The Hottest Openings In New Orleans, Honolulu And Beyond
6 exciting new restaurants around the country
It's going to be a delicious season. Check out the rest of our Spring Preview here.
There are some really exciting openings happening in smaller cities around the country (hello, barbecue, yakitori and more). Here are all the spots you'll want to put on your must-visit list this spring.
Senia, Honolulu: A chef's chef, Chris Kajioka left the well-regarded Vintage Cave to open this restaurant with UK chef Anthony Rush in Honolulu's Chinatown. The pair will serve two menus, a relaxed à la carte menu at lunch and dinner in the main dining room and a more inventive tasting menu at the chef's counter.
Salt & Char, Saratoga Springs, New York: Gray Kunz, who received praise for his cooking at Lespinasse, will open what he's calling a modern steakhouse in this Upstate New York town. There will be lots of beef options including Wagyu, along with sustainably sourced seafood and sides like polenta fries and creamed spinach with crumbled chiccarones. The restaurant is part of the Adelphi Hotel project, which should open about a year later.
Lewis Barbecue, Charleston: Pitmaster John Lewis, who helped run Austin 'cue destination Franklin Barbecue, is bringing Texas-style barbecue to Charleston (a bold move in the smoked-meat world) in May. He'll use smokers that he and his dad made to smoke brisket, Texas "hot guts" sausage links and pork shoulder. Expect lots of seating and, hopefully, a wait time shorter than the infamous one at Franklin.
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J.C. Holdway, Knoxville, Tennessee: After 10 years at the acclaimed Blackberry Farm, Joseph Lenn is opening a solo project this June named for his great uncle, who the chef says ate out every night. The menu will focus on foods from the Southeast, cooked over a wood fire.
Ponce City Market, Atlanta: The city's bustling food market will get several new tenants this spring including Ton Ton, a ramen, yakitori and sushi shop from Guy Wong; an Indian street food spot with lots of grilled kebabs from Meherwan Irani; and an outpost of New York's bar-meets-music venue City Winery. They'll join the already-long list of food options on tap at the market.
Josephine Estelle, New Orleans: Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, of Memphis's celebrated Hog & Hominy, opened this osteria on Monday at the brand-new Ace Hotel. They're serving pastas like agnolotti with sweetbreads and chanterelles, pasta-of-the-moment cacio e pepe, and in a nod to the South, tortellini with smoked brisket, collards and potlikker brodo.