New York City : ZagatWire Archive

ZagatWire: January 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:52:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Antonucci	170 E. 81st St.	Manhattan	212-570-5100
Blaue Gans	139 Duane St.	Manhattan	212-571-8880
David Burke at Bloomingdale's	159 E. 59th St.	Manhattan	212-705-3800
Del Posto	85 10th Ave.	Manhattan	212-497-8090
Gilt	455 Madison Ave.	Manhattan	212-891-8100
Leela Lounge	1 W. Third St.	Manhattan	212-529-2059
Naka Naka	458 W. 17th St.	Manhattan	212-929-8544
Nolia	158 Ave. C	Manhattan	212-228-8103
Orchard, The	162 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-353-3570
Pars Grill House & Bar	249 W. 26th St.	Manhattan	212-929-9860
Philippe	33 E. 60th St.	Manhattan	212-644-8885
Sigiri	91 First Ave.	Manhattan	212-614-9333
Telepan	72 W. 69th St.	Manhattan	212-580-4300
Valbella	421 W. 13th St.	Manhattan	212-645-7777

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Common Ground	206 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-228-6231
Gilt	455 Madison Ave.	Manhattan	212-891-8100
Luv 24-7	247 Eldridge St.	Manhattan	212-505-7600
Marion's Marquee Lounge	356 Bowery	Manhattan	212-475-7621
Pacha	618 W. 46th St.	Manhattan	212-209-7500
Porky's	55 W. 21st St.	Manhattan	212-675-8007

Coming Soon

American Masala

Now that they've had a go with haute Indian, chefs Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur (dévi) are taking their culinary prowess to the fast-food realm – specifically this American-influenced Indian offering fare to take out or eat in. The Financial District space (60 Pearl St.), which should be open by early spring, will serve a compact menu of burgers and curries, each available in five versions: vegetarian, beef, lamb, chicken or fish. Just don't expect fluorescent lighting – the contemporary decor is to feature furniture handcrafted in Italy.

Buddakan

The latest big-budget restaurant set to make a splash in the Meatpacking District (75 Ninth Ave.) is this Asian fusion import from Philly scheduled to open in February. In a bid for downtown cachet, the building's purposely gritty exterior will yield to an opulent dining space.

Cafe d'Alsace

Simon Oren (Marseille, Nice Matin) turns to Alsace for his latest French foray, this Upper East Side brasserie (1695 Second Ave.) with a zinc bar and, to help patrons navigate the extensive roster of Geman brews, a "beer sommelier." A late winter opening is planned.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

The famed French chef is bringing a version of his Parisian hot spot – which marries Haute Cuisine and casual, countertop environs – to the Four Seasons Hotel (57 E. 57th St.) in March. As in Paris, the counter will be the restaurant's focal point, with an exposed kitchen that will be viewed through a see-through glass wall. But unlike the original's intimate, clubby setting, the NYC outpost will occupy a far grander space beneath I.M. Pei's soaring ceiling.

Good Deals and Other News

Cool Hunters

The latest design trend to take hold of bars and eateries is to emulate the look of a rustic lodge. First, hip Downtown restaurants like Freemans on the Lower East Side took to displaying odd assortments of taxidermied animals and hangouts like Floyd NY in Brooklyn Heights dressed themselves up with mounted deer heads and wood paneling. Others soon followed, with the opening of Camp (more deer heads, a fireplace), Lodge (taking its cue from the Adirondacks) and Northeast Kingdom (inspired by the wilds of Vermont). The look has also climbed north: Chesea's Gstaad mimics a Swiss après-ski chalet and at newcomer Aspen, trendies tipple top-shelf hot toddies amid slick Lucite deer heads.

Agnanti Meze

A new branch of the Astoria taverna has opened in Bay Ridge (7802 Fifth Ave., 718-833-7033).

Atelier

Eric Branger, former executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, has replaced Alain Allegretti at this plush New French in the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. While Branger has added a few signature touches (crawfish soup, for example), the menu (à la carte or $125 for five courses) has not significantly changed. However, a reconcepting of the restaurant is in the works.

Caviar Bar at Emperor's Roe

The Caviar Bar at this new Harlem purveyor of gourmet goods (200 Lenox Ave., 212-866-3700) is opening later this month. Think samplers of imported caviar ($310 for 1 ounce each of Beluga, Osetra and Sevruga) and $160 bottles of Dom Perignon '96, not to mention $10 glasses of bubbly and a more modest American caviar sampler. Let the good times roll, indeed.

Christos

This Greek steakhouse is poised to reopen after extensive renovations by new owners. The warm earth-toned room will feature a larger bar area and a steakhouse menu that's now mainly American (some Hellenic influences will be felt on the appetizer list). A butcher shop will continue to operate out of the premises.

Eleven Madison Park

Daniel Humm, former executive chef of San Francisco's Campton Place, has been named as the replacement for chef Kerry Heffernan. He is expected to implement a new menu by late spring.

Falai

This creative Lower East Side Italian has opened a small full-service cafe and bakery down the block dubbed Falai Panetteria; it's open every day from 7 AM–11 PM, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday nights (79 Clinton St., 212-777-8956).

