New restaurant reviews

By Scott Hocker and Josh Sens

Conduit
Whether you regard it as cool or contrived (a vote here for the former), the atmosphere at Conduit is sure to elicit a charged reaction. Copper and silver-colored pipes thread the dining room, offset by granite floors and black wood tables and warmed by a chic metal-front fireplace. To this unique setting—a kind of futuristic warehouse befitting The Matrix—chef Justin Deering, formerly of Boulevard, brings modernized French and Italian cooking. He enriches fettuccine with black truffles and a poached egg, and he bathes oxtail tortellini in sauvignon blanc–sweetened onions, then tops the bowl with a gruyère crisp, to make deconstructed French onion soup. Service frequently short-circuits into lapses of attention, and the kitchen suffers periodic glitches: Some hot dishes come lukewarm; a New York steak, requested medium-rare, arrives well done. Still, Conduit delivers enough electric moments—like a Meyer lemon bombe, wrapped in a beautiful meringue starburst—to make you believe its future is bright. Two stars. Two stars. —J.S.

Honu's Island Grinds and Bar
Pay no mind to the tinted windows, glaring track lighting, and Polynesian masks on the walls. Instead, zero in on the sounds of beloved Hawaiian crooner Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo‘ole, and enjoy the warm welcome from owners Edgar Dang and Pat DaSilva. At its core, Honu’s is a restaurant serving authentic Hawaiian local food. There are plate lunches of Kalua pig and cabbage (seasoned with red salt from the islands), sticky rice flour–coated and shoyu-drizzled mochiko chicken, and tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets), all accompanied by two scoops of rice and one of potato-macaroni salad. Poke comes in 10 varieties, and the fresh poi is pounded daily. (For die-hards, there’s also a fermented version on reserve in the kitchen.) Even the newfangled preparations reflect the rough-edged charm of the classic dishes. You may have never seen cheese fries topped with Kalua pig, but you’re bound to applaud the mad genius at Honu’s who brought the two together. Two stars. —S.H.

Maritime East
Summon Gordon Lightfoot to sing a ballad of these troubled Telegraph waters, where many brave vessels have disappeared. The latest voyager, launched by the owners of Cafe Maritime in San Francisco, unfurls a streamlined menu anchored by a raw bar and breezy seafood dishes like crab gratinée thickened with coconut milk, and grilled octopus balanced with white beans, fennel, harissa, and mint. The skippers have charted a smart, safe course, taking a comforting tack (braised lamb shanks with grits and salsa verde) that regulars at Zax (the most recent restaurant to die in this location) had come to love. They’ve also kept the fires lit in the wood-burning oven, which they use to churn out nicely blistered pizzas, mussels, and simple, fresh, roasted whole fish. If some dishes falter—creamy seafood chowder is full-bodied but lacks flavor—Maritime East is still a sweet-natured place with earnest servers. Two stars. —J.S.