Every month, our Food Editor Nicole Douillet shares her top headlines from the world of food and wine. Here’s the news to know in the world of fine dining this January 2019. Curious about other events in the world of food and drink this month? Click here.
top headlines from the world of food and wine this month
New Year, who dis?
For many people, the turning of a calendar year can spur travel to new places and new resolutions (including eating healthier). The New Year can foster change, and encourage growth. And, sometimes a by-product of that is letting go of former habits and moving away from comforts of the past.
The restaurant industry is no different from us in that regard. While there are plenty of new openings to celebrate, some adored restaurant classics are going the way of the dodo.
1. Durgin-Park in Boston closing
One of the first such closings is happening next week in Boston. Sadly, Durgin-Park, a “Yankee” comfort food staple since 1827, and the oldest restaurant in Faneuil Hall, has announced that it will be closing on January 12, 2019.
Durgin-Park has long been known for its gruff and cranky waitstaff and cheap but delicious iconic Boston dishes. Think Boston beans, clam chowder, and Yankee pot roast. It will no doubt be missed, especially by people like my father who, as many poor college students did, ate there on the regular while studying in Boston in the ’70’s.
2. New York closings
Continuing on the trend of New Year’s restaurant closings, several NYC mainstays have shuttered in the last couple of weeks, many due to expiring leases.
A few of the most notable include Cornelia Street Cafe, which has been nestled in the middle of the one-block long Cornelia Street for over 40 years. And Blue Water Grill, which opened its doors on Union Square 20 years ago. Stanton Social, a pioneer in the food and nightlife scene on the Lower East Side, is closing its doors after a 15-year run. And, after only one year, James Beard Award-winner Mark Ladner is closing his fast-casual pasta spot, Pasta Flyer. He is said to be looking for a new location in the city.
3. New restaurant openings!
Does all this news of closings seem a little heavy for a New Year’s update? Never fear, there are plenty of openings to report.
For example, the newest location of Nitehawk Cinemas opened at the end of December on Prospect Park West in Park Slope. This is the culmination of a two year, $15 million renovation of The Pavilion Theater.
The original Nitehawk Cinema has been a popular destination for movie and food lovers alike. When it opened in 2011, it was the first movie theater where movie-goers could have food (we’re talking restaurant-quality food) and cocktails delivered to their seats during the movie.
The menu at the new location includes classics like the burger and the addictive truffled popcorn, as well as items specific to the movies being screened.
The new location also boasts two bars which will be open to the public, so you can enjoy the food and drinks whether you’re going to a movie or not.
Nighthawk Cinema Prospect Park
4. Ski Cuisine
Several top ski towns in Europe have upped their culinary games for the 2019 season. Most notably, Verbier in Switzerland has a hip new hotel, restaurant, and late-night venue from the folks behind Paris’ Experimental Cocktail Clubs.
Experimental Chalet, the first mountain resort for the group, opened in December. It features 39 rooms and suites, each equipped with hot tubs and mountain-view terraces. The restaurant is helmed by Gregory Marchand, who has received critical acclaim for his impossible-to-get-into Parisian restaurant, Frenchie.
Diners can expect Marchand’s take on mountain classics. And if jetlag keeps you up at night, the Experimental team is also running a late-night haunt, Farm Club, which is known for attracting A-List partiers.
Experimental Chalet Verbier
5. Michelin stars in Hong Kong and Macau
The folks at Michelin announced their star listings for Hong Kong and Macau last month, and both cities picked up new stars.
Hong Kong restaurant Caprice returned to 3-star status, after losing a star in 2014. In Macau, Jade Dragon picked up a 3rd star in 2019 after achieving its first star in 2014, and second in 2016. Hong Kong added three new 2 starred restaurants while Macau added one additional 2 star restaurant.
There were six new 1 star spots in the cities, making these cities two of the most Michelin-star-decorated in the world, with fifty-five 1-star restaurants. In case you had any worry, rest easy that you can eat well on your next trip to either destination.
Jade Dragon, Macau
Those are the top headlines from the world of food and wine this month. You’re good to go – have a great January.
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Nicole Douillet is Dandelion Chandelier’s Food Editor. In addition to sharing her love of all things food with our readers, Nicole is a finance executive who has spent nearly 18 years on Wall Street in a variety of roles.
She began her career as the first woman hired as a trader on the block trading desk at UBS. For over 13 years, Nicole was a quantitative trader and portfolio manager on the proprietary trading desk at Credit Suisse. She then served as Head of Product Innovation and LGBT Strategy for Wealth Management Private Banking New Markets at Credit Suisse.
Most recently, Nicole co-founded Reboot Investing, Inc. where she served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. A recognized leader in socially responsible investing, Nicole created the ground-breaking Credit Suisse LGBT Equality Index ® and co-authored “What’s the Effect of Pro-LGBT Policy on Stock Price?” for the Harvard Business Review in 2014.
Nicole currently serves on the Advisory Council for Action Against Hunger | ACF International. She is a former junior Olympic skier, food and drink aficionado, serial restaurant regular, and chili cook-off champion. She and her wife live in Brooklyn with their son, whose favorite restaurant is Lilia. Nicole is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
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