The restaurant, at 15 W. Fifth St., has taken over the space immediately to its west, that formerly was home to BlueHouse Media.

Linda Ford, co-owner of Il Seme, said the new space, which is about 1,500 square feet, will be given over to a bar.

“We’ll have bar seating, some bistro seating, some retail space and a pastry case,” Ford said. “We’re also planning for counter lunch service, where people can either get items to go or eat them there, as the main dining room is closed for lunch.

“We’re also planning to have extended bar hours at night, with a short bar menu,” she said. “It’s just a way to give people a place to get something to eat and drink later at night.”

Ford said the hope is that the new addition will be opened by the end of February.

Ford and executive chef Lisa Becklund opened Il Seme in 2022 as a way to keep their staff employed following a devastating fire that forced them to close Farm Bar, their award-winning farm-to-table restaurant at 18th Street and Boston Avenue.

“It’s really kind of taken on a life of its own,” Ford said, laughing. “Lisa and I had no intention of opening another restaurant when we did this — it truly was supposed to be a temporary, pop-up kind of thing.

“But Jordan and Ella Spencer, the front-of-house manager, and the rest of the team have done such a great job,” she said. “They really opened our eyes to the possibility that we could own a restaurant where we didn’t have our hands constantly on it, and it would have the kind of quality we want.”

Fuji Sushi Bar, which was the first restaurant in Tulsa to serve sushi, announced on its Facebook page Tuesday that it was closing.

The shop at 8226 E. 71st St. first opened in 1986. Chef and owner Nobu Terauchi later opened a second location on Brookside, and also for a time operated Zanmai Modern Japanese Cuisine at 14th Street and Peoria Avenue.

The post stated, “Thank you for all the memories, Tulsa. We will try to open back up in about six months. Stay tuned!”

Efforts to reach the owners before deadline were not successful.

Le Louvre, 8313 S. Memorial Drive, will now be open for dinner, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 

The cafe, owned by chef Yakham N’Gom, a native of Paris, France, has been offering pastry creations and bistro-style fare since 2017. 

Normal hours have been 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. most days, but customer demand prompted the decision to begin offering dinner service.

The regular menu will be available, which includes crepes with sweet and savory fillings, soups, salads and sandwiches, along with evening specials that will change weekly. For more information: 918-286-6019, lelouvrefrenchcafe.com

The MASA food truck, which has been providing Tulsans with its signature empanadas since 2014, is getting ready to open a brick-and-mortar location at 8013 S. Sheridan Road.

A post on the MASA Facebook page states, “Any day now and you will be able to get carry out / take out empanadas, and of course our frozen take & bake empanadas, from our very own location.”

MASA offers seven varieties of empanadas, from traditional versions such as the Colombiana with beef, pork and potato and the Pabellón with beef, black beans and ripened plantains, to the Italiana with sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella.

For those who can’t wait for the store to open, frozen MASA empanadas are available at such venues as Connor’s Corner Store, 404 E. Archer St., next to Isla’s Southern Kitchen; and Market 31, 3324 E. 31st St.

This month’s Chef’s Special at the Boston Deli, 6231 E. 61st St., will feature a pinwheel of pork loin, stuffed with caramelized onions and Craisins, roasted on the oven’s signature Hasty Bake grills and topped with an orange glaze.

This will be served with Potatoes Romanoff, made with smoked cheddar, cream cheese and chives; green bean Almandine, with sliced almonds, butter and parsley; and seared pork belly with pickled apples, an apple puree and a bacon-onion jam.

Dessert, completing the apple theme, is an apple tartlet, with thyme and an apricot glaze.

Cost is $32 per person, and beer and wine pairings are available. 

The Chef’s Special is available from 5 to 8 p.m. each Thursday in February. Reservations are highly recommended. 918-492-4745, thebostondeli.com.

Juniper, 324 E. Third St., will host its first chef-driven wine dinner of the year, 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, with a menu that will feature two foods traditionally associated with Valentine’s Day: chocolate and cherries.

The dinner will be the first in a proposed monthly series of dinners in which the restaurant’s chefs will be encouraged to “get creative and play with their food” and to explore certain themes through creative pairings of cuisine and wines.

The “Chocolate & Cherries” menu is symbolic of the social connections that enrich our lives, such as friendship and partnership, with dishes centered on  the concept of two elements working together to make one harmonious experience.

The meal will start with burrata on a toasted pumpernickel crostini, with a pistachio crumble, sumac and cherry gel, followed by chocolate fettuccine and cherries, with crushed hazelnuts, a mulled wine reduction and basil.

Next will be cauliflower and romesco, with shishito peppers, dried cherries and picada sauce. Main course is osso bucco, a braised lamb shank with a dark chocolate demi-glace, whipped potatoes, an herbed panko gremolata and cherry-glazed carrots.

Dessert will be a chocolate cherry torte with kirsch whipped cream and mint.

Cost is $67 per person for dinner only, $92 per person with wine pairings. Seating is limited. For reservations: 918-794-1090.

Braum’s is spicing up its breakfast menu with two new breakfast burritos.

New to the menu is the Three Meat Burrito, with scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, pepper jack cheese and mustard; and the Spanish Burrito, with scrambled eggs, sausage, tomatoes, onions, guacamole, jalapeños, and pepper jack cheese.

The burritos can be ordered as standalone items, or as part of breakfast combo, with one’s choice of beverage and side dish (hash browns, cottage cheese or Greek yogurt).

Breakfast items at Braum’s are available from 6 to 10:30 a.m. each day. 

Also new to the Braum’s menu is the California Chipotle Cheeseburger, which previously had been available only for a limited time. It comes with tomato, guacamole, American cheese and a special chipotle pepper sauce.