Scott Howard, consulting chef at Berkeley’s Five, is back on his former stomping ground of Marin County (home of his first restaurant, Fork, in San Anselmo) with the May debut of Brick & Bottle at 55 Tamal Vista Boulevard. Partners are Marin locals Blake Andros and Marc Sebastian, along with chef de cuisine Bob Simontacchi (who cooked with Howard at both Fork and Five). The former site of Izzy’s Steak & Chops has been transformed into a convivial family-friendly retreat seating 240 indoors and out. With salvaged woods, leather booths, and a copper bar, the interior riffs on rustic industrial trends. Outdoor guests enjoy a brick fire pit and views of Mt. Tamalpais. Apps ($6 to $12): Dungeness crab cakes with saffron aïoli, smoked bacon potato salad, and mâche; smoked Gouda orzo “mac & cheese” with tomato jam and chives. Mains ($12 to $26): wood-fired foraged mushroom pizza with spring onions and pecorino; Idaho trout with La Quercia ham, barbecue sauce, and apple/fennel salad. Desserts ($7): butterscotch pudding with peanut brittle and whipped cream; tableside do-it-yourself ice cream sundaes.
After falling in love at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Ned and Jodi Elliott cooked their way through Per Se in New York City and at The Nines hotel in Portland, Oregon, and finally settled in Austin to open a place of their own, Foreign & Domestic, Food & Drink (306 East 53rd Street), in May. The 40 seater goes for a simple aesthetic characterized by teals and grays, natural woods, an exposed kitchen, and communal outdoor seating. Ned handles the savory, and Jodi tackles the sweet, on their approachable (and sometimes risqué-laden) menu. Apps ($5 to $10): warm tender spinach with crispy pig’s ear, dewberries, garlic, and candied pecans; venison spare ribs with celery vinaigrette, Cabrales cheese panna cotta, celery leaves, and pequillo peppers. Mains ($13 to $20): corn ravioli with ricotta, tarragon, artichokes, and cob broth; flat iron steak with onion jam, shiitake mushrooms, grilled chicory, and balsamic vinegar. Desserts ($6): “the pig licker” (chocolate dipped praline bacon, bacon root beer, and pork rind churros); peach tart Tatin with basil snow cone and sweet cream.
Peter Karpinski and the Denver-based Sage Restaurant Group brought their hospitality know-how to the Detroit suburbs with the April opening of Toasted Oak Grill & Market at 27790 Novi Road. Evoking the easy feel of a rustic American brasserie, the 150 seat dining room has worn wide-planked wood flooring, plum purple upholstered seating, and a jazzy mirrored ceiling. The adjoining market, stocked with wines, specialty foods, and to-go deli items, has a retro “mom-and-pop” feel. Two culinary talents of the Detroit scene, executive chef Steven Grostick, recently of Table 5 and director of food and beverage operations for the entire property, and Theodore Oresky II, formerly of Detroit Fish Market restaurant, run the show daily. Working with a wood-burning grill and loads of local ingredients, Grostick’s menu is an updated view of Midwestern cuisine. Apps ($5 to $13): grilled house-made kielbasa with mustard and potato salad; beer and onion soup gratin. Mains ($16 to $28): barbecued Kurobuta ribs with crispy onions and Guinness/cherry/barbecue sauce; pan-fried lake perch with frites, lemon aïoli, and grilled lemon.
Latif Guler (also a partner at Masa 14) enlisted his father, Hasim Guler, chef/owner of a resort and restaurants in hometown Foca, Turkey, to transform Jack’s, a popular watering hole at 1527 17th Street NW, into Agora, a 170 seat convivial oasis serving Ottoman cuisine. Heading up the kitchen is Lebanese native Ghassan Jarrouj, formerly executive chef at Neyla and Taverna Kefi, two Mediterranean standard-bearers in the area. Malia Milstead, late of The Source by Wolfgang Puck, is general manager and wine director. Exposed brick walls, chunky wood ceilings, poured concrete flooring, and soft lighting create a textured space equally suited to couples or large groups. Seafood meze ($6 to $10): grilled octopus with parsley, capers, red onions, lemon juice, and vinegar; blue crab–stuffed falafel with tahini sauce. Fish & meat dishes ($7 to $15): charcoal-grilled Mediterranean branzino with grilled bread, arugula, and lemon; sautéed lamb/beef meatballs with sour cherry sauce. Desserts ($6): kadaif (a shredded phyllo dough convection) with orange blossom milk pudding, syrup, and pistachios; orange baklava with orange rind and marmalade.
After two years of anticipation and delays, the 200 seat Nuela (a combination of “nueva” and “Latina”) finally opened in June at 43 West 24th Street (previously Sapa). Chef/owner Adam Schop comes by way of Chicago’s De La Costa, and his menu is a modern take on the vibrant cuisines of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. A 50 seat high-energy seviche bar is the soul of the red-hued industrial space.
Apps ($5 to $18): salad of shaved hearts of palm, smoked dates, farofa (toasted manioc flour), and coconut vinaigrette; fluke seviche with preserved lemon yogurt, black olives, and fish chicharrones. Mains ($26 to $35): grilled hanger steak with yuca hash browns and chimichurri sauce; “arroz con pato” of confit duck thighs and gizzards, roasted foie gras, verde rice, and soft-cooked duck egg.
