Bouchon's roast chicken

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Nearly two decades after he cooked at Checkers in Downtown LA, über-chef Thomas Keller is returning to SoCal, bringing the third edition of his upscale French bistro, Bouchon (the others are in Yountville and Las Vegas), to an elegant Beverly Hills space across from the Montage Hotel; expect high ceilings, ornate wall treatments, a raw seafood bar – and the sort of buzz Keller generates wherever he goes; N.B. this location doesn't have a bakery, though one is planned for the future.

225 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills; 310-271-9910

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Maialino

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

To the revamped New York City Gramercy Park Hotel space that was Wakiya comes Maialino, an Italiano from restaurateur Danny Meyer, which takes its visual and culinary cues from the classic trattorias of Rome and, à la Gramercy Tavern, is divided into a casual (and cheaper) front bar section and a checked tablecloth–equipped rear dining room; connecting the two areas are counters showcasing its housemade bread and salumi, the latter of which stars on the moderately expensive menu that also features pastas, traditional entrees like the eponymous roast pig and an impressive formaggio selection.

2 Lexington Ave., New York City; 212-777-2410

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Valentino

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Piero Selvaggio has opened this latest branch of his venerable Santa Monica–born Italian Valentino in Houston’s sleek Hotel Derek, occupying the former home of Bistro Moderne; extravagant multicourse meals are dished out in a modern yet cushy setting done up in dark tones and crimson, while the adjacent less-formal space is home to the stylish Vin Bar spotlighting a wide range of small plates, crudo and wines.

2525A W. Loop S., Houston; 713-850-9200

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Market

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

For his first Boston venture, the New American Market in the Theater District’s W hotel, Jean-Georges Vongerichten has put together a moderately priced menu of ‘greatest hits’ from his other restaurants, featuring dishes peppered with French, Pan-Asian and Italian influences and served in sexy white-and-brown environs overlooking Tremont Street; N.B. the adjacent Living Room lounge serves small plates and boxed lunches from the restaurant.

100 Stuart St., Boston; 617-310-6790

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Fabio Viviani

Photo: courtesy of Bravo TV

Linguistically challenged Top Chef veteran Fabio Viviani has taken over North Hollywood’s old Barsac Brasserie space and made it into Firenze Osteria, where he’s hoping to draw foodies from nearby Universal Studios hungry for a taste of dishes from Florence, Italy; the well-aged art adorning the walls of the warm space looks as if it were lifted directly from the Arno.

4212 Lankershim Blvd., Los Angeles; 818-760-7081

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Even before it opens its doors to the public tonight, the New York outpost of London’s Le Caprice has hosted an impossibly chic crowd. It didn’t hurt that Anna Wintour did all the inviting the first night, and that proprietor Richard Caring also happens to own London’s Ivy (along with Annabel’s, Harry’s Bar, and Mark’s Club). Some of the notables to get a sneak peek during five days of invite-only previews: Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, Mark Anthony, Martha Stewart, Alan Cumming, Christian Louboutin, Cynthia Rowley, Princess Firyal and Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey.

An import from Britain’s Firmdale group, the boutique Crosby Street Hotel in New York's SoHo neighborhood is the site of new bar/restaurant Crosby Bar, a high-ceilinged, forest-green affair most notable for its idiosyncratic collection of modern art; the fashionably low-key mood is only jolted by the jaw-dropping cocktail prices.

246 Lafayette St., New York; 212-226-6400

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Photo: courtesy of Burger Bar

Burgermania reaches new heights, literally, on the sixth floor of San Francisco's Macy’s, where Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys) has opened his luxe build-a-burger concept, Burger Bar (which already has locations in Las Vegas and St. Louis); the menu includes everything from mini-sliders to a lobster burger to a $60 foie gras–draped offering, while the setting feels like a sports bar, replete with metal beer signs and booths outfitted with flat-screens, plus a store selling camis and thongs stamped with the restaurant’s logo.

251 Geary St., San Francisco; 415-296-4272

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What was once Dolce in West Hollywood is now the latest branch of Philippe Chow's upscale Chinese concept Philippe, which serves its menu of Cantonese classics at locations in New York, East Hampton, Miami and Mexico City (Vegas is in the works); done up in Chow’s signature palette of red, white and black, the setting is decorated with stylized chinoiserie and also offers a bustling bar scene.

8284 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; 323-951-1100

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Terrance Brennan

Photo: courtesy of Artisanal Brasserie & Wine Bar

Chef Terrance Brennan makes his Left Coast debut with Artisanal Brasserie & Wine Bar, a hip, light-filled Bellevue, WA, sibling of his fromage-focused NYC eatery, offering riffs on French brasserie classics made with Pacific Northwest ingredients and spotlighting artisanal cheeses from around the world; oenophiles gravitate to the wine bar, whose impressive list includes 80 by-the-glass choices alone, while heartier appetites head for the tony dining room with its white tablecloths and urban views (11111 NE Eighth St., Bellevue, WA; 425-372-2200).

Next door, an Italian enoteca counterpart, Artisanal Table, offers mounds of housemade pastas and Neapolitan-style pizzas baked in a 900-degree oven, all based on Northwest ingredients like Dungeness crab and wild mushrooms and washed down with Italian vinos or microbrews; centered around an open kitchen and ‘food bar’ displaying antipasti and salumi, it boasts a lively, easygoing mood – abetted by particularly comfortable seating (425-372-2255).