Headliner
Beefbar
It took Riccardo Giraudi, the Monte Carlo native with a global empire of Beefbars and other brands, 20 years to finally open a restaurant in New York. The TriBeCa space that had housed the original Nobu is now fitted with plush upholstery and 90 seats, an open kitchen and a separate bar area in the former Nobu Next Door. Mr. Giraudi, whose family has been in the wholesale meat business in Monaco since 1968 and whose restaurants in Europe showcase American beef with great success, is in partnership in the United States with Tribeca Hospitality Group, for which this is their first venture. “If this works we have a huge opportunity in the United States,” said Aqib Rahman, who owns the group with other family members. Like many newly minted steakhouses, the owners insist this is “not a traditional steakhouse.” But just like the others there’s an emphasis on seafood. Other choices include items like a Black Angus kathi roll, Kobe beef gyozas, tuna rib-eye with shiso chimichurri, and Korean-style skirt steak. “There’s no sense in just bringing American steaks back to New York,” Mr. Giraudi said. Traditional cuts of Wagyu and Black Angus are served. The executive chef is Peter Jin. (Opens April 4)
105 Hudson Street (Franklin Street), 646-663-6050, beefbar.com.
Openings
Penny
They do it for sushi, so why not seafood? At the new upstairs spot directly above their restaurant Claud in the East Village, Joshua Pinsky and Chase Sinzer provide bar and counter seating for seafood that’s displayed directly behind the white marble food counter in a bright, narrow room. In addition to freshly shucked oysters and other raw bar items, the menu includes lobster served with brown butter, beggar’s purses, cod with clams, and an oyster pan roast under pastry. A wine list starts at $12 for a glass of white. The restaurant is open only Monday through Friday evenings.
90 East 10th Street, penny-nyc.com.
Frena
With Stephen Vaknin a co-owner, the former Taboon space has not lost its Middle Eastern approach; the chef and a partner, Efi Naon is the same. Its predecessor was named for the taboon oven, and now it’s named for the Moroccan bread baked in one, also called a frena, usually on hot stones. The dining room and bar are bright and airy. The menu calls on Morocco and Israel with typical dips for the bread, Moroccan “cigar” filled pastries, bourekas, merguez with gigante beans, latke-crusted sea bass, crab shawarma toast, and lamb in a clay pot. The wine list includes a syrah from Morocco and a cabernet sauvignon from Israel. (Wednesday)
773 Tenth Avenue (52nd Street), 646-503-1464, frena.nyc.
Marie’s
Miguel Trinidad, the chef best known for his food at the Filipino restaurants Maharlika and Jeepney, has joined forces with the restaurateur Brandon Boccellari to interpret Italy. The menu includes focaccia with Calabrian chile butter, veal carpaccio, porchetta, skate piccata, 100-layer eggplant, four pasta cuts served with a choice of sauces, and duck ropa vieja suggesting the Caribbean. The dining room is done in a contemporary style with a long bar and a copper ceiling. (Friday)
195 Wyckoff Avenue (Harman Street), Bushwick, Brooklyn, 718-316-6227, mariesnyc.com.
