Tue 15 Jan, 2013 THE AMERICANA INVASION 2013 spells out U.S.A. America's on the mind and not just because of politics or impending inauguration parties. There's always been a synergy between them and us; earlier this year we were swapping non-stop with the Big Apple. This year, however, there seems to be a lot of one-way traffic. London, make room: Stateside is moving in. We've already got the US's brunch parties and trash food habits down, and big names Sushisamba and STK have already crossed the pond. It doesn't stop there. In 2013, expect American foodstuffs from all over the spectrum. Madison Square institution Shake Shack will come to Covent Garden, NY-Mexican taquería La Esquina will finally set up tienda and rumour has it Obama's favourite burger shop Five Guys will also make the jump. Even national chain Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. will open in (quite fittingly) the Trocadero. On the high-brow front, Greenwich Village stalwart Balthazar has taken over the old Theatre Museum site in Covent Garden (opening date still TBC), while the rumour mill has The Spotted Pig, Marlon Abela's A Voce and a Thomas Keller outpost tipped for LDN invasion. Add to that the migration of America's best hotels. The recently opened boutique Thompson Hotel Belgraves mixes Brit sensibilities with new-school American bohemia, while André Balazs (of Chateau Marmont, The Mercer and Standard fame) will open a boutique hotel in a disused fire station in Marylebone later this year. On top of that, there'll be Nobu Shoreditch on Willow Street, featuring a restaurant and 143-room hotel – à la Las Vegas – in a huge structure designed by Ron Arad. We also heard that Ace wants to join in the London fun and, in 2014, a Mondrian hotel will call the South Bank home. It's not just food, drink and beds, either. American fashion has got a foothold – Tom Ford chose to show at LCM last week instead of Milan, and J.Crew will soon be opening its first overseas boutique at 165 Regent Street. (It's not all take, though, we've surrendered Dover Street Market to New York.) All we need now is LA's Grilled Cheese Truck, a Sugarfish, NY's Café Select, a MoMA, and more 24h options (like Cafeteria) and we'll be Americana-complete.   Info Shake Shack, opens mid-2013, Covent Garden Market Building, WC2E Balthazar, opens mid-February, The Flower Cellars, 4-8 Russell Street, WC2B 5HZ Belgraves hotel, now open, 20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ LINK TO THIS FEATURE: Lifestyle by JC Agenda Picks This Week’s Picks OFFER INTERNATIONAL EAT BRUNCH Get 25% off NY's latest Italian import Cuchina Asellina. Until end of month. ME Hotel, 336-337 The Strand, WC2R 1HA MoMA's latest sees Wolfgang Laib fill an entire room with pollen. Until March 11. 11 West 53 Street, NY 10019 There's more of the same at Burger and Lobster number four in The City. Now open. 1 Bread street EC4M 8SH Ex-NY now London fave Asia de Cuba has just launched Dim Sum Brunch on Sundays. From Jan 20. 45 Saint Martin's Lane, WC2N 4HX CLICK HERE FOR MORE LISTINGS LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2012 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free daily mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.