MILK AND CUPCAKES Magnolia Bakery’s Upper West Side location (200 Columbus Ave. at 69th Street, 212-724-8101) has been certified kosher dairy through United Kosher Supervision by Rabbi Yaakov Spivak.

UPPER WEST BLOOMS Remember chef Ed Witt from Varietal? He and restaurateur Jeremy Wladis (Nonna, Firehouse, Campo) have teamed up to open Bloomingdale Road (2398 Broadway at 88th Street, 212-874-7400) in the space that once was Aix. It opens today. The food focus is on shared plates, including six kinds of fries. The wine list has 25 selections by the glass.

ROCK ITALIAN Alex González, drummer of the Mexican rock band Maná, also owns a restaurant chain called de Santos, whose fourth outpost — and first location outside of Mexico — opens today in the West Village (139 W. 10th St., between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place, 212-206-9229). That location has a musical past: Janis Joplin once lived on the third floor, and Diana Ross had her first live show in the VIP room downstairs. The food is by Aldo Alo, born in Luxembourg but raised in Italy, and is “modern Italian,” with pastas priced at $16-$20 and entrées at $20-$27.

COOLING HEELS Hea (145 E. 13th St. at Third Avenue, 212-982-1688) opened on Monday under the helm of Joe Ngai, who also owns Friend House diagonally across the street. The name is Cantonese slang for “chilling,” and Mr. Ngai hopes East Villagers will adopt the place as a hangout for lounging and enjoying Malaysian- and Japanese-accented food made by chef Heng Meng Kong, who has run the kitchens at Penang SoHo, Hunan Garden, and Soho Eastanah. General manager Ben Wu is a veteran of both the Tasting Room and Tao.

WRAP IT UP The first Empanada Joe’s (2857 Broadway at 111th Street, 212-678-0022) opened quietly in August, offering $3.21 pastries with savory fillings ranging from pulled pork to Mediterranean caprese (tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil), to scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar. Sweet-apple, chocolate-banana, and guava and cheese empanadas are for sale, too, along with side salads for $3.71, and full-meal salads from $5.61-$6.88. Locations in Times Square and Chelsea are planned for later this year.

FRESHLY DIRECT Salute! (270 Madison Ave., between 39th and 40th streets, 212-213-3440) has hired a new chef who plans to use only local, organic ingredients. Paulo Buffa, most recently of Bice in Bethesda, Md., is slowly introducing new menu items as specials between now and November, when his new menu will be launched. In the meantime, the restaurant is undergoing a gradual renovation involving turning the previously unused downstairs into a VIP lounge and private party rooms.

Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com. For more of today’s Kitchen Dish, go to nysun.com.