NEW YORK
RYU Restaurant
46 Gansevoort St / Meatpacking District
Opened: April 23
"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" reality star Scott Disick opened his new Japanese-style cuisine in the Meatpacking District recently. This could make all you scripted-reality lovers jump with joy, or do quite the opposite if you're not in the NYC area--never the less, the Kardashian/Disick/Odom crew now have one more reason to romp around this precious city.
Bricola
Opened: Early April
370 West 51st St / Hell's Kitchen
We all know that wine bars are plentiful in Hell's Kitchen--but Bricola will stand out for a very small reason--it is one of the tiniest wine bars in the city. Offering delicious wines at a reasonable price and scrumptious appetizers including cheese and charcuterie. The space, though it is very tiny, holds its own and could be labeled as a hidden gem. Whoever said bigger is better hasn't had a Bricola experience yet.
Pounds & Ounces
Opened: April 25
160 Eighth Ave / Chelsea
This eclectic menu will make your mouth water with the words "peanut-butter-waffle sundae" or "caramelized banana bread"… seriously yum. But Pounds & Ounces has even more to offer than just salivating menu options, they also have an in-house D.J. and a huge 36-foot oil painting by Manny Castro, the same artist that painted Lady Gaga as Christ... we always like a good controversy.
SAN FRANCISCO
Nopalito 2
Opened: April 23
1224 Ninth Ave / Inner Sunset
Formerly Bistro 9's location is now taken over by the trendy and casual Nopalito, which is the second restaurant in its chain. Nopalito's serves the locally famous carnitas and is known for their fresh, organic and authentic Mexican food.
PHILADELPHIA
Rittenhouse Tavern
Opened: April 24
251 South 18th St
Serving seasonally inspired American food with a twist of french elegance, Rittenhouse Tavern is all about taking ordinary food and putting a spin on it, serving delicacies such as frog legs and roasted sweetbread salad. Once the spring weather really hits, there will be weekly "Firkin Fridays" in the beautiful outside garden while serving local beers and delicious appetizers.
LOS ANGELES
Mercado
Opens: May 1st
1416 Fourth St / Santa Monica
Third generation restaurateur Jesse Gomez, is the co-owner of the highly anticipated Mercado. The upscale restaurant will serve authentic Mexican food, and by authentic, we mean handmade tortillas, traditional family recipes and fresh ingredients bought from a local market. Mercado also offers 70 varieties of tequila alongside seventeen beers and house cocktails to set the mood!