Hotels open, announce new and upcoming restaurants

A number of hotels across the country and in Mexico have opened or announced new restaurants in March, some overseen by celebrity chefs. Here are a few:  

Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead

The Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead has opened its new restaurant, Brassica, which combines brasserie-style French cooking with regionally sourced ingredients, drawing culinary inspiration from Georgia and the American South.

Brassica’s interior design was developed by BHDM Design, which drew inspiration from Atlanta’s “city within the forest” concept. The space melds neoclassical details with floral-inspired motifs. The dining room and its bar have deco touches inspired by the original Waldorf Astoria property. Custom cerused oak walls, white oak floors and saddle leather banquettes have custom pendant lights and geometric gold-leafed insets from Phillip Jeffries. Additional elements include custom pearlized hand-painted wallcovering by Vahallan, sconces by Holly Hunt and a custom dogwood-inspired chandelier by Yellow Goat. 

Peacock Alley, an ode to the original at the Waldorf Astoria New York, serves as an extension of the restaurant in the lobby. The space has both sofas and chairs, a custom hand-painted mural by Dean Barger and artwork provided from a rotating curatorial program by Atlanta-based Bill Lowe Gallery. Afternoon tea is served in the Solarium, previously an open-air patio that was reimagined by BHDM Design into an enclosed space with custom up-lit trellises, overhead lanterns and furniture that evokes an indoor-outdoor feel. The Solarium also is available for private dining and events.

Conrad Nashville

Set to open in May, Conrad Nashville will have three restaurant and lounge concepts in partnership with husband-and-wife business partners Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla: Blue Aster, The Lounge at Blue Aster and Thistle & Rye. 

Blue Aster, Conrad Nashville’s mainstay restaurant, will serve seafood-centric American fare. Adjacent to the restaurant is The Lounge at Blue Aster, which will serve classic cocktails and afternoon tea. Thistle & Rye, located on the third floor of the hotel, is beverage-centric concept serving shareable, globally inspired small plates. 

Design firm Champalimaud oversaw all three concepts, combining intricate architecture with textiles. 

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

In Mexico, the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is set to debut several restaurants this year:

  • The open-air Agave Study at Peacock Alley pairs agave spirits with local dishes from  Mexican purveyors.
  • The signature restaurant, Don Manuel's, will be redesigned to spotlight Travesía, a nine-course tasting menu surrounding tacos.
  • The Neutral Coffee Lab celebrates coffee culture, explaining the origins, methods and people behind the beverage.

Foxwoods Resort Casino

Sushi By Bou is the newest restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn. The restaurant will serve an omakase tasting menu as well as cocktails, imported sakes and Japanese beers.

The resort also opened a new employee-only dining area and café that can host up to 325 staff members.

The Hermitage Hotel

The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville opened The Pink Hermit, a new café by Jean-Georges Vongerichten that will complement Drusie & Darr, the hotel’s new flagship restaurant. 

 
The café’s concept will evolve throughout the day, from a coffee bar serving pastries in the morning to a casual take-away for lunch, and, at the end of the day, small bites, champagne and cocktails. Overseen by the hotel’s executive chef, Kelsi Armijo, the menu includes chia seed pudding, roasted beet Greek salad, egg toast with caviar herbs and a charcuterie board. The café also serves items from the dinner menu at Drusie & Darr, which opened in January, including black truffle pizza, ahi tuna tartare, crispy sushi and a salted caramel sundae.

The Pink Hermit is accessed through a new street-level entrance. Conceived by Vongerichten and the Hermitage Hotel team, the interior was created by interior designer Thomas Juul-Hansen, who also designed Drusie & Darr. The space, clad in pale pink and gray marble, has casual counter seating indoors and café seating outside.