Headliner
Haizea
What does it take to open a restaurant in the midst of a pandemic? Mikel de Luis, the chef and the owner of a tiny, contemporary Basque-style spot whose opening was postponed by two months, will now test the waters, going takeout-only. “It’s been frustrating not to open,” he said, adding, “It’s time to try; people want something new.” Most of his dishes were to be small plates, but for his takeout menu, he is serving some larger dishes like roast suckling pig, duck and mushroom fideos (thin noodles), fisherman’s rice with chicken and seafood, and a substantial sandwich of Iberico ham with Roncal cheese. A mentee of Martin Berasategui, for whom he cooked at the Ritz-Carlton in the Canary Islands, Mr. De Luis is a native of Bilbao, in the Basque region of Spain. (The restaurant’s name means “wave” in Basque.) He has worked in Barcelona; Homer, Alaska; and, more recently, at Nana in Dallas, with the chef Anthony Bombaci. When it can fully open, Haizea will seat only around 10 instead of about 20 to facilitate social distancing. (Opens Wednesday)
142 Sullivan Street (Houston Street), 646-476-2261, haizeanyc.com.
Opening
Ras Plant Based
The chef Romeo Regalli and his wife, Milka, are offering a vegan excursion into the cuisine of Ethiopia, where they were both born. At this new spot, their take on Ethiopian food includes some invention, like using mock “meat” to make kebabs, and preparing an interpretation of ramen with forbidden rice noodles and tempeh rubbed with a paste of berbere, the Ethiopian spice mixture. Platters with the spongy flatbread injera include an array of dips and spreads. They’re open for both takeout and delivery. The Regallis’ family owns Awash, the Ethiopian restaurants in the East Village and in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The couple also runs the Brooklyn branch.
739 Franklin Avenue (Sterling Place), Crown Heights, Brooklyn, 718-622-6220, rasplantbased.com.
Pizza Collective
Rectangular Roman-style pizzas are what’s on offer at this bright new Upper West Side spot. In a 14-foot, glass-enclosed counter, there are as many as 15 varieties on display. The crusts are light but crisp, with traditional recipes like margherita and more inventive concepts, like mozzarella with balsamic glaze, and another with a thatch of shredded zucchini on top. A rosticceria menu of prepared dishes, like mushroom lasagna, other baked pastas and sandwiches, is also served. The restaurant was originally planned to open March 30, but Riccardo Furlanetto, one of the partners, said that, for now, they’re doing the best they can. Eventually, there will be 25 seats, but, in the meantime, up to four people can enter at a time for takeout. Delivery is also available. The chef and another partner is Gabriele Voci, formerly of Sola Pasta Bar in SoHo.
2060 Broadway (71st Street), 646-693-0949, pizza-collective.com.
Shinn East
Omakase to take away is the work of Mike Lian, who was the sushi chef at Sushi by Bou in the former Versace Mansion in Miami Beach. He’s a mere 23, but has been rolling rice and slicing fish in New York and Florida for the past seven years. For now, the 12-piece omakase is $45 to go; a more luxurious assortment, including caviar, is $65; and eel or tuna on rice is $30. Nigiri are $5 to $20 a piece. When it opens formally, there will be a mere eight seats. Linda Wang, who is an owner of Ume in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is a partner, along with Mr. Lian.
119 East Seventh Street (Avenue A), 347-567-4915, shinneast.com.
Pineapple Club
It’s tiki time in the East Village with the opening (two months late) of this source for tropical drinks to take away or have delivered. Some, like the Flight Milk with rum, pineapple juice, amaro and Campari, and the Avocado Swizzle with a gin base, are sold in large formats. There’s limited food, including a burger and fried jerk chicken. Soon, a cocktail cart will be stationed in front, and eventually, the richly atmospheric lounge will be open to customers. (Wednesday)
509 East Sixth Street (Avenue A), 212-697-8600, pineappleclub.com.
Aura Cocina
Cuba meets Asia here. Ham croquettes with Sriracha, guacamole with won ton chips, pineapple shrimp fried rice, and tempura cod with yuca fries give you some idea of the menu. There are also a number of straightforward Cuban specialties like ropa vieja and short rib empanadas. Eventually, there will be live music in the evening.
315 Meserole Street (Bogart Street), East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 929-489-3776, auracocina.com.
Bel-Fries
Belgian frites with assorted toppings are now takeout-only at this new Lower East Side storefront. There are assorted sauces like coconut curry and yuzu aioli, and toppings include pickles and onions.
132 Ludlow Street (Rivington Street), 646-370-3668, bel-fries.com.
Segreta Cucina Italiana
Spiro Menegatos has pivoted one of the kitchens in his Midtown Greek restaurant Nerai to prepare food for takeout and delivery. Moshe Grundman, the chef of Nerai, will keep things familiar with dinner specialties like clams oreganata, penne alla vodka, chicken parmigiana, cannoli and cheesecake.
55 East 54th Street, 212-759-5556, segretanyc.com.
Looking Ahead
Iris Café and Town Market
Radi Hamdan, who closed Iris Café in Brooklyn Heights in 2018, has made plans to reopen it in a nearby waterfront condominium. In the same building, he will also open Town Market, a grocery that will sell prepared food, have a bar and a lunch counter.
One Brooklyn Bridge Park, 360 Furman Street (Joralemon Street), Brooklyn Heights.
Chefs on the Move
Rocco DiSpirito
The celebrity chef will be lending his expertise to create an item for the menus of Just Salad, a national fast-casual chain specializing in wraps, salads and bowls. The proceeds from his dish will be donated to a charity of his choosing. The Spanish chain Boqueria, which will also be collaborating on an item, will be doing the same thing. Just Salad is also starting Just Grocery, for online ordering and the delivery of pantry staples and meal kits; and Just Salad in New York will send 10,000 meals a week to Mt. Sinai workers.
Suyoung Park
Jungsik in TriBeCa has named Ms. Park as its new head chef. She was a sous chef at the restaurant’s Seoul, South Korea, home base, and has worked at Atoboy in Manhattan. The restaurant plans to offer food to go starting next month. She rounds out a team of women, with Eunji Lee as pastry chef, Catherine DiGennaro as sommelier and Jacqueline Chung as manager.
