Best New Restaurants Spring 2018

You've done a good job with that New Year's resolution to cook more in 2018.  But it's time to put the Instant Pot experiments on hold for a second, because there's a whole crop of new restaurants springing up across the country, bringing everything famed fried chicken to Atlanta, highly anticipated Israeli cuisine to Denver and much more.

Loro

Two powerhouse restaurateurs—Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Tyson Cole of Uchi and Uchiko—are joining forces to open this highly anticipated Asian smokehouse and bar focused on grilled and smoked meats, plus draft cocktails and beer crafted in wooden foeders. Those who were lucky enough to get an invite to an event during SXSW got a sneak peek of the Michael Hsu designed space, which features an airy, sunlit design and a spacious deck shaded by 100-year-old oak trees. Everyone else will just need to wait a few more weeks for the official opening to see what this culinary duo has in store for South Austin.

Sour Duck Market

The team behind farm-to-trailer-turned-restaurant Odd Duck and its more upscale tasting menu-focused restaurant, Barley Swine, are on the verge of making their third move, a more casual all-day café, on Austin's flourishing east side. Chefs Bryce Gilmore and Mark Buley have been testing recipes and previewing them in a series of bake sales at Odd Duck (think lamb sloppy joe kolaches, chicken-skin maple cookies and bread made from local breweries' spent grains). Sour Duck's goal is to open an inclusive community restaurant serving the same high-quality food made with ingredients from local farmers and ranchers but at an even more accessible price point. Expect burgers, sandwiches, salads and tacos served on paperware, plus an extensive bakery program (led by Ashley Whitmore, formerly of Ten Belles Bread and Au Passage in Paris), retail marketplace, full bar and ample outdoor seating.

Octavio Cantina & Kitchen

The team behind Lady Gregory's and Wilde is at it again with this Andersonville opening, which will feature rustic, regional Mexican cuisine from chef Daniel Munoz. A dedication to local ingredients and bold flavors shows up in plates like the cochinita pibil, with slow-roasted pork, refried black beans and charred habanero, while tacos are served with chiles and potatoes and a medley of Baja fish varieties. Don't miss the cocktails, including the mescal old-fashioned with Lapsang souchong tea and sweet grass smoke. 

Union Full Board and Tinker to Evers

For pizza, small plates and libations under one roof, it's all about the Wheelhouse Hotel, a five-story property opening in Wrigleyville this spring. Fans of Union Pizza in Evanston can now get a taste of the team's Detroit-inspired slices, in addition to surefire small plates like bruschetta, meatballs and salad. Cap it all off with a drink downstairs at Tinker to Evers, a tucked-away speakeasy lounge featuring an elevated portfolio of cocktails and local craft spirits.

Circo

Despite the unexpected closure of their original New York location just last year, the Maccioni family is still moving forward with the Dallas outpost of their French Italian restaurant. There won't be any shortage of glitz and glamour either: Free glasses of Champagne will be handed out inside the women's restroom, while guests in the entrance can look up at the rooftop deck's glass-bottomed pool.  

Wilda's

Named after founder Lucy Peters's great-grandmother, Wilda's is an all-day hangout that will serve everyday comfort food, like salads, sandwiches and soups, at affordable prices.

Folk

Heading to Corktown is a new community hangout from Kiki Louya and Rohani Foulkes, the duo behind The Farmer's Hand. The intimate, 24-seat spot will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a casual menu of dishes including grain bowls, salads, pastries and ice cream from Reilly Craft Creamery.

Honey

While he has a few other projects in the pipeline, including a comfort food bistro and a fast-casual rotisserie, Detroit-born chef Max Hardy's true flagship will be Honey, a 120-seat, Afro-Caribbean restaurant that he hopes will become the face of Motor City's dining scene.

Somni

Billed by José Andrés and Think Food Group director Aitor Zabala as more of a multi-sensory culinary experience versus normal dining room, Somni invites guests into a 10-seat exhibition kitchen, where there as many chefs as there are place settings. Throughout the 20-course meal, diners are encouraged to interact with the cooks as they plate each dish.

Milk Bar

What used to be a Baskin-Robbins and an old Laundromat will become the largest location of Christina Tosi's neon-lit bakery—brimming with the sugary confections she's become so well known for, like birthday cake cookies, cereal milk soft-serve and Crack Pie.

Tartine Manufactory

The San Francisco bakery and marketplace Southern Californians have long been envious of is bringing its famed pastries and breads to the Row in Downtown L.A. The massive space will also include a coffee-roasting facility and, more excitedly, a number of restaurants—including a pizzeria from the legendary Chris Bianco.

Bywater American Bistro

Nina Compton, of Compere Lapin, is opening her second NOLA restaurant. She's continuing her focus on "American food as it is right now." In this case, that means hog's head sausage served with frisee, pickled shrimp with avocado and farro risotto with maitake mushrooms and breadcrumbs infused with mint. 

Chalaco's Ceviche and Pisco Bar

Get your dose of both Peruvian food and cocktails once Chalaco's opens in Philly's Northern Liberties neighborhood. Choose between an array of pisco based cocktails before browsing the menu of South American classic like lomo saltado (stir-fried beef with French fries), ceviches and char-broiled chicken.

El Jardin

Once it opens, Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins's restaurant will bring regional Mexican food to San Diego that goes beyond street tacos and tortas, while highlighting seasonal ingredients from South of the border. Zepeda-Wilkins also plans to make El Jardin very much a female-led restaurant.

Wa'z

Hiro Tawara may have honed his skills in some of Seattle's most highly-regarded sushi temples, but you won't find a sushi bar at his soon-to-be-open Belltown restaurant. Instead, the chef is focusing on a Pacific Northwest version of kaiseki, the hyper-seasonal, Japanese tasting menu. Grab a seat at the chef's counter for an eight to 10 course dinner, or a chair in the 16-seat dining room for a more casual three-course version.

Renee Erickson's Italian Restaurant

While she's still yet to decide on a name, this well-adored Seattle chef is cooking laid-back Italian at her latest project. Lunch will  consist of pizza bianca, salads and salumi inspired by Erickson's time living in Rome, while during dinner service you'll find wood-fired meals and a fritti menu to go along with happy hour.

Gravitas

After many months of anticipation, chef Matt Baker is now poised to debut in Ivy City in the former Pappas Tomato Factory. The tasting menu concept will take an elevated approach to classically inspired fare, with a commitment to hyper-local sourcing from the rooftop garden and the Chesapeake region. As such, there will be a robust selection of vegetarian offerings.

Kaliwa

The husband-and-wife duo behind Restaurant Eve, Hummingbird and Society Fair is opening a riverfront spot that features Asian cuisines: namely Korean, Thai and Filipino. Chef Cathal Armstrong has a personal affinity for both Korean and Thai food, and the Filipino influence is from his wife, Meshelle. The menu is divided by country, with family favorites in each section; think stuffed whole fish from the Philippines and spicy jjampong from Korea. The wood hearth will fire Southeast Asian staples, and an outdoor grill will sear skewered meat and other street food in the summer.