WAGYU WISHES

Rare Zao Wagyu from Takahashi Farm in Yamagata prefecture is available in the United States for the f irst time, as a kappo-style wagyu omakase at Togyushi. Executive chef KenichiroYamasaki is one of only 11 certified wagyu masters in the world, and he treats every cut of meat with the utmost finesse. Highlights of the nine-course tasting menu include a delicate chawanmushi served in an egg shell with wagyu gelée topped with Hokkaido uni, wagyu shank consommé with yuzu zest, and yaki-shabu striploin and shoulder in a fluffy pecorino espuma. Dine at the chef’s counter to watch Yamasaki and his team prepare each dish, and guests can even purchase Zao Wagyu steaks to take home. 37 West 37th Street, togyushi.com

SEEING STARS

Experimental new wine bar Stars from the team behind Claud and Penny recently opened in the East Village. Since Claud’s debut in 2022, proprietor Chase Sinzer has built an ambitious cellar with more than a thousand selections and 4,000 bottles in the cellar. By-the-glass offerings start at $11 and cap at $19. Snacks, such as deviled eggs with pommes soufflées and marinated vegetables alongside chorizo, play a supporting role in the dining room, cast under the warm glow of a skylight-like ceiling light fixture with matte marbled floors. Anchoring the 450-square-foot space is a hand-finished, horseshoe shaped zinc bar outfitted with 12 lush mahogany stools. 139 East 12th Street, stars-ny.com

CONSERVAS IN CHELSEA

New conservas and cocktail bar Seirēn celebrates the timeless preserved seafood tradition of Spain and Portugal with a menu of tinned seafood, tapas, and Mediterranean inspired cocktails. Emulating the ease and conviviality of the seaside taverns, Elvis Rosario and Nicholas Semkiwof SRV Hospitality (Chica & The Don, Bellhop) create a space for guests to slow down and connect, whether at the ten-seat marble bar or a tufted leather banquette. Smoked sardines, tuna belly in walnut pesto, and Galician mussels in escabeche are served with toasted sourdough, seaweed butter, and pickled vegetables, alongside an extensive list of Spanish, Italian, and French vermouths and spritzes. 244 5th Avenue, nomadteaparlour.com

EYES ON THE PRIZE

Planting its New York optician roots in 1913, Morgenthal Frederics has grown to become the premier buffalo horn eyewear brand in the world, with four Manhattan boutiques, including recently renovated SoHo and Upper East Side locations in warm natural tones. Interior designer Liz Curry built a custom bar to anchor the boutique and invite guests in. “Custom wall fixtures throughout honor the eyewear while encouraging exploration and self-try-on,” she said. All buffalo horn eyewear is produced in Germany while the acetate and titanium collections, including the lightweight aviators in the Air Corps collection, are made in Japan. Celebrity fans include Whoopi Goldberg, Spike Lee, and Steve Martin. The New Hollywood series features frames like Uma, Charlize, Brad, George, and Tilda, with a cat-eye silhouette and textured accents to emphasize Hollywood glamour. 399 West Broadway, 680 Madison Avenue, 944 Madison Avenue and The Shops at Columbus Circle, morgenthalfrederics.com

OLD-SCHOOL COOL

In 2023, independent film studio A24 (Lady Bird, Everything Everywhere All At Once) purchased Cherry Lane Theater, a cultural institution and NYC’s longest continuously running off-broadway playhouse. After an extensive, two-year renovation, the West Village icon reopened last summer, continuing its legacy as an avant-garde incubator for the arts with indie film screenings, Q&As, comedy specials, stage readings, plays, etc. In November, the theater debuted its signature restaurant, Wild Cherry, in partnership with venerated chef team Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr. The design is retro art-house chic (think red checkered floors, dark woods, forest-green banquettes, and a central horseshoe-shaped bar), while the menu leans old-school supper club with classic cocktails, seafood, steaks, et al. cherrylanetheatre.org