Openings Roundup: Kafana, Blue Marble Ice Cream, Sheridan Square

Kafana: Serbia has landed in Alphabet City, over on Avenue C. Owner Vladimir Ocokoljic tells NY Mag that what sets his new place (pictured) apart can be summed up in one word: “Pork.” Thrillist has the menu, and Ocokoljic isn’t playing: pork dominates, from the Meat Meze appetizer of assorted pork rinds to the pan fried schnitzel entrée rolled with ham and creamy spread. There are salads for the swine-averse, as well as some concessions made to lamb and beef lovers. Ocokoljic also shows restraint with the desserts – items like Zito (wheat sugar nuts) are 100% pork free. 116 Avenue C, (212) 353-8000.

Blue Marble Ice Cream: This eco-friendly ice cream shop has opened up a second location to compliment their Atlantic Avenue haunt. This one’s in Prospect Heights, and TONY notes that the parlor shares space with a children’s play area, where parents can let their offspring work off some of the sugar high. The 12 flavors, supplied by an unidentified fourth-generation ice cream maker, rotate according to the whims of owners Alexis Miesen and Jennie Dundas, who also sell a cultured frozen yogurt. (Read an interview with Miesen on Gowanus Lounge.) 186 Underhill Avenue, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, (718-399-6926).

Sheridan Square: This new West Village restaurant helmed by chef Gary Robins (The Biltmore Room, Aja) has in its favor leather banquettes, dangling red lamps, and a wood-fired oven and a grill, visible from the 65-seat dining room. A second bar room seats 35 and sidewalk dining is to follow sometime in June. Robins’s so-called “progressive American” cuisine has global inflections, found in appetizers like Dayboat Fluke Sashimi with Braised Hearts of Palm, Tamarind, Yuzu and Mustard Oil. Eye-catching entrées include the Sheridan Square Cioppino (Scallops, Clams, Shrimp, and Mussels Braised in a Tomato Fennel Broth with Saffron Aioli and Sourdough Croutons). We’ve got to stop writing these things on an empty stomach. 138 Seventh Avenue South (at 10th Street), (212) 352-2237.

Photo courtesy Sabrayant.