(OXFORD) - The Snackbar vibe is straightforward: shellacked wainscoting accessorized by taxidermied deer heads; louvered blinds to filter the parking lot light; raw bar in front; drinking bar in back.

This week’s roundup includes Govind Armstrong’s much-heralded New York entrance, a covert lunch operation in San Francisco, a Mississippi spin on small plates, and a down-home tapas bar in...