Month: January 2019

On a quiet, lakeside property in western Ukraine, about an hour-long drive from the city of Lviv, Edem Resort Medical & Spa Hotel goes beyond what you’d expect from a luxury resort. There are charming suites, diverse dining options and a state-of-the-art spa, as well as art exhibitions and immersive health treatments like a three-day “anti-stress” program. Edem’s Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner, De Vine Restaurant, boasts a growing wine program of more than 350 selections. There are nearly 30 labels available by the glass, including 21 by Coravin. France, especially Bordeaux, is a big focus of the list, but wine director Yevhen Ivanov also emphasizes Italy and rounds out the offerings with regions like Greece, Israel, Austria and Switzerland. The hotel has even started experimenting with its own wine production, recently planting four test grape varieties on a small piece of land purchased in Freiburg, Germany. Ivanov hopes to eventually add these bottlings to De Vine’s list. The international program complements regional European dishes from chef Artur Tumanyan, such as smoked eel on cucumber carpaccio and minced turkey kebab with spinach and peanut-carrot cream.

Opening Soon in Los Angeles: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

A new Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse is coming to Los Angeles Feb. 9, the second California location for the steak-house chain. A total of 13 Double Eagles have a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award, including a Grand Award winner in New York. The parent company also owns the Del Frisco’s Grille and Barcelona Wine Bar concepts.

The L.A. outpost is in a two-story space in Westfield Century City, a recently renovated mall just outside Beverly Hills. It boasts the largest opening wine list for the brand, with more than 2,000 selections and 45 wines by the glass, including 15 available via Coravin. While wines from California are a typical focus for the steak house, wine director Mandy Sparacino aims to provide a diverse, international program.

“Our guests expect to find the most rare and allocated wines in the world at our locations, and L.A. is definitely not going to be an exception,” Sparacino said. “Our New York location is kind of our heartbeat on the East Coast, and we plan to be that heartbeat on the West Coast.”

Standout verticals will include more than 38 vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and 45 vintages of Gaja. There’s also a solid selection of large-format bottles and half-bottles. Bubblies will be emphasized as well, with a designated Champagne lounge on the second floor.

Sparacino expects the list to grow with time. She says diners can look forward to high-profile wine dinners and an upcoming Sherry program.

Emeril Lagasse Makes New York Debut

Julie Harans

Greek-Creole-Cajun cuisine has hit New York with Rodos.

On Jan. 8, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse launched his first New York City restaurant, Rodos, in Chelsea’s Hotel Henri. It’s also the first concept of a new consulting division of Lagasse’s company, We Love Food Hospitality, and a collaboration with restaurateur Yiannis Chatiris, whose Greek home island of Rhodes inspired the restaurant’s name. The menu blends Chatiris’ heritage with Lagasse’s signature Cajun-Creole style, featuring dishes like octopus beignets and crawfish-stuffed clams.

The wine list includes more than 60 selections with 13 available by the glass, highlighting Greek producers like Hatzimichalis and Evangelos Tsantalis. France, Italy, Spain and the United States are also represented.

Lagasse is known for more extensive wine programs in many of his restaurants, such as his two Grand Award winners, Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas and Emeril’s New Orleans, as well as five Best of Award of Excellence winners in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Two Restaurants in the Venetian Las Vegas Close

Courtesy of Gen3 Hospitality

Public House was one of many dining concepts at the swanky Venetian in Las Vegas.

Aquaknox and Public House, two Award of Excellence winners in Las Vegas’ Venetian resort, have closed.

Seafood restaurant Aquaknox had a 335-selection wine list with strengths in California and France. The concept was part of Tavistock Restaurant Collection, which includes Best of Award of Excellence winners Abe & Louie’s in Boston and Atlas in Atlanta, as well as six Award of Excellence winners across the country.

Public House featured American cuisine and a 310-selection, California-focused wine list. The restaurant is also part of a Restaurant Award–winning group, Billy Richardson’s Gen3 Hospitality, which owns Best of Award of Excellence winner the Barrymore in Las Vegas.

Keep up with the latest restaurant news from our award winners: Subscribe to our free Private Guide to Dining newsletter, and follow us on Twitter at WSRestoAwards and on Instagram at wsrestaurantawards.