Empty restaurant interior mid-setup, chairs on tables, single pendant light on, chalkboard half-written
Vol. 1 — Issue 47Feb 24, 2026
Daily Edition
DIGEST

WHAT OPENED.
WHAT CLOSED.
WHAT YOU MISSED.

The restaurant industry briefing for people who eat dining rooms alive
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DIGESTNewsroom
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BreakingFeb 24, 2026 — 5:48 AM
Restaurant interior with empty tables and dim lighting suggesting a recent closure
New York, NY

Noma Alum Pulls Permits for Six-Seat Tasting Counter on Orchard St.

Former sous chef Ravi Mehta filed building permits Thursday for a 6-seat omakase counter at 218 Orchard, a space that held three failed concepts in four years. No menu yet. No name yet. Reservation list already at 340.

By Elena CostelloDeveloping
Chicago, IL

Health Dept. Shuts Wicker Park Ramen Shop After 14 Violations in 48-Hour Sweep

Inspectors cited standing water, mold on prep surfaces, and an unlicensed walk-in retrofit. Owner disputes two of the fourteen counts.

By Marcus Webb — 4:12 AM
"The lease was signed before the chef was hired. That's the tell."
— Anonymous broker, Midtown
Los Angeles, CA

Silver Lake Pasta Counter Closes Without Warning After Instagram Goodbye Post

3:30 AM
Houston, TX

James Beard Semifinalist's Lease Dispute Goes to Arbitration — Third Year Running

2:55 AM
OpeningsThis Week

Seven new rooms opened in the last six days. Three matter.

Intimate restaurant dining room with warm pendant lighting over wooden tables set for dinner service
Brooklyn, NY

Farro & Bone

Opens Mar 1New American

Grain-forward tasting menu from ex-Momofuku line cook Priya Nair. 28 seats, prix-fixe only, no printed menu — it changes daily based on what the farm delivers at 5 a.m.

28 seats
Reservations open
Portland, OR

The Annex Bar

Soft Open Feb 28Wine Bar

Natural wine and small plates inside a former print shop. The bar top is reclaimed letterpress. The wine list is handwritten on newsprint and changes weekly.

44 seats
Reservations open
Miami, FL

Caldo Largo

Opens Mar 8Cuban-Japanese

Cuban-Japanese fusion from chef twins Daniela and Marco Fuentes. The miso-ropa vieja is already the most photographed dish in South Beach before opening day.

62 seats
Reservations open
ClosingsLast 7 Days

Fourteen restaurants closed in the US this week. Four made the news. The rest didn't.

San Francisco, CA

Meridian

Permanent11y run

Lease not renewed. Landlord converting to office space.

Last service: Saturday. Chef Thiago Alves confirmed he will not reopen under the name.

Nashville, TN

The Larder Room

Rebranding3y run

Chef-owner departure following Instagram dispute with investor group.

Investor group retains the name and space. New concept TBD. Staff given two weeks notice.

New Orleans, LA

Picayune Oyster Bar

Relocating7y run

Hurricane Ida structural damage finally deemed unrepairable by city engineers.

Beloved for its $1 oyster Mondays. Owner Josephine Tran says she is "looking at a spot on Magazine Street."

Washington, DC

Volta

Permanent2y run

Failed to survive post-pandemic staffing costs. 40% of FOH left for corporate catering.

The dining room closed quietly on a Tuesday. No announcement. Staff found out via group chat.

2026 YTD Closings312
Critic's RadarWeek of Feb 24

Not a review. A reading of the room before anyone writes one.

Elegant restaurant table setting with white tablecloth and wine glasses in an upscale dining room
On Radar
Signal:High
New York, NY

Estela II

Ignacio Mattos's follow-up has been open 11 days and already has two critics booked for next week. The bonito crudo is the one everyone's talking about before a single review drops.

Cooling
Signal:Low
Los Angeles, CA

Corvo

Third chef in eight months. The room is beautiful. The kitchen is a revolving door. Two critics have quietly declined assignments here. That's the tell.

Casual diner interior with counter seating and warm lighting suggesting a neighborhood spot
Sleeper Pick
Signal:Rising
Detroit, MI

Bricklayer Diner

Counter-service spot in Corktown run by ex-Zingerman's chef Amara Diallo. No PR, no social presence. Word-of-mouth only. The beef fat pie is why you're going to Detroit.

Industry MovesPersonnel & Real Estate

The deals, departures, and lease signings that tell you what's coming before it opens.

Chef Shuffle

Kenji Watanabe

Seattle, WA
CanlisOpening own room, Capitol Hill

Watanabe spent nine years at Canlis as pastry chef. The new space will focus on savory applications of Japanese confectionery techniques.

Investor In

Sophia Reyes

Austin, TX
Tech (Series B exit)Backing three East Austin concepts

Former Stripe product lead puts $2.4M into the East Austin dining corridor. Targeting the brunch-to-late-night demographic gap.

GM Out

Patrick Donnelly

New York, NY
The Grill, MoMAUndisclosed hospitality group

Donnelly spent four years as GM. His exit follows the departure of two other senior front-of-house leads in the past six months.

Lease Signed

Amara Osei

Philadelphia, PA
Pop-up circuit2,800 sq ft, Fishtown

After 18 months of sold-out pop-ups, Osei finally has a permanent address. Build-out starts March. Estimated open: Q3.

PR Pivot

Lindsey Park

Chicago, IL
Boka Restaurant GroupIndependent, 6 clients

Long-time Boka comms director goes independent. First client roster includes two Michelin-starred rooms and one ghost kitchen brand.

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