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NIGHT+DAY Ins and Outs (IOs)

Whether you are keeping a dogeared Night+Day guide as your bible to exploring a city, or just relying on nightanddayguides.com, you’re in the right place for the latest and greatest happenings. Herewith are hotels, restaurants, nightlife and attractions that have been open long enough to be tested and earn our recommendation.

September’s Top 5: New Restaurants

LAS VEGAS • RAKU • Japanese
Chef Mitsuo Endo, formerly of New York’s Megu, opened this Japanese izakaya with little fanfare back in July 2008. But the secret’s out: This 31-seat restaurant has the best non-sushi Japanese food in town—and it’s a steal. The must-taste item on the menu is the agedashi tofu, but don’t miss the foie gras chawan mushi or the smoked eggplant with shaved bonito fish. Table reservations are hard to secure; instead, head over later in the night to rub shoulders with the likes of Paul Bartolotta and Kerry Simon, who have made this their post-service go-to spot.
Mon–Sat 6pm–3am.
$$ 5030 Spring Mountain Rd. 2 (S. Decatur Blvd.), 702-367-3511

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MEXICO CITY • ARTURO’S • French Bistro
With over 30 years in the kitchens of some of Mexico City’s best French  restaurants, Arturo Cervantes finally opened a place of his own in one of Mexico’s trendiest neighborhoods. And he didn’t come alone. The entire crew from the well-known Champs-Elysées has joined him. Expect an elegant atmosphere, tasty classical flavors, and a wide selection of French, Chilean, and Spanish wines. Some of the most popular dishes include Dijon-style kidneys, a Gascony-inspired duck confit, and succulent snail-stuffed potatoes. The place tends to fill quickly during peak hours, so make sure to reserve in advance. The service, like the restaurant itself, is all French. Sun–Wed 1–6pm, Thu–Sat 1–11pm.
$$$ Cuernavaca 68 (Fernando Montes de Oca), 55.5553.0403

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NEW ORLEANS • BOUCHERIE • Southern
It all began with a purple truck. Chef Nathanial Zimet would park his lunch truck at festivals and outside of clubs and dish out Southern fare like barbecue and grit fries. Now he has a kitchen without wheels at this little Riverbend cottage (the original home of restaurant Iris) and an elegant space with pale purple walls and red silk curtains. The food—boudin balls, blackened shrimp with bacon vinaigrette, steamed mussels with collard greens—is a bit fancier, but still down-to-earth. Zimet promises never to charge more than $15 for an entrée—one more reason that Boucherie keeps the young Uptown crowds coming back for more. Tue–Sun 11am–3pm and 5:30–9:30pm.
$ 8115 Jeannette St. (Carrollton Ave.), 504-862-5514
boucherie-nola.com

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SAN FRANCISCO • RN74 • Mediterranean
Though the food is not exclusively Burgundian, as the restaurant’s name implies—RN74 is a highway that runs through the region—it is mostly French, with other Mediterranean influences. Michael Mina (of the eponymous restaurant in the Westin St. Francis) is the restaurant’s owner and executive chef. Dishes such as smoked sturgeon rillettes, grilled romano beans, and Liberty Farm duck cassoulet complement Raatt Parr’s massive wine list, which is, at 80 pages, unparalleled in the city. The casual space is designed to resemble a French train station. Sit near the “last bottle board,” which rattles off rare and eclectic wines as they are sold and looks like a live train schedule.
Mon–Fri 11:30am–10pm, Sat–Sun 5:30–10pm.
$$ 301 Mission St. (Beale St.), 415-543-7474
michaelmina.net

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TORONTO • RODNEY’S BY THE BAY • Seafood
Having spent five years at Rodney’s Oyster House, a fixture of the Toronto seafood scene, John Belknap pays homage to his roots with Rodney’s by the Bay. Featuring fresh oysters sourced from PEI, Nova Scotia, and the Pacific Northwest, the latest incarnation of Rodney’s attracts a mixed crowd, from financial bigwigs to foodies to more casual diners with a taste for all things on the half-shell. Once the oysters have sated you, don’t miss the lobster roll and bisque or the salt cod fritters with garlic aioli and Japanese seaweed salad. Mon–Fri 11:30am–11pm.
$$ 56 Temperance St. (Bay St.), 416-703-5111
rodneysbybay.com

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