Zagat Survey Discussions

New Restaurants

New Nightspots

Coming Soon

Centro Vinoteca

Gusto owner Sasha Muniak is planning to open this modern Italian restaurant featuring the cooking of Anne Burrell (Mario Batali's sous-chef on Iron Chef) at 74 Seventh Ave. S. in November.

15 East

Later this month, Marco Moreira will transform the original Tocqueville space (15 E. 15th St.) into this modern Japanese eatery and sushi bar with a black-and-white color scheme.

Fireside

Four fireplaces, classic cocktails and Eclectic small plates by chef Sam DeMarco (formerly of the East Village's First) will set the mood at this entry in the Omni Berkshire Place (19 E. 52nd St.) opening in October.

Fireside

Gordon Ramsay at The London: Brit bad-boy chef Gordon Ramsay will make his stateside debut with this fine-dining restaurant akin to his eponymous London flagship, opening in November at The London NYC Hotel (née Rihga Royal Hotel, 151 W. 54th St.). An adjacent bar and lounge, dubbed The London Bar, will offer a small-plates concept similar to his Maze.

Gus' Place

This popular Greek restaurant in Greenwich Village, which closed at 149 Waverly Pl. in October 2004, will return in November 2006 at 192 Bleecker St., off 6th Ave. It will feature a sidewalk cafe and 65 seats, with Gus Theodoro returning as chef-owner.

Waverly Inn

In October, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and partners Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode (The Park) will revive this Greenwich Village tavern (16 Bank St.), which dates back to the 1840s and features a garden and four working fireplaces.

Good Deals and Other News

Alain Ducasse

Ducasse is closing his Jumeirah Essex House outpost on or before January 15, 2007. He plans to open a new, soon-to-be-named restaurant in the St. Regis in March 2007, in the storied space that was Lespinasse, which is getting a makeover by David Rockwell. The forthcoming venture will feature cooking by chef Tony Esnault, private tasting rooms and a wine bar.

Aquavit

Chef Marcus Samuelsson has published a new book on contemporary Pan-African cooking entitled The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa; it aims to demystify the continent's culinary traditions, which remain obscure despite far-reaching influences on everything from Southern American to Brazilian cuisines.

Bayard's

Is now open for private parties only; Bayard's Blue Bar continues to operate Tuesday–Saturday.

Blaue Gans

Through October 15th, celebrate Oktoberfest at Kurt Gutenbrunner's Austro-German bistro with steins of imported German brews, menu specials (extra-large homemade pretzels, roasted chicken, etc.) and traditional oompah music.

Bouchon Bakery

Handmade chocolates are now available at Thomas Keller's casual Time Warner Center to-go counter, where they can be purchased individually ($2.25 each) or in boxes of six ($19) or 12 ($36). Flavors include épice (dark chocolate ganache with Indonesian cinnamon, Madagascan vanilla and Mexican chiles) and lemon verbena (milk chocolate ganache with fresh lemon verbena from South America).

Café Gray

In a tradition he started back in 1995 at Lespinasse, chef Gray Kunz will serve an "Indian Summer" menu until at least mid-October. Bridging summer and fall will be dishes such as kalamansi-cured kampachi with soba noodles and flying fish roe ($24) and lamb roulade with fingerlings, cauliflower and red curry ($38).

Carl's Steaks

This cheese steak specialist has opened a concession in Yankee Stadium, located on the Field Level at Gate 4.

Dos Caminos

In mid-October, Steve Hanson will open Dos Caminos Third, a new outpost of his popular Mexican at the corner of 50th Street and Third Avenue (825 Third Ave.); it will feature three full bars specializing in tequilas and margaritas and a patio located on 50th Street.

Gramercy Tavern

New executive chef Michael Anthony hails from Blue Hill at Stone Barns, where he worked closely with chef-owner Dan Barber to create hyper-local, seasonal cuisine. He is expected to introduce his first menu in the new year, after the busy holiday season is over.

Jazz Standard

The Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra will perform on Sunday afternoons (1–3 PM) starting October 22nd as part of this Gramercy club's "Jazz for Kids" program. Parents with children ages four and up are welcome to attend; a $5 donation benefits the Jazz Standard Discovery Program, which teaches NYC school children about jazz music.

Jovia

Eben Copple, who has worked as chef de cuisine at Lidia's in Kansas City and sous-chef at Barbuto, has replaced Josh DeChellis as executive chef of this Upper East Side restaurant. Copple's new Italian-accented American menu includes a more extensive steak selection and pastas such as rock shrimp raviolini.

Le Cirque

Sirio Maccioni's Bloomberg Building power player now offers a more casual dining area centered around the wine tower dubbed "The Cafe at Le Cirque." Both reservations and jackets are optional, and guests can order off either the simpler, less expensive cafe menu or the main menu.

Megu Midtown

Afternoon tea is now served weekdays from 2:30–4:30 PM; priced at $38 per person, it features Japanese savories, Japanese and Western pastries and one selection of tea. À la carte options are also available.

Morimoto

A new weekday lunch menu (noon–2:30 PM) offers bento boxes, rice bowls, scaled-down portions of signature dishes (sea bass, braised black cod, prime strip steak, etc.) and lighter options like ramen soup and sashimi salad.

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches

This tiny sandwich shop has opened a second branch at 311 Atlantic Ave. in Boerum Hill (718-855-8838). With 16 seats, it offers almost triple the seating of the original.

Periyali

This Flatiron Greek has reopened with a new chef (James Henderson, ex Amuse), marble bar and skylight, plus fresh-looking white-on-white decor.

San Domenico

After a summer hiatus, chef Odette Fada's Sunday brunch menu (11 AM–3 PM) is back; specialties include purgatorio (eggs poached in a tomato and oregano sauce) and incapriata (puree of fava beans with steamed dandelions and peperoncino-flavored olive oil).

Sascha

Namesake toque Sascha Lyon has left this Meatpacking District bistro, but the restaurant's name, kitchen staff and GM remain the same.

SushiSamba

The Seventh Avenue South branch offers a guided sake tasting and roll-your-own sushi class every Monday through November (7–9 PM; $70 per person; 212-475-9377).

Sweet Melissa

Like its Cobble Hill counterpart, the new Park Slope branch (175 Seventh Ave.; 718-502-9153) of this bakery/tearoom offers garden seating.

Tabla

On Sunday evenings through December 17th, guests in the main dining room who order a bottle of wine will receive a second bottle of identical or lesser value for free (diners may choose a more expensive bottle, but they must pay the difference).

wd-50

Chef Wylie Dufresne has cooked up three new dishes based on ongoing research in his kitchen/lab. Bacon, egg and cheese features cubed and brined pork belly slowly cooked in fat for 40 hours (because of the recent health-department ban on the sous vide cooking method); pine-nut cassoulet uses pine nuts cooked in a pressure cooker for a beanlike consistency; and squab, coconut pebbles and sassafras transforms sassafras into a meringuelike substance similar to the head on a root beer.

• Mainland
• Quartino (Peck Slip branch only)
• Uovo