This Week's White-Hot Restaurant Openings

The 11 hottest restaurant openings this week

New York City

Mimi's Hummus: For several years, Mimi's has been churning out some of the best hummus in town. Now the owners are operating a location in the East Village, saving many hummus seekers loads of time on the train. Don't skip over the shakshuka—it's just as delicious as the spot's signature dish.

Los Angeles

Pok Pok LA: Thai food evangelist Andy Ricker is making good on his promise to bring his flagship restaurant to L.A. The restaurant will likely be busy for a while, but Ricker's instated reservations here, so lines can be avoided. And, yes, the beloved sticky fish-sauce-bathed wings are available.

Viviane: Chef Michael Hung's new California casual spot feels like an extension of the retro-chic Avalon Hotel where it lives. Enjoy hand-ground steak tartare or shellfish boudin blanc but save room for a 50s-style dessert like Baked Alaska or a persimmon-studded ambrosia.

Maru: After a summer filled with pop-up fried chicken dinners, Jason Park's new Santa Monica venture is now permanently open. If the inspired French Japanese cuisine, like seared scallops and prosciutto-walnut salad, doesn't lure guests in, the smell of freshly baked croissants surely will.

Little Sister: The Manhattan Beach East-meets-West favorite has its very own sibling now that chef Tin Vuong has opened a second location in Downtown L.A. Unlike its older sister, the new outpost will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with everything from congee to Vietnamese roasted chicken.

Trois Familia: The Trois Mec fellows (Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo) are joining the fight for better breakfast options with their newcomer, Trois Familia, a Mexican French egg spot. The team took over the Alegria space and turned it around pretty quickly, so it looks familiar—plus, there's a psychedelic sign outside.

San Francisco

Whitechapel: The team calls their bar "a celebration of the wonder of gin," and after flipping through the 19-page drink menu, you'll see they're not lying. Many of the innovative (and cleverly named) cocktails feature a custom-recipe gin, and there are gin flights, as well as five G&T options. The classic pub food menu, not to mention the whole atmosphere, leans old London with dishes like Dutch rarebit and Spotted Richard.

D.C.

Momofuku and Milk Bar: Pork buns, compost cookies and bo ssäm invaded the nation's capital this week. David Chang and Christina Tosi's places are legendary for their in-your-face flavors and lines. Brace for both.

Ray's Hell Burger: Arlington's beloved burger spot is finally flipping burgers in the city. Expect the same options, like The Funky President and Soul Burger Number One. The seating space is pretty bare bones, but that's really beside the point—it's all about the burgers here. Oh, and some new chicken sandwiches, too.

Miami

Driftwood Room: Food Network star and NYC chef Alex Guarnaschelli opened this spot in the new Nautalis Hotel on South Beach. Enjoy her Florida-bent Mediterranean food on the 1,950-square-foot outdoor terrace.

Houston

Foreign Correspondents: Houston, we have Thai food. Chef PJ Stoops brings farm-to-table Northern Thai cuisine (specifically from the Isaan and Lanna regions) to Houston Heights. Brightly colored dishes and decor match the bold flavors in dishes like khao soi and Chiang Mai pork curry. There's even a children's menu, featuring dishes that are approved by Stoops's own kids.