Dining’s Past Is on the Menu at Clara in the New-York Historical Society
Clara
The New-York Historical Society, founded in 1804, has gradually upped the ante when it comes to dining. Its Storico, run by Stephen Starr’s organization, closed in July. Next up is the Oberon Group from Brooklyn, where it runs Rucola, Rhodora, June Bar and more, with a focus on sustainability. Diego Moya, the group’s culinary director and a chef who rose to prominence during his pre-Covid stint at Racines, in TriBeCa, is the executive chef here, with Joseph Gaglio as his chef de cuisine. The restaurant takes its name from Clara Driscoll, who was in charge of the women’s glass-cutting department at Tiffany Studios from 1892 to 1909. She designed many Tiffany lamps, some of which are in the museum’s outstanding collection. A few Tiffany pieces and other items from that era fill the shelves that decorate the airy, off-white dining room but, like shards of truffle over pasta, not enough to make a statement. Mr. Moya’s menu has its eye on New York history with a lobster Newburg and a charlotte russe. Other dishes, like winter chicories with green goddess dressing, fluke crudo, carrot tartare, duck breast au poivre, steelhead trout and bay leaf mousse with burnt cranberries, depend on local and regional purveyors. The adjacent Café 77 for salads, sandwiches and other quick-serve items, run by Purslane, Oberon’s catering division, will open in two weeks. (Opens Wednesday)
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, 212-485-9211, nyhistory.org/dine.
Opening
Kawabun
New York’s Delmonico’s, going on 200 years, is a newcomer compared with Kawabun, in Nagoya, Japan, a Methuselah in business since the 17th century Edo period. It now serves Italian food. A branch, the first outside Japan, has arrived in New York with soba, not tagliatelle. Done in traditional Japanese style with a modern feel on the two floors that had been Kajitsu, it serves sushi, tempura, donburi, soba and more interpretive hot and cold specialties like salmon in miso, Wagyu stew, shrimp sando and a cold vegetable platter. It is owned by Plan Do See, a global hospitality company based in Japan that also owns Azabu in New York; the chef is Yoshitaka Ito.
125 East 39th Street, 646-370-3364, kawabunnyc.com.
Altair
With a concept that might suit the American Museum of Natural History better than the garment district, Renwick Hospitality’s new restaurant attempts to channel air, fire, earth and water, all with a seasonal approach. Vegetables like Tokyo turnips with black garlic tahini and a mushroom ragù with mafaldine and ricotta represent earth. Bucatini with lobster and fire-roasted tomatoes provide sea and fire, and air, also showcased by the modern, sky-lit setting, is worked into some of the drinks. The executive chef is David Taylor, working with Renwick Hospitality’s chef and partner, Carsten Johannsen, and the managing partner Gary Wallach. (Wednesday)
Arlo Midtown, 351 West 38th Street, 212-343-7000, altairnyc.com.
87 Ludlow
Aris Tuazon, the chef and an owner of this new Lower East Side spot, interprets tapas through the Filipino lens of his heritage. Oyster sisig uses the mollusk to refashion a Filipino pork dish, chorizo gambas al ajillo includes longganisa, pork belly humba is braised with star anise, and there’s a black seafood paella. The two dining rooms are simply framed by whitewashed brick walls.
87 Ludlow Street (Delancey Street), 212-510-7605.
Wano
Tokyo Restaurants Factory, with a footprint that spans Japan, Taiwan and New York, has taken over the former Mifune space to open this high-end kaiseki restaurant. There is a dining room for tasting menus on the ground floor, along with a sushi counter for omakase. On a lower level is another sushi counter, Sushi Amane. The head chef, Tomomi Uji, and the sous chef, Ryota Sakaba, who work in consultation with Hiroyuki Sato from Tokyo, produce tempura fried oysters, sashimi with layers of tuna, steamed abalone and a mushroom clay pot, among other dishes. A service of matcha concludes each tasting and sakes dominate the alcoholic pours.
245 East 44th Street, 917-588-8871, wanonyc.com.
Taylormade
Claudette Taylor’s popular local spot for Jamaican specialties to pick up or take out has moved into a larger space nearby, permitting dining in. Ms. Taylor, who does the cooking, said she plans to expand the menu with more finger food and a few main dishes. A liquor license is pending.
222 Greene Avenue, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, 718-484-2310, taylormadejamaicaneatery.com.
Serafina Vino e Cucina
Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato keep concocting new spinoffs to spread the Serafina name far and wide. The latest is this wine bar and restaurant where more than 100 labels from Italy and elsewhere accompany a user-friendly Italian menu that’s typical of their restaurants and provides wine suggestions for many of the dishes. More locations will be opening on the Upper East Side and in the dinancial district in coming months.
110 University Place (12th Street), 347-515-6050, serafinarestaurant.com.
Coral
Point Seven, the splashy new seafood restaurant in the Met Life Building, now has a sushi bar deep in the hold. The 10-set counter is run by chef Robby Cook, who delivers 21-course omakase dinners ($350), with two seatings. (Wednesday)
Point Seven, 200 Park Avenue (44th Street), 929-877-1718, coralomakase.com.
Pulkie’s
With something of a menu shift, Harris Mayer, the chef and owner of Creamline, has moved this inventive homage to Jewish food and New York from a Brooklyn food hall to one in Manhattan. (The name is a Yiddish term for plump poultry legs and a baby’s chubby thighs.) Barbecued turkey leg, shredded or “pulled,” fills a sandwich with coleslaw. Other sandwiches include the High Holiday with brisket, roasted carrots and onions,and red horseradish. There’s a hot dog with sauerkraut and barbecued “street onions.” Mac and cheese kugel and fried minimatzo balls are also on the menu at this takeout and delivery only spot.
Gotham West Market, 600 11th Avenue (44th Street), pulkies.com.
Marky’s Caviar and Huso
The Upper East Side caviar and specialty shop and its intimate back room restaurant that was severely damaged by a fire in March, have reopened with the chef, Buddha Lo, again serving eight-course tasting menus. Mr. Lo will also be in charge of the somewhat expanded dining room at the new TriBeCa branch of the shop and restaurant. The shop is slated to open before the end of the year, Huso in 2024 at 190-A Duane Street (Greenwich Street). It will be the second new downtown caviar emporium, after Petrossian, which opened in the meatpacking district last month.
1067 Madison Avenue (82nd Street), 212-288-0850, markys.com.
Looking Ahead
Fright Night at Terroir
Paul Grieco, an owner of Terroir, a wine bar and restaurant in TriBeCa, qualifies as a founding member of the informal ABC society (Anything But Chardonnay). He finds the wine is frightening (others may disagree), and thus appropriate for Halloween. A walk-around tasting of 35 chardonnays, which he’s calling “the scariest wine tasting of all,” will be held at the restaurant on Oct. 31 from 8 to 10:30 p.m., with Halloween-themed foods for snacking. Costumes are encouraged, $120.
Terroir, 24 Harrison Street (Greenwich Street), 212-625-9463, wineisterroir.com.
Closing
Oxalis
After enjoying five years in business, this neighborhood spot will move nearby. It remains open until the end of the year with an expanded six-night dinner schedule and more brunches. The owners, Nico Russell, Steve Wong and Piper Kristensen, have yet to secure the new location but hope to open next fall. They will keep the present space as an all-day cafe, to reopen in the spring.
Chefs on the Move
Konstantino Kvasilava
A native of Cyprus, Mr. Kvasilava, who worked at the Michelin three-star Geranium in Copenhagen, is the new executive chef for the Kyma restaurants in Hudson Yards and the Flatiron district.
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