Autumnal Equinox Restaurant Openings
Alon Shaya, Franklin Becker, and Michael Beltran open restaurants at the start of the Fall season
Alon Shaya Opens a Restaurant in Paradise
James Beard-winning chef, Alon Shaya, has finally opened his anticipated restaurant, Silan, at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas. Silan, which means “date syrup” in Persian, merges Shaya’s Israeli heritage with Bahamian flavors, as evidenced in dishes like hummus with local Bahamas lobster and herbed curry butter, marinated conch salad with chilled yogurt, and local grouper with slow-cooked garlic and tomatoes.
Atlantis is becoming quite the culinary destination. The resort is home to restaurants by Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu), José Andrés (Fish), and Michael White (Paranza),
Last year, it hosted the Nassau Paradise Island Food & Wine Festival, a multi-day food and wine festival, attracting big names like Jose Andres, Andrew Zimmern, and Alex Guarnaschelli. The festival returns March 13-17, 2024 with an even more impressive lineup of talent including Martha Stewart, Duff Goldman, Robert Irvine, JJ Johnson, and Nobu Matsuhisa.
Franklin Becker’s New York Seafood Palace
Franklin Becker has opened Point Seven, at New York City’s MetLife Building. The restaurant was inspired by coastal cuisines around the globe, which is displayed by the diverse array of menu items such as shrimp and grits with Benton’s Ham, garlic-chili butter, and scallions; steamed Bangs Island mussels in Thai curry with fresh herbs; Caribbean fish stew with achiote, tomatoes and coconut; and spaghetti alla chitarra with sea urchin and Calabrian chili bread crumbs. Becker has tapped pastry chef Sam Mason (formerly of wd~50 and current owner of Oddfellows Ice Cream) to create the dessert menu, and Max Green (formerly of Death & Co.) has created the cocktail menu.
Michael Beltran’s Coconut Grove Oyster Bar
Michael Beltran has opened the Oyster Bar at CocoWalk, the multi-use dining, shopping, and entertainment center in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood. The Oyster Bar is phase one in Beltran’s one-two Cocowalk “punch” of culinary spots: his restaurant Eva will open at CocoWalk in a few weeks. The Oyster Bar will serve, apropos of its name, raw bar items, small plates, and cocktails. Beltran’s restaurants are highly lauded in Miami: his restaurants Ariete, Brasserie Laurel, and Navé have all received a Michelin Star and a Bib Gourmand was awarded to his more casual restaurant, Chug’s Diner.