Kitchen Dish

TAVERN ARRIVAL Derrick Styczek, who was on staff at the River Café, is now the chef of Devin Tavern (363 Greenwich St., between Franklin and Harrison streets, 212-334-7337), replacing Chris Dunn.

MORE COCOA Cocoa Bar, the Park Slope coffeehouse, wine bar, pastry shop, and chocolatier, is opening a Lower East Side location (21 Clinton St., between Houston and Stanton streets, 212-677-7417) on Saturday. Owner Liat Cohen has hired a pastry chef for the new shop. Gustaf Mabrouk hails from Sweden, where he won that country's national pastry-makers championship.

The new shop is smaller and will focus more on nighttime service. It will feature 40 wines by the glass, as well as beer and sake, which will be paired with bonbons.

NEW FROM NEW ZEALAND Nelson Blue (233–235 Front St. at Peck Slip, 212-346-9090), a New Zealand restaurant, opens this week — probably today, "definitely by Friday," a staff member said — at the South Street Seaport. The restaurant will feature New Zealand's much-lauded sauvignon blanc and pinot noir wines as well as Kiwi-inspired cuisine, which tends to depend on fresh ingredients and the incorporation of Asian foods and techniques.

HIGH FIVE Go-Go Curry, a Japanese restaurant chain, is opening its first New York restaurant. "Go" is the Japanese word for "five," and so the restaurant will open this Saturday, on the fifth day of the fifth month at 10:55 a.m. (273 W. 38th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-730 — you guessed it — 5555). Closing time is 9:55 p.m.

SPIRIT SPOT Cipriani executive chef Claudio Cristofoli has opened his own restaurant in Park Slope. At Spirito (287 9th St., between Fourth and Fifth avenues, Brooklyn, 718-832-0085) Mr. Cristofoli, a native of Venice, is offering traditional Italian fare six nights a week (the restaurant is closed on Monday).

Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation's Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.