This Week In Restaurant News: Noma Owner Opens In NYC; Caviar And Bacon Get Their Own Bars

Claus Meyer is the founder of the New Nordic Cuisine movement and an owner of Copenhagen's famed Noma, yet he had never opened a restaurant in the United States...until now. His Agern — located in NYC's Grand Central Terminal — tops our list of this week's restaurant openings. Also in the Big Apple, diners can now enjoy caviar at a reasonable price point and established Philly chef Jose Garces has brought his tapas-style restaurant Amada to Brookfield Place. We also highlighted a bacon bar, a Thai restaurant inside a music venue and the world's most expensive bowl of ramen — it'll run you $180. Just another week of covering the restaurant beat here at Food Republic! Take a look.

Agern

Claus Meyer is a cofounder and owner of Copenhagen's Noma — yes, that Noma, the one voted the world's best restaurant no fewer than four times. He's also credited with being the creator of the New Nordic Cuisine movement, which promotes natural produce and a focus on seasonal foods that benefit from the local region's climate, water and soil. Meyer just opened his first U.S. restaurant, Agern, in New York City's Grand Central Terminal. The food seeks to bring flavors and ideas from the landscapes of Nordic countries to New York, placing an emphasis on the virtues of the plant kingdom. In addition to à la carte selections, there are two tasting menus available, one of which is vegetable-only. Dishes include split-pea tofu; mackerel, dashi, horseradish and celtuse; beef heart, salsify, young cress and sumac; and lamb, roasted and braised with sunchokes, dill and buttermilk. Food Republic wine contributor Chad Walsh is the restaurant's sommelier, part of an impressive beverage program. Meyer will also soon unveil a large-format food hall adjacent to the restaurant. 89 E. 42^nd St., New York, NY 10017; agernrestaurant.com

Olma Caviar Boutique & Lounge

Caviar is deservedly viewed as the epitome of a luxurious and extravagantly priced food. But what if it were more accessible and available for trying in single-serving quantities? That's the premise behind the Upper West Side's new Olma Caviar Boutique & Lounge, an expansion of the highly successful bar in the Plaza Food Hall. There's no need to splurge on ordering ounces of the delicacy — diners can start with blinis or hard-boiled eggs topped with anything from salmon roe ($5) to top-of-the-line beluga caviar ($32). The lounge menu also features smoked salmon, foie gras, caviar pizzas and open-faced caviar sandwiches. And yes, there are non-caviar entrées, as well. Cocktails employ only top-shelf brands, and there's a complete Italian espresso bar serving coffees and teas. 420 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10024; olmacaviar.com

Amada

Jose Garces is one of the most respected chefs in Philadelphia, the operator of eight restaurants and the recipient of a James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. One decade after opening Amada, an Andalusian tapas-style restaurant, in Philly, he is looking to replicate the success of his first solo venture with the same concept at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City. In addition to a variety of beloved dishes from the Philadelphia original, such as empanadas with Spanish Manchego and artichoke escabeche, Spanish tortilla served with a saffron aioli and griddled Wagyu beef skewers, Garces is experimenting with dishes exclusive to New York. Some of the plates he is testing out are lamb tartare with romesco verde and Idiazábal; Spanish flatbread with Catalan garlic sausage, piquillo pepper confit and spinach; and sea trout with harissa, baby lettuce and a tamarind glaze. Large-format items include lobster paella, rabbit-and-chorizo paella and two types of suckling pig. There is a large-scale wine and cocktail program (the latter highlights different types of gin and tonics), and an adjacent 20-seat café for guests looking to grab a coffee or a light breakfast or lunch. 250 Vesey St., New York, NY 10281; amadarestaurant.com

Saint Marc Bacon Bar

From caviar to bacon, we really don't discriminate when it comes to single-item restaurants here at Food Republic. Yes, there is officially a bacon bar offering no fewer than 11 signature flavors of bacon "buy" the slice. We're talking Nueske's wild cherry, garlic Parmesan, tender belly maple, apple pie, tender belly habanero and coffee-rubbed. The one-of-a-kind bacon bar is connected to the existing Saint Marc Pub-Café, Bakery and Cheese Affinage — say that five times fast — a casual eatery and bar highlighting items originating in the Southern regions of the U.S. and throughout Europe (and over 100 cheeses!). Saint Marc's addition of this plethora of bacon just might have made it the meatiest place in town. 21058 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648; saintmarcusa.com

Upscale cocktail bar and small-plate haven Radiator has officially opened its doors in Washington, D.C., next door to the new Mason & Rook Hotel. 1430 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005

Top Chef alum and Philly star Kevin Sbraga just announced his plans to open a second location of his popular Southern comfort concept the Fat Ham by late summer at King of Prussia Mall (his iteration of Nashville hot chicken is Food Republic–approved). 160 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406; sbragadining.com

Elevated, ingredient-focused slice joint Baker's Pizza is opening to the public on Friday, May 6, in NYC's East Village. Think pies topped with slow-caramelized onions, fresh herbed ricotta and house-made pork sausage. 201 Ave. A, New York, NY 10009; bakerspizzanyc.com

Full-service Thai restaurant Don Muang Airport will open inside Williamsburg's live-music joint Baby's All Right in early May. 146 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211; donmuangairportbk.com

Beginning on Monday, May 2, Flatiron noodle lounge Koa will offer the world's most expensive bowl of ramen. At $180, it features Japanese-imported Binchotan-charcoal-grilled-to-order Japanese Kobe Wagyu steak topped with truffle and 24-karat gold leaf, Shantan broth and seasonal green and white asparagus. 12 W. 21^st St., New York, NY 10010; koanyc.com