Hotel Openings

🍴 Executive Chef Freddy Vargas opened Aitana in New York City's Virgin Hotels on Nov. 15. Aitana offers Latin-Mediterranean cuisine with views of the Empire State Building and features geometric chandeliers and a curated wine selection by sommelier Andrew McFetridge. Vargas, with Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican heritage, infuses his family recipes with fine dining experience, offering dishes like tostones with caviar and a 24 oz. dry-aged ribeye. Inspired by chef Emeril Lagasse, Vargas pursued a culinary career after a brief college stint. Aitana is Vargas’s ninth restaurant venture, reflecting his philosophy of elevating traditional dishes with modern techniques.

🍕 Miami welcomes international culinary influences with the opening of Momento by Ikaro, a Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant's outpost, in Downtown Miami mid-August. Chefs Carolina Sanchez from Ecuador and Iñaki Murua from Spain's Basque region unveiled their first U.S. establishment, merging their backgrounds. Momento spans 4,733 square feet, seating 80, and features a menu with seasonal ingredients, wood-fired branzino, and a bar with global wines. Ikaro Spain gained its Michelin star in 2018 while Michelin arrived in Florida in 2022.

🍝 Tom Goddard is launching Southern Soul this week inside Canteen, a food hall at Greenwich Peninsula. Southern Soul features low ‘n’ slow smoked meats, homemade buns, pickles, and sauces. The menu includes oak smoked pork belly rib, Applewood smoked chicken thigh, smoked and pulled beef brisket, and oak smoked beetroot, all served with fresh buns and homemade dipping sauces. Canteen, which opened in summer 2021, hosts six street food kitchens and is part of Greenwich Peninsula’s Design District.

🍽 Hera, a Greek restaurant with a 200-cover dining room and cocktail lounge, will open in Stratford Cross development opposite the new V&A Museum in Spring 2026. The menu includes mezze like anchovies, Kalamata olives, and dips such as taramasalata; categories like The Garden, The Farm, and The Sea with options like vegetable moussaka and grilled octopus. The wine list highlights Greek producers. Opening date: 21 November on Arber Way in Stratford.

🍴 Chefs Duncan Robertson and Kyu Jeong Jeon open contemporary Korean restaurant Dongnae in Bristol's Redland, succeeding their Bokman project. Dongnae features a £24 set lunch menu and £55 hanjungshik dinner option. Head chef Clarence Fung and front of house manager Rebecca Lewis join the team. Rooted in Jeong Jeon's Korean heritage, the menu includes dishes like Korean beef tartare and cold buckwheat noodles, supported by local suppliers like Rocketman Produce. Low-intervention wines by Vine Trail offered. Dongnae plans in-house fermentation for soy sauce and gochujang. Located at 5-7 Chandos Road, Bristol BS6 6PG.

🍴 Chef Michael White, known for Michelin-starred NYC restaurants, is opening Mika, his first standalone restaurant in Florida, Coral Gables, this December. Mika, located in Plaza Coral Gables, boasts an 8,195-square-foot interior plus a 600-square-foot private dining room. The menu features coastal Mediterranean cuisine, utilizing local seafood and produce, and offers White’s specialties like langoustine carpaccio. The wine selection includes a 1,700-bottle cellar. White, alongside partners Alex Pirez and Matt Safchik, aims to provide humble hospitality with exceptional food in a neighborhood setting.

🍞 Rachel's Kitchen, a healthy all-day café in Las Vegas, was created 18 years ago, preceding chains like Cava and Sweetgreen. Founded by Debbie Roxarzade, who started her career in Los Angeles, the brand now has nine units. Roxarzade opened the original 1,000-square-foot Rachel's Kitchen in 2006 in Summerlin, outside of Las Vegas. After a challenging start and recession delays, the first franchised location opened in 2010. Expansion continues with a recent grand opening in Frisco, Dallas-Fort Worth, aiming for at least five Dallas-area locations in the coming years. The company seeks franchisees committed to community work.

🍕 Milton’s, an Italian-American trattoria, opened on September 27 in Houston’s Rice Village, founded by Benjy Levit and Seth Siegel-Gardner. Located above Local Foods, the venue was previously Eau Tour, launched in spring 2023. The redesigned 2,000-square-foot space features a bar seating 11 and a dining room for 60 guests, with an enclosed patio for private dining. The menu highlights housemade pastas and a signature 100-layer lasagna. A revamp of the adjacent Lee’s Den bar is expected in winter, and a new project with Rice University involving The Brochstein Pavilion is set to debut in the fall.

🍳 Wild Eggs, established in Louisville in 2007 with 16 locations, acquires St. Louis-based Crazy Bowls & Wraps (founded in 1994 with 16 stores). A Wild Eggs site in Louisville, KY, will serve as a Crazy Bowls & Wraps virtual kitchen from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., leveraging third-party delivery for bowls, wraps, and salads. PG Growth Opportunities Fund bought Wild Eggs in early 2023, aiming for regional presence and nationwide expansion. The merger offers new franchising opportunities in eight states for both brands.

🍴 CH Projects opened Leila, a 4,800-square-foot restaurant in San Diego's North Park, on July 31. Designed to resemble Marrakesh markets, it features a bridge over pools, hanging lanterns, and a starry ceiling. Arsalun Tafazoli, CH Projects founder, inspired by his Middle Eastern travels, aims to showcase regional flavors and communal dining. Leila's menu includes shareable mezze, breads, salads, and proteins like steak and salmon kebabs. The beverage program highlights regional flavors, offering shared cocktails and a two-person drink menu. CH Projects is also developing Baby Grand, a new hotel opening in early 2025.