundtrip tickets to Paris with the "Dine and Dash to Paris" giveaway. Customers who dine at the French Greenwich Village restaurant for lunch or dinner January 15 through Valentine's Day will be entered in a drawing to win two pairs of roundtrip tickets (four tickets total) to Paris aboard the signature baby blue, all-business class airline. All they need to do is submit their contact details when they are paying the bill. The winners will be announced on La Compagnie and Claudette's respective Facebook pages on February 14, 2015 and notified via email on February 15, 2015.

Prospect Heights newcomer Cooklyn will kick off Weekend Brunch on Saturday, January 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Executive chef Anthony Theocaropoulos has crafted a decadent menu that includes the signature Cooklyn Skillet comprising butter-baked potatoes, caramelized onions, crispy prosciutto, chorizo, two poached eggs, and fontina fonduta; Key lime ricotta-stuffed French toast: stacks of brioche filled with creamy ricotta and doused in apple tarte tatin syrup; fried oyster Benedict; and a Greek yogurt parfait with savory granola and macerated berries. For coffee-lovers, Cooklyn is serving guests French press coffee and espresso drinks from Toby's Estate. Diners can also explore their inner child with an order of chef Theocaropoulos' Fruity Pebbles milk: milk infused with the colorful cereal many of us enjoyed while watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Corkbuzz Union Square has revamped their brunch menu to offer some new dishes, including avocado toast on miche bread with radish and Gruyère), lemon-ricotta pancakes with apple chutney, and the Hangover Sandwich comprising pork belly, eggs, and spicy mayo. In addition, their Champagne Campaign means that all bottles of Champagne at brunch are priced at a 50-percent discount.

This winter, Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse is reconnecting with their roots, celebrating the traditional Negroni cocktail with an all-new menu of Negroni spin-offs fit for master mixologists and cocktail connoisseurs alike. The new Davio's Negroni Menu features their take on this Italian classic, as well as a series of Negroni-inspired cocktails with a modern twist. The menu offers options such as The Ladies Negroni ($15), featuring Bulldog Gin, Lillet Blonde, Limoncello, Blood Orange, and Campari Sugar; and The Frizzante ($15), Tanqueray gin, Aperol, prosecco, and Burnt Orange.

In addition to its fresh raw bar selection daily, Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn will launch a new brunch menu this weekend filled with mouthwatering seafood-infused dishes. Diners can opt-in for a complimentary mimosa with their order, or choose from the $5 bloody Marys and prosecco cocktail list. Signature dishes on the new menu include Maine lobster scramble with heirloom tomatoes, chive, and orange zest, baked in Brooklyn toast; and stuffed Brooklyn challah French toast with cinnamon cream cheese topped with pear apple chutney.

Michelin-starred chef Hemant Mathur is now the co-owner of six popular New York City restaurants: Malai Marke, Chola, Dhaba, Kokum, Chote Nawab, and Haldi as well as the catering company, Jashan. Chef Mathur unveiled his new menu at the just-renovated Haldi last night, January 15, at dinner. In addition, he will be overseeing the kitchens and creating signature dishes at each of his regional restaurants. His goal in 2015 is to elevate the cuisine and dining experience as only he knows how.

Surry County, N.C.
The Surry Sonker Trail leads visitors to several places that serve sonker, a cobbler-esque dessert unique to the county. Seven trail stops offer this sweet confection on their regular menu. An additional stop is a pottery studio selling sonker baking dishes and sonker cookbooks. A brochure map has been created by the Tourism Partnership of Surry County to guide folks along the trail. It includes all the key info to enjoy a day or two along the trail.

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