Restaurant Openings Report: Week Of January 11, 2015

Chicago
Formento's, an Italian-American heritage restaurant, opened in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood on, Wednesday, January 14. The new 8,000-square foot restaurant's menu will feature classic Italian and Italian-American fare grounded in tradition, and will offer a world class wine list and classic cocktail program. The restaurant will seat approximately 130 patrons and will be open for dinner daily, starting at 4:30 p.m. Menu highlights include: Italian Wedding soup, antipasti salad, and chicken Vesuvio.

Las Vegas
James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina will welcome his newest concept, BARDOT Brasserie, to ARIA Resort & Casino tonight, Friday, January 16. With executive chef Josh Smith at the helm, BARDOT's menu will feature a variety of unforgettable dining experiences. Highlights include: the foie gras parfait, duck wings à l'orange, sautéed skate wing, and monkfish bourride.

New York
Chef Josh Eden has reopens August on the Upper East Side. Read the full story here.

Health-focused restaurant, Café Clover opened in the West Village on Monday, January 12. Chef David Standridge (formerly of Market Table and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon) has crafted a healthful menu of dishes like shaved hamachi with sunchoke, sweet gem, and yuzu; quinoa tagliatelli with beet greens, maitake, and sunflower kernels; and Arctic Char with spaghetti squash, turnip greens, and black trumpet mushrooms. Rounding out the menu are desserts like almond milk panna cotta with rose syrup, and cocktails such as the Tropic Thunder with rum, house made pineapple syrup, and fresh lime.

On Thursday, January 29, Matt Shendell and Brian Mazza of Paige Hospitality Group will open the second location of popular American eatery and bar, The Chester just steps off of Park Avenue in Midtown. Corporate executive chef Stephen Yen, The Chester's executive chef Tyler Austern and their culinary team will provide an inspired take on traditional American food by infusing classic items with new flavors and presentations. Some popular menu items include: sweet tea brined fried chicken with blistered shishitos, and Thai dressing; pork belly with seasonal roasted vegetables, dill yogurt, and zatar honey; and Pappardelle in a five green-herb pesto with parmesan, garlic, and lemon. The cocktail list also features premium handcrafted libations like the must-order Hellfire with jalapeño-infused Don Julio, lemon juice, and agave.

On Tuesday, January 13, Dos Toros opened their newest location on Park Avenue South. Like the other five locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, this new Dos Toros outpost transports patrons into an environment where they can enjoy a variety of classic Mexican dishes. Dos Toros Flatiron will serve up its famous burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and an assortment of sides and Mexican beers.

HENRI On Fifth, the latest venture from leading hospitality entrepreneur, Binh Douglas, is opening tonight, January 16, on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. The establishment is named after Binh's newborn son Henri, who inspired the restaurant's innovative fare. The menu was envisioned as an amalgam of Henri's heritage; influenced by his Vietnamese, Native American, African American, German and French background. Seasonally-changing and comprised entirely of small plates intended for sharing, the menu will range from Banh 'Mini' tacos to Sriracha deviled eggs, with a creative grilled cheese soldier selection, plus salads, soups, and sliders.

Debuting in the heart of Midtown, Hunt & Fish Club offers a traditional yet contemporary menu of steaks and game, as well as a selection of fresh seafood, an extensive wine list, steak sauces prepared tableside, and specialty cocktails. In addition to premium quality steaks, Hunt & Fish Club offers such signature dishes as the oxtail and bone marrow French onion soup, wild boar ragu with cavatelli, dry aged rib eye, and the HFC Seafood Salad with lobster, scallops, shrimp, calamari, and crab.

Global sensation Sushi Shop expands their presence in NYC with six planned locations, one of which opened on the Upper West Side yesterday, January 15. Having planted its feet in the competitive sushi marketplace in 1998, founder Gregory Marciano has taken Sushi Shop from one stand-alone store in Paris to the European leader in sushi delivery, with 109 locations across the globe including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, the U.K., and even Dubai.  Dinner offerings, both for take-out and to dine in, include a variety of boxes (such as the luxe "Black Box" filled with 56 pieces for $79.95) as well as individual Maki and hand rolls, tartares, tataki, ceviches, and chirashi bowls filled with fish, vegetables, and rice.

San Francisco
Mazarine, a new modern coffee house, opened quietly in late last month in the city's Financial District. inspired by Paris' Bibliothèque Mazarine (the city's oldest public library), the coffee house aims to become a community gathering spot, centered around diverse epicurean offerings, like specialty coffees, espresso, pastries, and an all-day menu of seasonal salads and sandwiches. Current featured roasters include Klatch Coffee and Ritual Coffee Roasters, and there are plans to introduce additional specialty roasters over time. Pastries are from local favorite, Starter Bakery.

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