Contents
Off the Menu
The great New York outdoors inspires a new Brooklyn restaurant, New England seafood at Smithereens and more restaurant news.
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Opening
Passerine
At some of the newest Indian restaurants, regional fare is the focus. The same is true at Passerine. The chef Chetan Shetty is from Pune, near Mumbai, and he relies on spice blends his mother concocts and sends over. Chile-fueled kolhapuri ignites lamb tartare, ajwain masala adds pungency to baked oysters, and malwani spices dancing with vadouvan season fish. Greenmarket maitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, collards, broccoli rabe and cabbage figure as well. There are surprising touches, too, like Comté and Hollandaise. The restaurant’s lounge, called the Drawing Room, has its own brief menu and leads to the well-upholstered dining room. The space was formerly occupied by Sona, which closed earlier this year. (Opens Friday)
36 East 20th Street, 212-680-4945, passerinenyc.com.
Field Guide
Timothy Meyers, who worked at Eleven Madison Park, Mas (farmhouse) and Blanca, is going solo at this 60-seat Brooklyn restaurant he said is inspired by the outdoors of his childhood in a village in Central New York and also the tranquil scenes painted by Andrew Wyeth. Food is listed under the rubric “plates,” 16 of them priced from $14 to $45. Most adhere to a seasonal approach with fig leaf-wrapped pork terrine, butternut squash rillettes with clams, and beef fillet with sunflower crumble and chanterelles. Summer lingers in a squash blossom risotto and a blackberry-shiso condiment garnishing pork loin prime rib. (Friday)
235 Kent Avenue (North First Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 917-757-2713, bkfieldguide.com.
Smithereens
Seafood shines in the hands of Nicholas Tamburo, who was the chef de cuisine at Claud. His approach reflects his Massachusetts roots, with items like hake and clams, tautog (blackfish, now in season) with kohlrabi, colonial Anadama bread with smoked bluefish, and apple cider doughnuts. His partner in this garden-level venture is the much-lauded beverage director, Nikita Malhotra. Cocktail creations, like the Cape Codder cranberry and a briny martini, fit the food. (Friday)
414 E 9th Street (First Avenue), smithereensnyc.com.
Tikal Mayan Food
A trip to Guatemala awaits in this new spot, though items like tacos and meat tamales, to say nothing of the ancient Mayan civilization, have few boundaries in the region. The menu even dips its toe into El Salvador with its pupusas. Grilled skirt steak, chicken in sour cream sauce and assorted stews bolstered with chiles define the food served in a simple room adorned with a portrait of one of Tikal’s astonishing temples.
1393 Second Avenue (72nd Street), 212-837-1911, tikalmayanfood.com.
Padang Dining at Ma-Dé
Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten have turned their second restaurant, just steps from their flagship Wayan, into a showcase for a communal Indonesian feast. Centered on fried chicken and slow-cooked butterfish, the spread includes a bountiful array of side dishes, including baby squid, sweetbreads and crispy smelts to name a few. Expect to eat with your hands: $58 per person. (Monday)
Ma-dé, 22 Spring Street (Elizabeth Street), 212-388-3988, ma-de-nyc.com.
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