August 4, 2015 | Food & Drink
Which chef did Macchina hire to spearhead their Upper West Side locale, and what's on the brunch menu at Greenwich Village bar Dante? That and more in this week’s dining news….
Macchina, the Manhattan debut for owners Daddo Bogich and Sean Rawlinson, is now open and ready to meet New York’s insatiable appetite for Italian restaurants. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill red sauce joint on the Upper West Side, though. They’ve hired chef Chris Lim to head the kitchen, which focuses on cooking with wood-fired ovens for a menu divided into sections such as shared plates, salads, pastas, and pizzas (red and white sauces). Italian wines also complement the menu at this rock 'n' roll-meets-modern space. 2758 Broadway, 212-203-9954
Fans of executive chef Masato Shimizu rushed to 15 East when news broke that he was moving out of New York. Now Shimizu and chef/owner Marco Moreira have tapped chef Noriyuki Takahashi to lead the restaurant’s popular sushi program. Takahashi spent time training with Shimizu and plans to introduce some of his own dishes in the fall. 15 E. 15th St., 212-647-0015
As obsessed as we are with fried chicken and bacon, there’s a big demand for animal-free diets. Enter by CHLOE. This all-vegan fast-casual restaurant by Chloe Coscarelli offers everything from soups and salads to burgers and cold-pressed juices. The recipes, whether they’re for kale Caesar or pesto meatballs, are not developed by a chef who’s simply going after the non-meat eating clientele (or looking to cater to a Meatless Monday devotee), but rather by someone who’s been a lifelong vegetarian and a vegan herself the past decade. Coscarelli is known for her desserts, so be sure to order something sweet. 185 Bleecker St., 212-290-8000
If cold treats are on your mind and you’re stuck in New York on a Sunday afternoon, hit up the Refinery Rooftop, which is offering ice cream sundaes on, yes, Sundays throughout August. Located atop the Refinery Hotel, you’ll find a bar set up with ice cream sandwiches featuring ingredients from OddFellows Ice Cream Co., Ovenly, Insomnia Cookies, and Schmackary’s, so you can customize your treat however you like. 63 W. 38th St., 646-664-0372
The iconic Caffe Dante reopened as a cute aperitivo bar earlier this spring after 100 years in the same Greenwich Village location. The café’s chef Noriyuki Sugie is now cooking a brunch menu full of classics with some Italian touches. You can order Italian-American dishes like poached eggs with broccolini, asaparagus, tomato, chorizo dressing, and rustic toast, or a more modern egg bowl filled with quinoa, asparagus, shishito peppers, and watercress. Brunch is slated to be served on weekends between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 79-81 MacDougal St., 212-982-5275
Fans of pisco, a brandy-like liquor from Peru, can indulge in BarSol Pisco cocktails during a special four-course dinner ($80 per person) cooked by chef Carlos Barroz at La Pulperia in Hell’s Kitchen on August 11 at 7 p.m. Mixologist Luis Villanueva will concoct drinks for all the dishes, which are also made with pisco. 371 W. 46th St., 212-960-3176
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MACCHINA
