This Week In Restaurant Openings: Ludo Lefebvre's Fried Chicken In LA, Stephanie Izard's Chinese Spot In Chicago, Hot Chicken In Seattle

We're always on the lookout for restaurant news here at Food Republic. And news we often receive — we're constantly pitched on restaurants that have pledged to open their doors in the near future, only to eventually learn about inevitable roadblocks and delays. Such is the unpredictable nature of the restaurant world. We've worked diligently to assemble this short roundup of promising restaurants that we are certain have recently opened for business. Take a look and be sure to reserve your table today!

Now Open

New York City

American Cut

Modern steakhouse American Cut opened its second location last week in midtown Manhattan. Chef and partner Marc Forgione once again teamed up with LDV Hospitality to bring his innovative steakhouse fare (and 1970s glam rock soundtrack) uptown from the original TriBeCa location, which opened in 2013 to universal acclaim. Signature plates such as chili lobster, tableside-prepared Caesar salad and a 52-ounce porterhouse complete with flaming bone marrow will make the trip uptown, along with some lighter fare, including large salads and a dedicated grilled fish section. Tucked behind the walls of the Lombardy Hotel, the 130-seat dining room will include private dining options and a 40-seat bar and lounge area. A dedicated wine room includes specially reserved wine lockers for guests of the restaurant, while made-to-order cocktails are presented tableside via a rolling bar cart. Pro tip: Order an impeccably peaty Plank-Smoked Old Fashioned (half price during happy hour) alongside one of the burgers — only a small number are created each day. 109 E. 56th St., New York, NY 10022; americancutsteakhouse.com

Capri Ristorante

Now open in the heart of Little Italy, Capri Ristorante is a traditional yet modern Italian restaurant that takes inspiration from the Isle of Capri circa the 1960s. Chef Franco Aliberti cooked at some of Italy's most renowned restaurants, and here features a menu consisting of a fresh oyster bar and favorite traditional Italian recipes, such as spaghetti with homemade Sunday sauce and Grandma's-style meatballs, a whole branzino grilled Mediterranean-style, a grilled veal chop, homemade brick-oven pizzas and family-style chicken and veal Parmigiana or Milanese. The décor includes colorful ceramics throughout, along with handmade wooden tables and traditional tiling on the floors and walls. 145 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10013; caprinyc.com

The Chinese Club

Open since last week in Williamsburg, the Chinese Club is a collaboration between Stacey Lo and her husband, Salil Mehta, who is the owner-chef of Laut in Union Square. Lo's grandfather founded the original Chinese Club as a place where Chinese immigrants could gather, socialize and eat together without fear of persecution. Lo has created a menu that fuses Hakka-Chinese dishes, Kolkata-Chinese dishes and traditional Chinese dishes. Present-day signature dishes include family favorites such as cold beef braised in fragrant soy sauce and bang-bang chicken wrapped in tofu skin, homemade Hakka soups, Singapore chili fish and Manchurian vegetables. The interior design is a replica of the social club that Lo and her family used to operate, replete with memorabilia and photos from that era. Craft beer and wine are available. 208 Grand St., Brooklyn NY, 11211; thechineseclubnyc.com

Impero Caffè

Scott Conant's newest project, Impero Caffè, opened its doors on Monday within the new Innside New York NoMad Hotel, the brand's first in the U.S. Located on the hotel's ground floor, the restaurant offers an all-day soulful Italian menu and an inviting atmosphere. Highlights of the antipasti section include hamachi crudo, smoked maitake mushroom and polenta and truffo sugo, while the menu's house-made pasta selections include pasta al pomodoro made with the chef's signature ragu. In the morning, the upstairs lounge captures the spirit of a traditional Italian coffeehouse, offering guests pastries, cappuccinos and shots of espresso to start their day. The restaurant plays on the most desirable living elements in Manhattan — light and space — to deliver a true sensory experience. It occupies two stories of open-air space, allowing natural light to enter the dining room of just over 70 seats. At night, the high ceilings provide excellent acoustics to carry music and the buzz of diners socializing over dinner and cocktails. 132 W. 27th St., New York, NY 10001; innsidenewyork.com

Chicago, Illinois

Duck Duck Goat

James Beard Award–winning Stephanie Izard is the executive chef and partner of two of Chicago's most popular restaurants, Girl & the Goat and Little Goat. Her third venture, which opened last week, brings reasonably authentic Chinese cuisine to the city's Fulton Market area. The menu draws from her travels throughout China, to Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Taiwan, as well as her experiences from Chinatowns across the U.S. The menu is divided into seven sections, including dim sum, hot soups, cold dishes, noodles, fried rice, main and large dishes. Highlights include freshly made crab rangoon, made-to-order pork and crab soup dumplings, goat belly lo mein, crispy frog legs and potato with house-made oyster sauce, and, of course, Peking duck. A pastry program focuses on Taiwanese desserts. The venue itself combines the objects and design aesthetics brought to the U.S. by Chinese immigrants post WWII and Western aesthetics of the time. Each dining room at the restaurant is designed to be somewhat like a theater experience, with the indoor/outdoor style of Chinatowns brought to life. 857 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607; duckduckgoatchicago.com

Los Angeles, California

LudoBird

French chef Ludo Lefebvre has established himself as one of biggest names on the L.A. culinary stage. Known as the driving force behind city hot spots Trois Mec and Petit Trois, Lefebvre has gone back to the basics with the opening of LudoBird, a fried-chicken concept at Universal CityWalk. It's easy to forget that the acclaimed chef was once crowned the "king of pop-ups," running a special-event dining experience titled LudoBites and operating a food truck dishing out fried chicken. While his first-ever brick-and-mortar location still serves this dish inside the Staples Center at LudoBird, his opening of the same concept over the weekend at Universal CityWalk marks the first time his buttermilk Provençal fried chicken will be fully available to the public. Along with five fried-chicken dishes (including a sandwich, bites and wings), the chef is showcasing six sauces and four sides (Ludo slaw, honey-lavender biscuit, potato salad and house-made chips.) 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608; ludolefebvre.com

Seattle, Washington

Sisters and Brothers

Nashville hot chicken is absolutely unstoppable this year! We predicted as much late last year, when we created an illustrated map of all restaurants serving the fiery dish nationwide. Seattle finally got in on the craze last week, with the opening of Sisters and Brothers. Helmed by Nashville local Jake Manny (note: Nashville hot chicken cooked by a nonlocal raises a red flag), the bar/restaurant describes itself as "a family affair, serving hot chicken, cold beer and delicious liquors." Featuring local Washington chicken brined in buttermilk for 48 hours, the menu highlights naked, mild, hot and insane heat levels of the signature item, served traditionally with pickles and on top of white bread. A selection of sandwiches and salads is also available, ideal for the heat-wary. 1128 S. Albro Pl., Seattle, WA 98108; sistersandbrothersbar.com