An Arcade With Bubble Tea And Fried Chicken Arrives in Union Square

Partea, an arcade with bubble tea and fried chicken sandwiches, opened in Flushing, Queens back in September 2020. Now, the team has expanded across the water to Manhattan, with a new outpost at 220 E. 14th Street, near Third Avenue, in Union Square. Like in Queens, certain meal combos come with “surprise” plushie toys, and there’s a snack menu to pick from that includes Taiwanese sausages, cuttlefish balls, and spicy wings. The Union Square location is currently open, and a grand opening party is planned for August 18. Meanwhile, the team is already plotting a west coast expansion, with Parteas planned for West Covina and Little Tokyo, in Los Angeles. Partea Union Square will stay open most nights until 11 p.m.

A South Asian takeout spot heads to the East Village

The paratha roll is the star and sole focus at the forthcoming takeout spot, Kolachi. Opening this September, at 130 First Avenue, near St. Marks Place, there will be seating for 10 people. Owner Saif Qazi formerly worked in finance; this is his first restaurant and a means to bring food from his home in Pakistan to a greater audience in New York, says the restaurant’s publicist. Myan Jones, who was formerly an executive sous chef at P.F. Chang’s, leads the kitchen. Kolachi replaces Sweet Generation Bakery, which closed in the East Village during the pandemic.

A pizzeria by a Flora Bar alum opens tonight

Andrew Halitski, a chef who formerly worked at Flora Bar inside of the Met Breuer museum before its closure, went off on his own during the pandemic, making Detroit-style pizzas he sold on Instagram. Today, Halitski opens the doors on his permanent home for this pop-up, La Rose Pizza, located at 150 Smith Street, near Bergen Street, in Cobble Hill. The menu lists pies with taleggio and truffle oil; anchovies, cheese, and parsley; fennel sausage with red onion; and roasted eggplant with burrata. La Rose Pizza is open Wednesday through Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m.

Dinners by the back-of-house teams at hot restaurants

Pop-up series the Lineup is hosting events with ones-to-watch from some of NYC’s most-talked-about restaurants. First up is Agness Kim, a sous chef at the Cantonese American Williamsburg restaurant Bonnie’s, who will host a dinner on September 11. Next, on September 18, is a dinner by Nadine Ghantous, sous chef at Ridgewood’s wood-fired Rolo’s. On September 25, Jonathan Vogt, a line cook at Michelin-starred the Four Horsemen, will lead his own dinner. Tickets for all three dinners are available online.