Headliner
Kindred
A more spacious offshoot of the quirky East Village wine bar Ruffian, this spot has opened on a limited basis pending some kitchen work. It is a homage to the Adriatic with stops in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia. For now, the menu, created by the chef and partner Josh Ochoa and the chef de cuisine Amy Mattulina, is brief, featuring mainly small plates of smoked olives, onion dip with flatbread, chicken meatballs with preserved lemon and assorted crostini. It will eventually include arancini, a radicchio salad and pastas like fried cheese ravioli. Cocktails and the full wine list, emphasizing natural wines, are available now. There are more orange wines — by the bottle and glass, and mostly from Italy — than at Ruffian. In addition to a bar, the space has a dining room with 30 seats, and accepts reservations. “That’s a first for us,” said Moshe Schulman, a partner. At the moment, it’s open Thursdays through Mondays.
342 East Sixth Street (First Avenue), no phone, kindred-nyc.com.
Opening
Lot 15
Chris Barish and Julie Mulligan, the owners of the Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer chain, have opened this elegant lounge aglow with moody lighting and anchored by a central bar. Food includes a towering turkey club, a kale Caesar salad, a Wagyu steak sandwich and a 10-ounce burger.
Kixby hotel, 45 West 35th Street, 646-943-5115, lot15.nyc.
Pretty Ricky’s
The former Spitzer’s Corner space has been recycled into a bar for beer lovers with 20 taps, and a menu that includes peanuts boiled in lager, miso-glazed carrots, roasted oysters and a porterhouse steak for two. It took six partners in the Paradise Hospitality group to put it all together.
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow Street), 646-429-3957, prettyrickys.com.
Bubby’s Tribeca
In time to start turning out pies for Thanksgiving, the original Bubby’s location, which closed in June, will reopen. The owner Ron Silver, who opened Bubby’s in 1990, now has a larger kitchen and an expanded bar. (Opens Saturday)
120 Hudson Street (North Moore Street), 212-219-0666, bubbys.com.
Sac’s Place
This Astoria pizzeria has moved after 30 years, into the space in Kaufman Astoria Studios that housed George’s restaurant (named for the real estate magnate George S. Kaufman). The menu goes beyond pizza to include typical Italian fare. A location in Jackson Heights remains open.
Kaufman Astoria Studios, 35-11 35th Avenue, Astoria, Queens, 718-204-5002, sacsplace.com.
Somtum Der
The Isan cuisine of northeastern Thailand received a showcase when Somtum Der opened in 2013 on the Lower East Side. The restaurant is now expanding its reach in New York to Red Hook, Brooklyn. (It already has branches in Tokyo; Bangkok; Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.) In addition to the menu it serves elsewhere, this location’s specialty is jaew hon, a communal hot pot served with a spicy dipping sauce. (Saturday)
380 Van Brunt Street (Dikeman Street), 347-227-7855, somtumdernewyork.com.
Chefs on the Move
Rocco DiSpirito
This celebrity chef, highly praised for his food at the Standard Grill since the beginning of this year, has left on what he said were good terms. He is planning other restaurant projects.
Closing
Peasant
When Frank De Carlo opened Peasant in NoLIta almost 20 years ago he was a pioneer, using wood-burning equipment for all his cooking. He’s closing the restaurant on Jan. 1. “Since we opened lots of chefs have picked up on what we did,” he said. “We’re no longer unique.” He isn’t certain of his next move, but said that his wife, Dulcinea Benson, would be involved.
