March Restaurants Openings

new york | march restos.

spring's awakening and the flames are dancing at some of the newest places in town. go zen, chill out and have a pizza party with this list of march eats:

chillin'. previously reserved for the fashion set, the polar lounge is now open to the public. the subterranean lounge at the marcel hotel is decked out with silver brick walls, gold and silver ottomans, lush white leather loungers, and private caves private parties can indulge in small bites and pitchers of the place's signature drinks. try the "polar champagne" made with veuve clicquot, rhubarb bitters and a sugar cube, or the "shot of polar" made with citrus vodka, blood orange puree and st. germain liquor. now open. 201 east 24th street. at third. reservations@nycpolar.com

pizza party. keith mcnally (minetta tavern) has a bowery address courtesy of pulino's bar & pizzeria. chef nate appleman (formerly of san francisco's A16, SPQR (pictured)) is doing the dirty work in the kitchen, sourcing local ingreds for his menu and butchering all the meat in-house. expect NY strips, house made sausage and roasted dishes including lamb, scallops, and chicken. as for the pizza, nate is working with beth ann simpkins (she launched A16 in tokyo) and ruth kaplan (formerly balthazar bakery and BK's amorina) to design a wide array of pies including breakfast pizza for the early morning set, and gems like meatball pies, porchetta pizza, and even tuna pizzas – all made in the wood-fired ovens. opening mid-march. 282 bowery. at east houston. 212.226.1966.		bon vivant. jubliee alum pascal petiteau is serving his famous moules frites and escargots at bistro vendôme, his new upper east side resto set inside a charming old townhouse. accented with beige and cherry wood and a sky light-filled curved ceiling, seasonal specialties include cassoulet and beef cheek shepherd's pie. there are also five varieties of those mussels and entrees include dover sole and steak frites. a rooftop terrace will ring in spring in a few weeks. now open. 405 east 58th street. at first. 212.935.9100. www.bistrovendomenyc.com
go zen. chef akhtar nawab (formerly of elettaria, EU and craftbar) has a new home at zengo. the richard sandoval (pampano) and placido domingo-owned, AvroKO-designed resto is adorned with delicate wrought iron screens and suspended rows of reclaimed wooden beams. (DC location, pictured.) to eat? plenty of veg and gluten-free options focused on latin-asian influences. think charred tuna wonton tacos, achiote citrus chicken and chile barbecued salmon. the tequila library is soon to open with a separate menu and over 500 varieties of the spirit on offer. opening late march. 622 third avenue. between 40th and 41st. www.modernmexican.com		tangled up. the UWS is now home to the tangled vine wine bar & kitchen. the space, designed to mimic a wine cellar, is accented with stone and wood with many of the 160 biodynamic, organic and sustainable wines from the list on display. author and importer evan spingarn designed the list with selects from germany, france, austria, italy and spain to pair with the medi-inspired menu from chef david seigal (bouley, jean georges). ”trios,” two-oz., pours of three thematically linked wines, encourage exploration for novices and indulgence for experts. now open. 434 amsterdam avenue. at 81st. 646.863.3896.

new york | december restos.

you might actually need twelve days to get through the roster of new restos opening this month. want a hint? munch on home style italian and mexican, sample street food from cambodia, drink your way through spain, and find out what japanese whiskey tastes like.

street style. one time noodle bar kampuchea has produced a barroom offshoot called the norry, named for cambodia's homemade bamboo trains. cambodian street fare is still the focus, with pub popular offerings like fried chicken with spiced fleur de sel, catfish tacos and cambodian num pang (sandwiches) that include sweet pulled oxtail and hoisin pork meat balls. for more elaborate fare, the main resto and its revamped menu is your desto. now open. 78 rivington street. at allen. 212.529.3901.

spanish rose. the 120 wines on offer at socarrat bar de vinos, paella paradise socarrat's new wine bar, will make sure that all 16 of spain's regions will be well represented. top that off with a tapas menu by chef felipe camarillo that includes empanadas and goat cheese and anchovy pizza rounds. opening mid december. 261 west 19th street. between seventh and eighth. 212.462.2244. www.socarratpaellabar.com		my way. donatella arpaia has reopened mia dona and this time she's focusing on family. family recipes, that is. arpaia herself went into the kitchen to train the staff on how to make the recipes she grew up with: puglian fare of octopus casserole, homemade orecchiette pasta with a sunday style ragu, winter green stew based on her aunt laura's recipe, and homemade gelato. along with the casual menu, expect a casual setting of warm brown banquettes, wooden tables and cloth-covered chairs. now open. 206 east 58th street. at third. 212.750.8170. www.miadona.com
holy mole. craving some home-style mexican fare? check out ofrenda, the new cozy cocina mexicana in greenwich village. café condesa (pictured) expats chef luis acre mota, manager enrique jardines, and sommelier jorge guzman  are the trifecta responsible for the place, which is rich in warm and earth tones accented with wood and copper touches. chef luis is readying a dinner menu of callitos a la plancha, pan seared scallops with sweet potato hash, and pollo en mole, grilled tuna with cilantro rice. opens december 2nd. 113 7th avenue south. at christopher. 212.924.2305.		whisk you away. father and son team peter and harry poulakakos (of harry's bar, harry's steakhouse and four financiers pastry shops fame) have a new bar in the works. vintry wine & whiskey is a small speakeasy-style wine bar featuring a small plates menu by chef joseph mallol to compliment the 350 plus wine list and international whiskey selection (even some from japan). a 23-foot african redwood carved bar protects the bottles that eventually make their way to rainforest marble-topped tables for pairing with lobster stuffed mushrooms and veal meatballs. opens december 2nd. 57 stone street. near william. 212.480.9800.