Headliner
Grand Salon
When it opened nearly four years ago, the Baccarat Hotel had a formal ground-floor restaurant, Chevalier. That room closed, but the hotel continued to serve food in its spacious silver-toned lounge, bedecked with opulent crystal chandeliers. Now, Grand Salon, and the adjacent Petit Salon, as the lounge areas are called, have more formal menus. And Gabriel Kreuther, the Alsatian-born chef behind the restaurant bearing his name on West 42nd Street, is running the kitchen. Small bites, like savory tartlets, croquettes, gougères and arancini dominate Mr. Kreuther’s menu, served from noon onward (and including a breakfast section). There are larger servings of pastry-wrapped pâté, pastas, a burger, grilled swordfish, steak au poivre and duck confit. Some of the chef’s signatures, like the tarte flambée, are served here and at his flagship restaurant. He has noted that not only is he now across the street from the Museum of Modern Art, where he was the chef at the Modern for many years, but that he also grew up not far from the Baccarat factory in Alsace. A detail that cannot be missed is the restaurant’s liberal use of Baccarat crystal glassware and serving pieces.
Baccarat Hotel, 28 West 53rd Street, 212-790-8867, baccarathotels.com/dining/grand-salon.
Opening
Russ & Daughters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
The spacious production area for the 105-year-old New York appetizing establishment has opened in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Near the entrance, behind a wall of glass, visitors can observe the bakery in action. The 18,000-square-foot space has an area for catered events, not yet open, and a retail counter that features Russ & Daughters’ typical smoked fish specialties, cheeses, pickles and prepared foods, like latkes, soups and chopped liver. Baked goods, including bagels, bialys, babka, knishes, rugelach and black-and-white cookies, are also available.
Building 77, Brooklyn Navy Yard, 141 Flushing Avenue (Vanderbilt Avenue), 212-475-4880 ext. 4, russanddaughters.com.
Gran Tivoli
The restaurateur Jason Scott and his chef and partner Robert Marchetti, both from Australia, are opening an Italian restaurant featuring coastal cuisine. Expect lots of seafood. Already opened is Peppi’s Cellar, a spacious underground drinking den reached through the wine cellar.
406 Broome Street (Lafayette Street), no phone, grantivoli.com.
Sonnyboy
The Australian owners of Banter, in Greenwich Village, are opening another all-day cafe with another partner, this time on the Lower East Side.
65 Rivington Street (Allen Street), no phone, sonnyboynyc.com.
Elysian Fields Café
This large Greek-Mediterranean restaurant has a casual but full-service dining room on the ground floor. On the lower level is the Apollo Room, a wine bar that features jazz on the weekends.
1207 Amsterdam Avenue (119th Street), 212-837-1389, elysianfieldscafe.com.
Barolo East
There are brick walls, white tablecloths and wines on display at this traditional Northern Italian restaurant, which serves dishes like linguine with white clams and chicken scarpariello. Singularly distinctive are the gnocchi, made with semolina in the Roman style, rather than potatoes. It may be a while before its garden tables are in demand.
214 East 49th Street (Third Avenue), 212-754-5710, baroloeast.com.
Looking Ahead
The Zodiac Room
This will be the fine-dining restaurant in the Neiman Marcus store in Hudson Yards, opening March 15. It will be on the top floor of the store, in the complex’s Shops at Hudson Yard. On the floor below will be Bar Stanley, named for Stanley Marcus, who for decades ran the company co-founded by his father, Herbert Marcus. On the fifth floor of the building will be Cook & Merchants, with a coffee bar, prepared food to take away, a fancy food department and a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes. Alex Pilas, who worked at Eataly, will be the chef in charge of these components, reporting to Jessica Oost, the company’s corporate chef.
Neiman Marcus, Hudson Yards.
Closings and Moves
Henry’s End
The building where this Brooklyn Heights pioneer has spent the past 46 years is being renovated, so the restaurant will pack up its pots and pans on March 31 and move a block away. Its new space, which housed Sociale, will be ready around April 15. Sociale will close Feb. 26, and reopen at 320 Court Street (Sackett Street) in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, by the end of April. There, it will add morning hours for breakfast, free Wi-Fi and grab-and-go options.
72 Henry Street (Orange Street), Brooklyn Heights, 718-834-1776, henrysend.com.
Chefs on the Move
Manuel González Charles
The former chef de cuisine at Society Cafe in the Greenwich Village, Mr. González has been promoted to executive chef.