Fifty Seven Fifty Seven

Now that this New American in the Four Seasons has shuttered to make way for L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (for more details, see the "Coming Soon" section above), regulars and hotel guests are heading instead to the recently opened Lobby Restaurant (57 E. 57th St.; 212-829-3859). The hushed, sophisticated space overlooking the hotel's grand lobby serves classic American cuisine at breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a signature Kobe beef burger.

Giorgione

Giorgio DeLuca (of Dean & DeLuca fame) has opened Giorgione 508, a new West SoHo branch of his Italian eatery (508 Greenwich St., 212-219-2444). The ambitious offerings include a retail area, nearly nonstop hours (6–3 AM) and American/British breakfast service.

Mama's Food Shop

This East Village comfort-food shop has opened Jah Mama, specializing in Jamaican cuisine, across the street (199 E. 3rd St., 212-228-2663). It will replace the sandwich shop Step Mama's.

Manhattan Ocean Club

While this midtown seafooder has closed, its owners are planning a new project for the space (57 W. 58th St.) that's slated to open in the spring.

Maremma

The menu at Cesare Casella's latest now features less "spaghetti western" cooking and more straight-ahead Tuscan fare.

Megu

The Japanese powerhouse is branching out: Megu Midtown will open at the Trump World Tower (845 United Nations Plaza) in February, while a third American location is scheduled to open at the end of 2007 in Las Vegas' forthcoming Trump International Hotel.

Old Homestead

Big spender alert: This Meatpacking District steakhouse is serving a whopping 32-ounce American Kobe beef bone-in filet for $125.

Second Avenue Deli

This quintessential East Village kosher deli has closed, reportedly due to a lease dispute. If a deal can't be brokered, its owners hope to revive it in a new location.

Shelly's New York

Shelly Fireman's retro steak and seafooder is moving a block east to the old Wolf's Delicatessen space at 41 West 57th Street. The slightly smaller venue will feature a new look, though the mountainous raw bar and some of the original artwork are expected to make the move. A spring opening is anticipated.

Casa Mia
Fifty Seven Fifty Seven
Manhattan Ocean Club
Miracle Grill (1st Ave. branch only)
Sal Anthony's (Irving Pl. branch only)
V Steakhouse

ZagatWire: February 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:51:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Brasserie Ruhlmann	45 Rockefeller Plaza	Manhattan	212-974-2020
Colors	417 Lafayette St.	Manhattan	212-777-8443
Country	90 Madison Ave., 2nd fl.	Manhattan	212-889-7100
Dani	333 Hudson St.	Manhattan	212-633-9333
Fanny	425 Graham Ave.	Brooklyn	718-389-2060
Industria Argentina	329 Greenwich St.	Manhattan	212-965-8560
Las Ramblas	170 W. Fourth St.	Manhattan	646-415-7924
Le Miu	107 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-473-3100
Les Deux Gamins	234 W. Fourth St.	Manhattan	212-206-8393
Morimoto	88 10th Ave.	Manhattan	212-989-8883
Porcão Churrascaria	360 Park Ave. S.	Manhattan	212-252-7080
Roebling Tea Room	143 Roebling St.	Brooklyn	718-963-0760
Samba-Lé	23 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-529-2919
Spiga	200 W. 84th St.	Manhattan	212-362-5506
Top of the Tower	3 Mitchell Pl., 26th fl.	Manhattan	212-980-4796
Whym	889 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-315-0088
Yuva	230 E. 58th St.	Manhattan	212-339-0090

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Butterfield 8	5 E. 38th St.	Manhattan	212-679-0646
Easternbloc	505 E. Sixth St.	Manhattan	212-777-2555
Heathers	506 E. 13th St.	Manhattan	212-254-0979
Moomia Lounge	157 Lafayette St.	Manhattan	212-219-4006
Valhalla	815 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-757-2747
Vino Vino	211 W. Broadway	Manhattan	212-925-8510

Coming Soon

Destino

Pop singer–turned–restaurant investor Justin Timberlake will lend star power to this Midtown East Italian (891 First Ave.) from nightlife entrepreneur Eytan Sugarman (Suede, Cherry Lounge). Despite its Hollywood pretensions, expect a serious menu by Mario Curko (ex Rao's) when it opens later this month. It's not Timberlake's first foray into the hospitality industry – he also owned the trendy Chi nightclub on LA's Sunset Strip.

Dona

After scores with davidburke & donatella and Ama, restaurateur Donatella Arpaia is turning her attention to her original venture: the eight-year-old Bellini (208 E. 52nd St.) is closing the third week of February to make way for this Modern Med with a menu by chef Michael Psilakis, who took Greek cuisine in new directions at Onera. A late March opening is planned.

El Centro

Now that taquitos are all the rage Downtown (see: La Esquina, El Bocadito), the craze for Mexican street food–style snacking is spreading: the owners of Hell's Kitchen, the popular upscale Mexican eatery, will open their version of the genre later this month on the site of the old Vynl Diner (754 Ninth Ave.).

