Headliner
Kono
Omakase, a type of Japanese meal for the chef to choose from, is often associated with a parade of sushi dishes. But it also applies to the yakitori at this restaurant from Atsushi Kono, an expert on yakitori, or “grilled bird,” usually chicken skewers. Mr. Kono is the chef of Yakitori Torishin in New York starting in 2006, worked in Japan for a while. Now he’s opening a place of his own, where he’ll serve up yakitori omakase as he presides over binchotan charcoal-fired grills commonly used in Japanese cooking. He stands in the middle of the stage, surrounded on three sides by a brightly lit counter that seats 14 with $165 pre-order dinners at 5:30, 6, 8:30, and 9 p.m. Drinks, taxes and tips are extra.) Various parts of the organic chicken, including the heart, oysters, tender knee cartilage, tail and loin, are grilled on bamboo skewers as the centerpiece of the meal. Chicken thighs, chicken patties and soups are also served, with the final course being a black sugar crème brûlée. Wagyu, king crab and Iberico pork are among the optional extras. The restaurant also has tables with 4 to 6 seats.
46 Bowery (Canal Street), 646-524-6838, yakitorikono.com.
Opening
laser wolf
This new Williamsburg restaurant, run by chefs Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook, Philadelphia restaurateurs known for their interpretations of Israeli fare, sits on a heated, weatherproof outdoor roof. of Hoxton, an established hotel chain in London. In New York, they used to run Dizengoff, at Chelsea Market, but it closed in 2018. For this, their first New York restaurant, they partnered with Boka, a Chicago hotel group. Grilled meat, whole fish and vegetables are specialties, served with accompaniments and pita. The chef is Andrew Henshaw, who has worked with CookNSolo, Mr. Solomonov and Mr. Cook’s company. (Open on Sunday)
Hoxton, 97 Wythe Avenue (North 10 Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, laserwolfbrooklyn.com.
Firenze Ristorante Toscano & Bar
One of Eataly’s financial district restaurants has pivoted, going from Southern Italian to Tuscan cuisine. Ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar) and a classic Tuscan porter are the work of Diego Puddu, Eataly’s North American head of food, and Adam Hill, executive chef of the central branch the heart of the market. Part of the wine list is devoted to the Chianti Classico, and there are Florentine cocktails like the Santa Maria del Fiore made with Chianti vin santo.
Eataly Downtown, 101 Liberty Street (Church Street), 3rd Floor, 646-677-8580, eataly.com.
The Migrant’s Kitchen
Ingredients like sumac and Oaxaca cheese rarely make the same sandwich. But at Migrant Kitchen, they have. Here you will also find dishes with a combination of za’atar, Aleppo pepper, chipotle pepper, turmeric and ginger. “Why not?” Dan Dorado, 45, is of Mexican descent and is the business partner of Nasser Jaber, 38, of Palestine, from the West Bank. They met while working at Ilili in Manhattan. Jaclinn Tanney, who works in the nonprofit sector, is the third partner. Before Covid, they started a catering company serving Mexican and Middle Eastern specialties, but with the closure, they were left with only a stock of leftover meals. canceled events. So they donated them, and thousands more, to feed the needy during the pandemic. This was followed by a pop-up on Stone Street in the financial district, along with smaller stores on the Upper East Side and a counter at Time Out Market in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Now, there’s this new flagship, near Lincoln Center. They still donate meals through the Migrant Kitchen Initiative, their organization, and recruit immigrants like their chef, Alex Hernandez from El Salvador. They are also hoping to find Ukrainians in need of work.
157 Columbus Avenue (67th Street), themigrantkitchennyc.com.
