Charleston, South Carolina In September, managing partner Steve Palmer and executive chef/partner Jeremiah Bacon of The Indigo Road (the hospitality group that owns Oak Steakhouse and O-Ku) unveiled The Macintosh at 479 King Street (downstairs from Indigo Road’s The Cocktail Club). Bacon, who continues to oversee all kitchen operations at Oak Steakhouse, recruited his right-hand man at Oak, Joseph Jacobson, to be The Macintosh’s executive chef de cuisine. The dining room—a mix of galvanized metal, woods, and earth tones—accommodates 70 guests at leather banquets and large communal tables. Apps ($11 to $14): sweet-and-sour pork belly soup with kimchi, mushrooms, bok choy, and rice grits; braised rabbit with slow-roasted tomatoes and ricotta salata. Mains ($19 to $28): grilled deckle with potato/vegetable hash, mushrooms, and mostarda; pan-seared triggerfish with fingerling potato confit, clams, and arugula pudding sauce. Desserts ($6 to $8): miso/butterscotch pot de crème; Burden Creek goat’s milk cheesecake with ginger snaps.
New York City Chef Gastón Acurio, who owns 33 restaurants in 12 countries worldwide, introduced New Yorkers to his haute Peruvian fare with the September opening of a Big Apple outpost of his acclaimed La Mar Cebicheria Peruana at 11 Madison Avenue. Housed in the former Tabla space, the bi-level 190 seat restaurant balances modern design with unique installations that evoke Peru; colorful Peruvian corn kernels are used in both a wall mural and a chandelier. Helming the kitchen is Victoriano López, Acurio’s trusted right-hand man of the past 17 years. General manager is N.A. Nadir, who held the same title at Japonais in New York City and Las Vegas. Apps ($12 to $19): seviche of salmon, shrimp, and octopus with green leche de tigre (a citrus-based marinade) and crispy calamari; Peruvian soup with warm-water shrimp, choclo (Peruvian corn), fava beans, quail egg, yellow potatoes, and squash. Mains ($19 to $32): lamb shoulder and chop in a cilantro/squash sauce with baby carrots, stewed canary beans, and radish salad; halibut, Manila clams, yuca, and kabocha squash cooked in a broth of ajíes chiles and chicha (a corn-based fermented beverage). Desserts ($9 to $10): guava/quinoa pudding with hazelnut ice cream; mandarin orange confit with frozen yogurt, marinated strawberries, and crème brûlée foam.
Washington, D.C. October brought two new ventures for David Wizenberg, Gus DiMillo, and chef Jeff Tunks, the trinity behind Passion Food Hospitality (Acadiana, Ceiba, and more), with the opening of District Commons and its more casual Burger, Tap & Shake at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The 170 seat District Commons is an American tavern for the 21st century, with seasonal and chef-driven takes on the classic Americana plate served in a high-energy setting, animated by a raw bar, open kitchen, and wood-burning pizza oven. Executive chef Tunks is joined in the kitchen by chef de cuisine Alfredo Solis and pastry chef Chris Hutcherson, both longstanding members of the Passion Food Hospitality family. Apps ($9 to $11): arugula salad with pimento cheese fritters, green tomato chutney, and chicken cracklings; crispy flatbread of Tennessee country prosciutto, figs, buttermilk blue cheese, and Port syrup. Mains ($13 to $24): low- and slow-roasted duck with sorghum/chile glaze and wild rice/sweet potato hash; seared scallops with creamed leeks and bacon.
Roswell, Georgia The opening in August of Table & Main, a Southern tavern tucked into an early 1900s single family house at 1028 Canton Street, marks a homecoming for owner/operator Ryan Pernice, who was born and raised in Roswell and has returned after learning the restaurant industry ropes in New York City, most recently at Maialino. Executive chef Ted Lahey, originally from Athens, is also a veteran of the New York City dining scene, having cooked at Fiamma Osteria and more recently at Atlanta’s acclaimed Pricci. The house’s redesign has retained its original character whenever possible, using wainscoting unearthed during renovations and creating a bar, mantle, and dining room tables from woods found on-site. Table & Main seats 58 inside and 24 outside on a porch and patio. Much like the interior, the menu is down-home and Southern. Apps ($7 to $14): she-crab soup with Sherry and chile oil; hush puppies with yellow sweet corn, chives, and spicy mayonnaise. Mains ($13 to $33): country fried biscuit breaded veal chop with tomatoes, arugula, and pickled onions; grilled whole trout with cauliflower, potatoes, and watercress salad.
South Beach, Florida October marks the debut of the 200 seat Yardbird Southern Table & Bar (1600 Lenox Avenue), a joint venture between restaurateur John Kunkel (owner of the Florida chainlet Lime Fresh Mexican Grill), Jeff McInnis (Top Chef contestant and recently executive chef at Gigi), and marketing whiz Chris Romero (Southern Brand Collective). Walls painted an antique white and an artful hodgepodge of seating that includes vintage stools and antique tracktor seats achieve a kicked-back, Southern mood. McInnis updates traditional Southern dishes with impeccable sourcing and modern techniques. Apps ($6 to $13): country ham with grilled peaches and fresh arugula; fried green zebra tomato BLT with pork belly and Tabasco pepper sauce glaze. Mains ($17 to $26): apricot stuffed quail with Johnny cakes, seared foie gras, and Riesling syrup; chicken and chive waffles with Bourbon pecan butter and fresh local fruit.
Edited by Juliet Glass. Send news to julietglass@gmail.com.
