GINGER LUNCH Midtown East’s salarymen have a new Asian fusion place to go for lunch. Ginger (146 E. 55th St., between Third and Lexington avenues, 212-588-0188), which opened last week, features a large sushi and sashimi selection, as well as teriyaki dishes, Thai curries, Chinese stir-fries, fried noodles, and soups.

Bento boxes with miso soup or salad at lunch are $9.95. A la carte sushi starts at $2 a piece.

AZZA OPENS Across the street from Ginger, Azza Restaurant and Lounge (137 E. 55th St., between Third and Lexington avenues, 212-755-7055) is in its soft-opening phase. The food is mostly interpretive Moroccan and includes grilled lamb sliders with tomato and cucumber, grilled merguez sausage with Dijon mustard, cucumber salad with cinnamon and mint, and a variety of tagines and couscous preparations. Appetizers are $6–$14. Entrees are around $30.

The chef, Steven Ferdinand, has worked in the past at Le Cirque and Aquavit.

NEW VIEW Mark Arnao, formerly executive sous chef of the Ritz-Carlton Central Park, is chef de cuisine of the View atop the New York Marriott Marquis hotel (1535 Broadway at 44th Street, 212-704-8900).

LITTLE STREET The owners of Mercadito (179 Avenue B, between 11th and 12th streets, 212-529-6490, and 100 Seventh Ave. South at Grove Street, 212-647-0830) are opening a restaurant across the street from their Avenue B location. Mercadito, which means “little market,” features upscale versions of Mexican market food. The new restaurant, Callecito (“little street”) will serve street food from various parts of Mexico. They hope to open it in June.

SAUSAGE IN MIDTOWN Mandlers, the sausage eatery near Union Square, is opening a Midtown location (601 Eighth Ave., between 39th and 40th streets, 212-244-4777) this week. The new location is about twice as large as the original and has an expanded menu that includes crepes and fruit smoothies. It will open earlier (7 a.m.) and stay open later (midnight) than the Union Square location, and in July management plans to extend the restaurant’s operating hours to 24/7.

MONKEY MAKEOVER Monkey Bar(60 E. 54th St., between Park and Madison avenues) at the hotel Elysée has closed for renovations. It will reopen in May with chef Patricia Yeo at the helm. In the meantime, room service at the hotel is being provided by Sapa, the restaurant where Ms. Yeo is currently executive chef. She will retain her duties there while also running Monkey Bar’s kitchen.

TAP TIME Tomorrow is World Water Day, and in observation of it — and of the fact that many people throughout the world do not have regular access to clean drinking water — many New York restaurants are soliciting donations of $1 for serving New York City tap water on that day. Proceeds will go to efforts by the United Nations Children’s Fund to provide clean drinking water to those who need it. For a list of participating restaurants, visit www.tapproject.org/restaurants.

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