Headliner
Ernesto’s
At 21, Ryan Bartlow took off for Spain, most specifically for San Sebastián in the Basque region. The chef worked at some good restaurants in his hometown, Chicago, after culinary school, and then got himself a two-year stint at Akelarre, a restaurant with three Michelin stars overlooking San Sebastián, where he fell in love with the local food. Now 37, he is translating his passion for Basque food into a restaurant, named in homage to Hemingway, another Midwesterner devoted to Spain. After he left Spain, Mr. Bartlow returned to Chicago, worked at Alinea and then came to New York, where he held a number of jobs over the years, most recently at Frenchette and Quality Eats. He describes the food at Ernesto’s as a hybrid influenced by Spain, Paris and Frenchette. Still, it’s richly infused with Basque flavors and ingredients, like morcilla en croute, fried hake with roasted peppers, salt cod in a Basque pepper sauce, and rice with rabbit and snails. “I’m not Basque, but I studied there and have roots there,” he said. “I feel as though San Sebastián is my home base.” Pintxos, Basque-style tapas bites, accompany drinks. The space, with windows on two sides, brick walls on the other, is dominated by a long bar. Adjacent to it on a side street, will be a cafe, opening in a week or so, for breakfast, pastries, sandwiches and, in the evening, pintxos from the open kitchen. (Opens Jan. 8)
259 East Broadway (Montgomery Street), 646-692-8300, ernestosnyc.com.
Opening
Calle Ocho
This is not the first time that Calle Ocho, a pan-Latin Upper West Side mainstay for lively weekend brunches, has relocated. It originally opened in 1998 at 446 Columbus Avenue (81st Street) and moved around the corner, to 45 West 81st Street, eight years ago. That location closed this year after a rent increase. Now, it will reopen uptown, on Broadway near 106th Street. This time, it will have garden seating, but the menu, which sprawls from Mexico (guacamole) to Cuba (ropa vieja) and beyond, with stops in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and even Spain (seafood paella), remains pretty much the same in the hands of the executive chef, Giovanni Ventura. (Friday)
2756 Broadway (106th Street), 212-873-5025, calleochonyc.com.
Norikoh
This second, larger and more elegant location for this restaurant, which emphasizes Japanese fare but also touches down elsewhere in Asia, is the work of Kristina Pan, who worked her way up through the Haru restaurant chain. There doesn’t seem to be an Asian dish that chef, Natividad Luna, cannot handle. The menu lists sushi and sushi rolls, dumplings, spring rolls, noodles that include ramen, udon and soba, as well as pad Thai, tempura, teriyaki, yakitori, bibimbap, Massaman curry, Korean crispy chicken wings — did she miss anything?
43 West 24th Street, 646-230-8191, norikoh.com.
Armin and Judy
Under construction since last winter, this roadside restaurant has finally opened. Armin and Judy Bellova, for whom this spot is named, have owned New York restaurants and are working on this project in partnership with Susan and Louis Meisel, real estate developers and occasional restaurant backers in New York and the Hamptons. The menu is simple and focused on local ingredients, with raw-bar seafood, fish and chickens from the region, and Peconic snails. Roasted vegetables, a couple of pastas, burgers and salad round it out. A bakery turning out breads and croissants, some sold retail during the day, occupies the lower level. Soon, breakfast, lunch and brunch will be available. There are two dining areas, one with the bar, and both done simply in white with pale wood, some marble touches and art from the Louis K. Meisel Gallery on the walls.
1970 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton, N.Y., 631-296-8484, arminandjudy.com.
Looking Ahead
Demarchelier Restaurant
The Upper East Side French bistro, in business for more than 40 years, has closed. The restaurant plans to reopen in the spring on the North Fork of Long Island.
471 Main Street (Center Street), Greenport, N.Y.
Closed
Hwaban
After only a little more than a year, this well-regarded Korean restaurant, which took liberties with tradition, has closed.
Le Colonial
After 26 years, Jean Denoyer has closed his romantic Vietnamese restaurant in Midtown East. He said the buses that line up outside made it impossible for customers to reach the restaurant.
Candle 79
This vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side is closing on Tuesday. The building was sold and is coming down.
