headliner
mena
“It’s hard to believe,” says Victoria Blamey, the executive chef who for years garnered praise at places like Chumley’s and Gotham Bar & Grill, and is finally opening her own restaurant. Close observers of the New York scene will also know the Chilean-born chef, 42, for her pop-ups at Blue Hill in Stone Barns, the Mayflower Inn in Washington, Conn., and Fulgurances Laundromat in Brooklyn. She describes her new restaurant, named after her great-aunt, as “airy, bright and very feminine” with white walls, cobalt blue-clad benches and brass fixtures. It’s not easy to pin down her food, which reflects her native Chile, known for its seafood, as well as her cooking experiences in New York, Spain, and Australia. “People may have no idea what to expect from Chilean food, but there will be elements in it,” she said. On the menu is Cholgas secas, a Chilean dish of dried mussels that she prepared during her stay in Blue Hill. Seaweeds, which are popular in Chile, garnish several preparations, including oysters with seaweed gremolata. She also makes dishes like Japanese sardines with mayonnaise, potato and bell pepper, mussels with onion glaze, squab with buckwheat honey and fermented radicchio, monkfish with wakame and black quinoa, and a winter Pavlova dessert with angel hair pumpkin, candied lemon and citrus curd. Her executive sous chef, Daniel Garcia, worked at Crown Shy and NoMad, and the junior sous chef, Maggie Paradis, worked with her at Gotham Bar & Grill. The wine list pays attention to organic and biodynamic producers, especially from Chile. (Open Thursday)
28 Cortlandt Alley (Broadway), 212-466-6428.
Opening
Mirjam
Since 2005, Israeli chef Rafael Hasid has been known for his Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine, including daily brunch dishes, served from his restaurant Miriam, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Now he’s copied Miriam on the Upper West Side, in a somewhat rustic setting with greenery and indoor and outdoor seating. The menu replicates that of the Park Slope location with assorted mezze; main courses such as falafel dish, lamb shawarma, braised short ribs and chicken schnitzel; and brunch favorites like shakshuka, challah French toast, and eggs Florentine. Mr. Hasid, known as Rafi, also owns 1803 NYC in TriBeCa, as well as two takeaways, Homemade by Miriam. By his side, who runs the new Miriam, is Jerry Joseph, whom some may well remember from back in the day at Jerry’s in SoHo (1987 to 2007), an artists’ canteen when SoHo was about the galleries, not the Guccis.
300 Amsterdam Avenue (74th Street), miriamrestaurant.com.
Farmhouse wine bar
Chef and restaurateur Marc Forgione inherited Peasant, a cozy den known for its wood-fired kitchen, from its founder, Frank DeCarlo, who opened it in 1999 and owned it for 20 years. When Mr. DeCarlo retired, he offered to sell it to Mr. Forgione, whose arm didn’t need to be twisted. Now mr. Forgione converted the restaurant’s underground wine cellar into a wine bar that ties into many of Italy’s regions, with both well-known and more obscure selections. The drink director is Scott Woltz. To accompany the wines, Mr. Forgione home-made charcuterie and pasta, with some dishes with offal, in the Roman way. (Wednesday)
194 Elizabeth Street (Prince Street), 212-965-9511, peasantnyc.com.
nai
This tapas spot from Ruben Rodriguez, a native of Galicia in northern Spain, will be installed on two floors in a more spacious location across the street. The menu of more than 20 traditional and inventive tapas (patatas bravas, carrots with Greek yogurt and tahini) and larger plates remains more or less the same. Wines are mostly Spanish. Another restaurant at 174 First Avenue (11th Street) will be Emilia by Nai next month, serving vegetables and seafood.