Coming this fall to The Helena, the luxury rental building on 11th Avenue and West 57th Street, is the Hudson Café Market, the third establishment from Jack and Charles Trantides, the brothers behind Ammos restaurants. Instead of Greek food like the other two, this 4,300-sq.-ft. space (with a marketplace) will focus on contemporary American comfort food. The menu will be designed by David Ogren, the chef at Ammos and an alum of the French Laundry (601 W. 57th St.).

Opening in August, on the other side of Midtown, will be the much smaller, 50-seat Naya. With a menu of classic Lebanese dishes, it aims to make meze the new small plates. Located on the site of a former Blimpie, the tiny restaurant boasts buffed decor from SOMA Architects as well as aspirations to branch out into franchises if its affordable eats catch on (1057 Second Ave.; 212-319-7777).

Planning for a mid-fall debut a few blocks up and over is Brussels import Rouge Tomate. For its first stab at a U.S. presence, the tomato-loving Eclectic restaurant chain with a penchant for fresh ingredients and bright red-and-white color schemes will fill the 16,000-sq.-ft. space that formerly housed Nicole Farhi. Jeremy Bearman (ex SF's Lark Creek Steak) will run the kitchen. By the time it opens, the recent tomato-salmonella scare will be – we hope – a distant memory (10 E. 60th St.).