Chew on this: the hottest spring openings, restaurant intel and updates 🌸
A slew of NYC openings and news coming straight to your inbox!
Chew on this:
Ice cream and hot chocolate spot Glace, will open an international candy shop next door to their UES storefront. “Guests can mix their favorite candies into seasonally rotating ice creams and sorbets in flavors like Brown Butter Vanilla, Crème Brûlée and Meyer Lemon, allowing the opportunity to create their own signature flavors through an immersive experience.” Glace Candy officially opens on May 15th! 🍬
JR & Son, which is housed in a storied Williamsburg’s bar and restaurant, is reopening its doors under the stewardship of restauranteur Louis Skibar of Kellogg’s Diner and Chef Patricia Vega (Top Chef alum, formerly of Thai Diner). I went there last tonight so look out for more on that!
Danny and Coop’s the viral Philly cheesesteak spot by Bradly Cooper just extended their hours to open on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting at noon. No more waiting on 2 hour lines!
West village staple Fedora has reopened! I went opening night and the vongole was one of the best I have had in a while. The food is by the St. Jardim team (which is next door) and the menu is small and simple
Coqodaq has now launched brunch via The Brucket List—a prix-fixe weekend brunch experience priced at $38 per person. Expect dishes like beet-pickled deviled eggs, French Toast Soldiers served with crème anglaise, Umma's rustic-style kimbap, and crispy hash browns and salmon rillette and trout roe. Entrées include Chicken & Waffles drizzled in maple butter soy sauce, Golden English Muffin (G.E.M.) served with soft scrambled eggs 🍳
They have also finally opened their karaoke room, Sing Sing!
S&P (AKA my favorite diner ever) is opening a weekend only bar pop-up! A Pop-Up Called Pancakes (@abarcalledpancakes) will run from May 2nd to June 1st, every Friday to Sunday. The pop-up will combine a unique cocktail program, playful bites, and a cool vibe
Bar Bianchi — a striking new aperitivo bar from the teams behind Le Dive, Elvis, and The Nines will be opening this May on the corner of Houston & Avenue A.“This corner location was a dream canvas for bringing Italy’s aperitivo culture to life,” says Jon Neidich. “With the French doors wide open, the line between inside and out disappears, letting the buzz of the dining room spill onto the sidewalk patio. It captures that unmistakable magic of an Italian piazza.” From the looks of it, it will be a great place to sit outside this summer☀️
In other pancake news, Golden Diner has launched reservations for the first time for weekend brunch! Set your notifys now cause its already sold out for May
The Mark Hotel unveiled their summer pop-up yesterday The Clam Bar. It’s a collaboration between Jean-Georges and Caviar Kaspia, and “blends the charm of a beachside seafood shack in the Hamptons with the refinement of uptown dining.” I checked it out the other day for their soft opening and was surprised to see it was only 4-5 tables (pretty small but the set-up is pretty cute). The food is hit or miss while they work out some kinks but we liked the tacos and the baked clams!
Wegmans on Astor Place just opened their new sushi restaurant which is called Next Door by Wegmans. They serve upscale Japanese food. Reservation are live on OpenTable 🍣
Seahorse, a cousin to Lure Fishbar (which is sadly closing in 2026), will open this spring in Union Square
There is a Freja Pop-Up in NYC from May 1st-4th! 21 Spring Street
Scarpetta is doing a wine pairing/tasting dinner on May 7th with their wine school VIVINO. I have been to two of these before and they were super fun and delicious! Tickets are available starting at $150 (link here)
The team behind Roscioli now has an Italian rooftop bar called Leonessa that is in the old Loopy Loop space (TBT) in Fidi
Bobbi Brown x lil sweet treat pop-up Saturday, May 3rd at 12pm. Enjoy sweet bites from lil sweet treat, free gifts, 15% off their purchase at the store, and consultations with Bobbi Brown Pro Artists! 187 7th Ave
Ernesto’s (one of my favorite Basque restaurants/wine bars) is opening a new Spanish spot in the West Village this May called Bartolo
French restaurant Libertine is opening a 2nd spot called La Royale at 205 Thompson street this May/June in a gorgeous townhouse 🥐
Bar à Part a wine bar and cafe from the owners of Zimmi’s is opening next door! Big news for the west villagers
I had dinner and drinks at SVB (aka San Vicente Bungalows). Some thoughts:
Food was very hit or miss. Some dishes we liked a lot like the chopped salad, the zucchini chips, the vodka pasta (NOT the pesto pasta it was inedible). Drinks took a while but thats typical of these clubs 🍸 Also very expensive but expected
The make your own soft serve for dessert was the best part and should not be missed
The Mezzanine bar was fun and the best part in my opinion! Looks like a listening bar and has a pool table. Cool spot for drinks
The club downstairs was atrocious. I am not sure if it’s in the early stages of development but it looked like a frat basement. No real tables and just some sofas
I have yet to see the outdoor space (it’s only open for brunch and happy hour) so still need to check those out!
Where I am eating this week: Tolo (the outside is so cute in the spring), JR & Sons (reopening this week) and then spending the weekend upstate for my friend Margo’s Bday!
On the horizon: Headed to LA for the first time in YEARS over Memorial Day weekend. Please send any and all places you might want me to see me review!
