Weekly Opening Report: The Week Of December 16, 2013
Every week, we take a look at some of the restaurants that have opened or will soon open across the country. Here's this week's roundup:
Renowned Neapolitan pizza masters Roberto Caporuscio and Antonio Starita have partnered up to open Don Antonio by Starita in Buckhead in January 2014, according to a press release. The restaurant will be a spin-off of the New York City location and will offer a menu of more than 60 traditional and creative wood-fired authentic Neapolitan pizzas.
New York
Jon Bloostein, owner of the Heartland Brewery Group, Houston Hall, and Flatiron Hall, is opening a food and beer hall, beer pavilion, and beer garden to be named Port Chester Hall in the historic Port Chester Railroad Station in spring 2014, according to a press release. The Hall's historic architecture is being preserved and renovated with vintage lighting and seating and century-old murals. Port Chester Hall will serve 12 specialty craft beers by head brewer and Heartland Brewery's director Kelly Taylor. Selections will be exclusive to the venue and will include English, Belgian, German, and American varieties. There will also be a full bar offering cocktails, a wine list, and gluten-free options. In addition to drinks, there will be food items available such as pastrami Reuben spring rolls, bacon and chicken mac and cheese, and classic steak frites.
Gourmet grocer Eli Zabar recently opened a grab-and-go store called Eli's Essentials. Many of Eli's iconic products, including chocolates, brownies, juices, coffee, prepared foods, and pastries, will be available. The new store will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A dairy-free ice cream shop called DF Mavens is opening at St. Mark's Place in March 2014, according to a press release. Each ice cream flavor is hand-crafted by Malcolm Stogo, who has consulted on well-known brands such as Häagen-Dazs and Stonyfield's Frozen Yogurt. The flavors range from Del Lago Chocolate and Madagascar Vanilla to Key Lime Crème and Peanut Butter Fudge Mash. Its almond-based line will debut at Whole Foods Brooklyn in February.
Michael Sinensky of funbars.com will be opening two new Tres Carnes locations. They will join the the first Tres Carnes location in New York, which launched in the Flatiron District earlier this year. The new ones will open in the Financial District and in Midtown, according to a press release. The "Texican" restaurant, influenced by both Mexican and Texas-style food, will serve its classic menu items, including burritos, tacos, and the "El Tres" bowl, prepared by chef Sasha Shor.
A 2,000-square-foot artisanal pop-up food fair The Food Box recently opened in Jamestown, according to a press release. Participating vendors include Real Caribbean Food, Jessy's Pastries, Khao Man Gai NY, and The Kolache Co., and Jamestown is currently scouting a fifth vendor.
A new German beer venue called Bavaria Bierhaus by the owners of neighboring Beckett's and The Dubliner is opening soon on Stone Street. The restaurant, which takes up two levels, will offer more than 20 German beers and features two long, wooden bars and high, circular tables made in Erding, Germany. Its food menu includes German classics such as wienerschnitzel with braised red cabbage and leberkase with scallion mashed potatoes and green beans as well as smaller items such as warm pretzels and sausages.
Gwynnett Street is temporarily closed for "unforeseen renovations" and its chef Owen Clark and his cooks are no longer working in the kitchen. Owner Carl McCoy says he hopes the restaurant will reopen on Dec. 27 with a small bar menu and drinks.
Just a few weeks before its 13th anniversary, Michelin-starred Tamarind Flatiron is closing as the space it occupies will be renovated to become a new building. The restaurant and its staff will merge with Tamarind Tribeca, forming a much larger venue.
New Orleans
Known as Louisiana's "Top Bun," Phil de Gruy is opening a third Phil's Grill location in New Orleans' Central Business District on Dec. 21, according to a press release, in a space that was formerly home to recording engineer Cosimo Matassa's studio from the '60s to the early '80s. Phil's Grill will celebrate and preserve its history with décor such as a musical "walk of fame" with concrete floors inlaid with eight bronze musical notes featuring local legacies, including Matassa, Alan Toussaint, and Professor Longhair. The menu will offer more than 1 million combinations of burgers, toppings, sauces, vegetables, and buns for the price of $9.75.
A new not-yet-named ramen noodle spot will open in Chicago's River North neighborhood in March 2014, according to a press release. The new restaurant will fill the space formerly occupied by Paris Club restaurant's bar and lounge area. Renovations for the new restaurant will begin Jan. 6 and chef and partner Doug Psaltis is already working on the menu.
Cuban and Caribbean Diner Rosa Blanca by Iron Chef Jose Garces recently opened in Center City, according to a press release. The menu, which blends comfort favorites and authentic dishes with creative technique and farm-fresh ingredients, offers options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including a Spanish omelette with serrano ham and saffron aioli, green lentil soup with smoked tomato broth and black kale, and black-eyed pea fritters.