Headliner
Rose Garden
A trellised sidewalk enclave, dense with vines and roses, joins the lush, tunneled garden entry at the NoMo SoHo, formerly the Mondrian hotel. But the roses are not real. Rather, they’re high-quality artificial ones, the better to keep their fresh look into October when the outdoor patio will remain open under heat lamps and with a translucent overhead covering. Seating 25 and owned by the Sapir Group, the restaurant is open from 4 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, welcoming those who might sip a cocktail and nibble small plates of food. It has its own menu, distinct from that of NoMo Kitchen in the hotel, but the same chef, Evan Bergman, who worked with the Charlie Palmer Group. Though brief, the menu voyages far and wide: burrata with heirloom tomatoes and melon, octopus carpaccio, eggplant nigiri with miso and a sesame-scallion dressing, duck wings with gochujang glaze and lamb kofte with harissa labneh. Most of the custom cocktails, offered in addition to classics, emphasize fruit.
NoMo SoHo, 9 Crosby Street (Howard Street), 646-218-6400, nomosoho.com.
Opening
Bee’s Knees Provisions
When Taj Singh, who came to New York from England to work in finance 10 years ago, decided it was time to pivot, he went into the restaurant business. In 2019, he took over the Castello Plan, a wine bar in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, named for a map drawn by Jacques Cortelyou in 1660. With that property flourishing, having survived the pandemic by selling groceries and prepared food, he acquired the Cobble Hill cheese shop that was Stinky Bklyn and turned it into a wine bar with a market selling cheese, charcuterie, condiments and the like in the front area. The wine bar seats 45, and there’s a backyard furnished with picnic tables for another 15. Served with wines and craft beers are cheese boards, fondue, raclette, panini, crostini and oysters. Bold graphics define the place. And Mr. Singh made the point that including a cheese shop in the mix was to honor Stinky, a much-loved local establishment.
215 Smith Street (Baltic Street), Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, 718-971-1197, beeskneesprovisions.com.
Congee Dim Sum House
From Peter Liang and his son, Ricky Liang, comes this new addition to the Congee Village collection. This time, you’ll find dozens of dim sum, like soup dumplings, chicken feet, siu mai, har gow, spring rolls and fried pork buns. Main courses include crowd-pleasers like Peking duck, sweet-and-sour pork, lo mein and prawns with lobster sauce, but there are also many offal dishes and others with sea cucumber, fish maw, frog legs, pigeon and goose webs plus a long list of porridges (congee). It’s a spacious restaurant on two floors with a mezzanine and some side rooms for karaoke.
207 Bowery (Rivington Street), 212-796-2886, congeenyc.com.
