Restaurants we’re dying to try: Summer openings heat up

Dez

E2 Hospitality

New York City

May 2018

For her first restaurant, celebrity chef Eden Grinshpan, former host of Cooking Channel’s “Eden Eats” and a “Chopped Canada” judge, has teamed up with Samantha Wasser, known for her Instagram-ready By Chloe and The Sosta hotspots, also in New York City. Dez will put a modern spin on Middle Eastern cuisine, with a menu featuring salads, pita sandwiches, grain bowls, tagine and shakshuka. The whimsical space, located in the Big Apple’s trendy Nolita neighborhood and designed by Wasser, will feature picture-perfect interiors with bright pops of yellow, pink and green.

Asbury Lanes

Asbury Park, N.J.

May 2018 (Memorial Day Weekend)

Originally opened in the 1960s, no expense was spared in the restoration of New Jersey’s iconic Asbury Lanes bowling alley. Real estate investment company iStar opened The Asbury Hotel and included in its multi-billion-dollar redevelopment plans the renovation of the adjoining Asbury Lanes. Along with a new state-of-the-art bowling alley and music venue, Asbury Lanes will feature a 24/7 classic diner with cheeseburgers, boozy milkshakes and cast-iron skillet cinnamon buns.

Kumiko

Sammy Faze Photography

Chicago

Late summer 2018

Partners Julia Momose and Noah and Cara Sandoval, the triple-threat team behind two-Michelin-starred Oriole, also in Chicago, will open Kumiko, a cocktail bar with an omakase-style tasting menu in the Windy City’s West Loop this summer. The drink menu will include 11 to 15 cocktails alongside spirit-free options, while the tasting menu will blend Momose’s and Noah Sandoval’s mixology and culinary creativity.

Etta

Jon Cole Photography

Chicago

Summer 2018

A wood-fired hearth will be the focal point at Etta, the forthcoming rustic eatery from Danny Grant (executive chef and partner at Chicago’s Maple & Ash), slated to open this summer in the city’s Bucktown neighborhood. Grant will focus on local and seasonal ingredients for menu items such as wood-fired pizzas, housemade pastas, and a serious salad program. The two-story space will also offer rooftop dining on the second floor, takeaway service via a pickup window, and an extensive wine list for enjoyment on site or to go.

Yellowbelly

Andrew Trinh Photography

St. Louis

Late summer/early fall 2018

Seeking to define the first modern cocktail bar in St. Louis, Travis Howard and Tim Wiggins of Retreat Gastropub are opening Yellowbelly, a sea and spirits concept with a focus on rum, wines by the glass, craft beer, classic cocktails and seafood in late summer or early fall. Designed with a California coastal feel, Yellowbelly is decidedly not a tiki bar, but bar manager and partner Wiggins will focus the drinks menu on fun, rum-based beverages, something that’s new to St. Louis.