April 2016 Editors' Picks: Tawla, Supercrown
April showers bring new restaurants, cookbooks and more
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1Cocktail Kingdom Yarai Royal Palm Mixing Glass
Give your Manhattan tropical flair with this sleek, all-crystal mixing glass ($80) from the Cocktail Kingdom pros. Part of the Reserve series, this design is incised with Cuba's national tree and polished in America. Plus, it's sturdy enough for lots of tippling.
3'Flavorwalla,' by Floyd Cardoz
From garam masala to Thai chiles, spice is the focus of the former Tabla chef's latest cookbook ($30) and, hopefully, an indicator of his upcoming NYC restaurant.
2Tawla (San Francisco)
Arabic for "backgammon," this Mediterranean restaurant, opening next month, is all about home cooking. First-time restaurateur Azhar Hashem tapped Delfina alum Joseph Magidow to lend meze and big dishes, like leg of lamb, a California bent.
4Stephanie Izard, Duck Duck Goat (Chicago)
"We're looking forward to rhubarb, one of the first spring ingredients to hit menus. We like to pickle it for both savory and sweet dishes, and at Duck Duck Goat, we're adding it to our beef and broccoli."
5Curious Feast Postcards
Snail mail is back with these quirky postcards ($20). Curated by artist Naz Sahin Ozcan, this 100-card set brings whole new meaning to spaghetti western.
6Austin Food + Wine Festival
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the fifth annual edition of this chef-packed weekend going down later this month. There will be hands-on grilling demos (and fire pits, too), gospel choir-powered brunches and, of course, the Lone Star State's hottest chefs, from Ramen Tatsu-Ya's Tatsu Aikawa to Emmer & Rye's Kevin Fink, cooking their signature dishes. There's also a ton for wine geeks down south, like a guide to blind-tasting varietals and an exploration of France's lesser-known wine regions.
7Terrain Asparagus Napkin Rings
These bronze napkin rings ($74 for four) are for serious asparagus lovers only. Handcrafted by designer Michael Michaud, these whimsical stems are an adorable springy accent to any fancy dinner and an inspiration for the menu (spears with tarragon and kumquats, anyone?).
8'Home Cooked,' by Anya Fernald
Everyone wants to be a less-crazed, more-confident home cook and dinner party host, which the Belcampo Meat Co. founder gets and gives advice for in her useful cookbook ($35).
9Supercrown Coffee Subscription
Finally, Darleen Scherer's carefully sourced, expertly roasted magic is available for the masses. Her Brooklyn coffee shop just launched a coffee subscription service ($16 to $38), featuring funky Finca El Faldón from Colombia, for serious coffee lovers.