Smish Smash, a former Oakland pop‑up now at Saluhall, landed on Food & Wine’s list of top new burger spots after inventive specials like the Dac Biet and Mk’Rib. The owners say the mention feels surreal even as they wait to see if it brings more traffic to the downtown stall.

Clementina opened in the Inner Richmond as San Francisco’s first fully gluten‑free Italian restaurant. The Montesacro team says the menu aims to be neighborhood‑friendly while being celiac‑safe.

Matthew Bounds is opening Neighbors Tap & Table in downtown Gulfport this May, promising viral recipes, small plates and a Sunday Social series.

Chef Jernard's Cornbread & Butter is set to open in Grayson over Mother's Day weekend with an elevated Southern brunch‑and‑dinner menu.

New York’s Tipsy Scoop opens May 9 in Rittenhouse, serving liquor‑infused scoops, sundaes and cocktails at 119 S. 18th St. Swag and a grand‑opening party are planned.

Aura, a new restaurant/pub/event hall, has filed for a certificate of occupancy to take over a 3,200‑sq‑ft suite on Winchester Road; the application is under review.

William Chris filed state plans to convert a Main Street storefront into a roughly 5,000‑sqft Fredericksburg tasting room. The Hye winery’s downtown push is slated to begin this May with work targeting late‑August completion.

Mainlander moved up Euclid into a larger Central West End storefront and launched The Jujube Inn, a walk‑in, no‑tipping lounge that’s already reshaping the neighborhood night scene. The move was meant to protect the ticketed Supper Club while adding steady bar revenue.

California sandwich chain Mendocino Farms will open its first Chicago-area suburban restaurant in Vernon Hills Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.; My Mendo sign-ups get a free entrée.

Chick‑fil‑A Avalon Park opens this Thursday with a Moove‑In Party, a cow‑spot freebie and roughly 120 local jobs.

James Beard–winning chef Michael Rafidi will open Bizzeria in Georgetown this fall, spinning Yellow’s experimental pies into wood‑fired Levantine “bizzas.”

A new Potbelly at Kirkland Crossing opened April 3; the April 23 grand opening will give the first 50 guests free Potbelly for a year.

Zaxby's has signed a development agreement to open three to four Cincinnati-area restaurants as part of a wider Ohio expansion.