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Photographs: Virginia Rollison

Tony May and his daughter Marisa closed their midtown stalwart, San Domenico, and opened a reimagined version called SD26, next to Madison Square Park. Expect newfangled touches (a wine list on a computer tablet?!), alongside both traditional and experimental Italian dishes from chef Odette Fada. TONY’s Jay Cheshes certainly enjoyed the melding of old and new. Read his four-star review here.

Veal with sweetbreads at SD26 (Photograph: Virginia Rollison)

San Domenico’s Tony May has passed the family torch to his daughter Marisa at the new SD26, writes Jay Cheshes, who awards the restaurant four stars. It’s “enormous, modern and frenetic—the opposite of its stuffy forerunner.” [TONY]

Three-star Russian chain Mari Vanna “trades in both pre- and post-Soviet kitsch,” but “you pay for the spectacle as much as for the food.” [TONY]

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Lobster Thermidor at Monkey Bar. Photograph: Donna Alberico/The New York Times/Redux

Jay Cheshes awards three stars to Graydon Carter’s exclusive Monkey Bar, writing that while “the food under [chef Larry] Forgione is much improved…the coddled clientele doesn’t come here for a dining adventure.” [TONY]

Bark Hot Dogs is a four-star neighborhood favorite, serving a wiener that’s “everything a hot dog should be.” [TONY]

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Ardesia (Photo: Dan Hallman)

The following bars and restaurants are expected to open by September 30. Openings can be delayed, so always call before heading out.

Ardesia Inspired by the combination of old and new architecture in Hell’s Kitchen, Mandy Oser has stocked this wine bar’s 80-strong international list with a combination of established classics and less common selections from up-and-coming producers. The design, too, mixes past and present, with a look that includes a wine wall modeled after the neighborhood’s iconic fire escapes. A small menu from chef Amorette Casaus (El Quinto Pino), meanwhile, includes a house-cured duck banh mi and cheese and charcuterie plates. 510 W 52nd St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves (212-247-9191)

Robataya NY The restaurant group that brought us Sakagura and Curry-ya unveils this robata grill and izakaya, designed to look like a traditional kura (brewery), with a stone garden and plenty of bamboo. Items like seasonal fish from Japan, vegetables and meats like Wagyu beef will come from the grill. Small plates, meanwhile, include kamameshi (rice cooked in an earthenware pot with a variety of toppings). Sake, shochu and beer will be available once the liquor license clears. 231 E 9th St between Second and Third Aves (212-979-9674)

Il Cantuccio Biscotti, in English, refers to a specific type of twice-baked cookie. But in Italy the proper word for that confection is cantuccio, which is the specialty at this New York branch of a reputable Tuscan bakery. In addition to the sweets, pizza, schiacciata (Tuscan focaccia) and the region’s famous saltless bread will be baked daily. 91 Christopher St between  Seventh Ave South and Bleecker St (212-647-8787) Read more »

Eater kicked off the NYC Wine & Food Festival a few weeks early at Marisa and Tony May’s soon-to-open SD26 last night. Serious chef porn in attendance. [Eater]

Ken Friedman issues a dignified mea culpa about the untimely shuttering of the John Dory. [Grub Street]

The owners of Bernie Madoff’s favorite fish shack, Lure, will take over the street-level dining room at Chinatown Brasserie this December. [Citysearch]

Restaurant Girl—the real one—interviews Andrew Carmellini. Of Locanda Verde’s success in the former Ago space he says, “This place just needed some love. [Restaurant Girl]