Noodle Bar

Quentin Danté and Ten Vong – the pair behind the successful but short-lived Yumcha – turn from Haute Chinese cuisine to retro Asian eats at this noodle shop set to open in Greenwich Village (26 Carmine St., 212-524-6800) in early February. Though the concept finds its inspiration in 1950s Hong Kong, the menu's ingredients and prices will be thoroughly modern (broth noodles range from $9–$14).

Pier 2110

This forthcoming Harlem seafooder (2110 Seventh Ave., 212-280-PIER) will feature colorful aquatic decor (including two waterfalls and a boat hull hanging from its ceiling), a menu with soul food and Asian influences (spicy shrimp with soba noodles, brook trout stuffed with crabmeat and served with creamy grits) and a bar/lounge area serving specialty cocktails and a late-night menu; slated to open in mid-March.

Pre:Post

Opening late this month on the same West Chelsea block as BED, Bungalow 8 and Cain, this American restaurant and lounge (547 W. 27th St.; 212-695-7270) will cater to clubbers with an after-hours "room-service" menu comprising breakfast items and other comfort-food fare. Lunch and dinner service and hours that stretch from 11–9 AM are also planned.

Also Coming Soon

... at the Time Warner Center: After the high-profile closure of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's V Steakhouse, the town's most luxurious food court (10 Columbus Circle) is aiming to democratize its dining. New tenants will include a fourth-floor bar and grill helmed by chef Michael Lomonaco (ex Guastavino's, Windows on the World) that's modeled after Boston's Grill 23; a third-floor branch of TriBeCa's popular Landmarc; and Bouchon Bakery, the long-awaited, more affordable entry from Thomas Keller that will soon serve soups, salads, sandwiches, pastries and chocolates on the third floor (212-317-2348).

Good Deals and Other News

Alto

Autographed copies of chef Scott Conant's recently released New Italian Cooking are available for purchase ($35) both here and at L'Impero.

Antonucci

This Upper East Side Italian trattoria is now open for lunch; brunch service is expected to be added later this month.

Bao Noodles

New winter dishes include Vietnamese tomato soup (fresh tomatoes, scallions, sliced beef, chicken broth) and night market noodles (thick rice noodles with sliced Vietnamese ham, bean sprouts, sweet fish sauce, lettuce and daikon). In addition, this casual Gramercy eatery now accepts reservations and credit cards.

Bette

Amy Sacco's chic boîte now serves daily afternoon tea from 3–5:30 PM; tea for two ($60) includes assorted finger sandwiches, cakes and scones with clotted cream, raspberry jam and passion fruit curd and a choice of more than a dozen brews.

Bombay Talkie

A new late-night "street bites" menu is served from 11 PM–1 AM Sunday–Tuesday and 12–2 AM Wednesday–Saturday. Snacks include an assortment of dosas (stuffed crêpes) and kathi rolls (flatbread wraps).

Brasserie

Recently appointed chef Franklin Becker (ex Trinity, Capitale) has introduced new lunch and dinner menus featuring classic dishes with modern twists, including sea scallops and pork belly confit with sunchokes and red wine–truffle vinaigrette, and Long Island duck breast with confit spring rolls, foie gras, berry compote and orange-coriander sauce. Faves like steak frites and onion soup will remain untouched.

Brasserie Aix

Didier Virot's French Upper Westsider has a new name and a new, simplified menu offering plats du jour such as bouillabaisse, coq au vin and smoked Peking duck.

'Cesca

Tom Valenti has left this Southern Italian to focus full-time on Ouest. Chef Maria Rizzo will continue to run the kitchen at 'Cesca; meanwhile, the branch in Atlantic City has closed.

Compass

Chef John Fraser – the latest toque to take charge of this West Side New American – has introduced a new winter dinner menu featuring dishes such as parsnip and Granny apple soup with raisins, pumpernickel bread and brown butter, and roasted Atlantic monkfish with split pea puree, Tuscan kale, fall radishes and Greek sausage vinaigrette.

Country

Geoffrey Zakarian has opened Cafe at Country 's more formal companion piece; located upstairs, it's a luxe setting for a prix fixe–only New American menu comprising four courses for $85.

D'or Ahn

This cool Korean is now serving a late-night menu of its signature fusion fare from 11:30 PM–2:30 AM Thursday–Saturday. Dishes will be conducive to sharing and include oyster three ways.

Kitchen 82

Charlie Palmer's reasonably priced New American on the Upper West Side has closed; Kitchen 22 remains open.

Lavagna

This East Village Italian's prix fixe menu is now offered Sundays only (5–7 PM); the price, which includes three courses, is $29 per person.

Les Halles

February is "Choucroute Month" at both locations of Anthony Bourdain's brasserie; four different choucroute dishes – including a classic choucroute garnie – will be served alongside an Alsatian wine list.

Lure Fishbar

A fire has temporarily closed this handsome SoHo seafooder. The owners hope to have the space shipshape and reopened by early summer.

Pair of 8's

Monday night at this new Upper West Side eatery/wine bar is "Neighborhood Night" – $25 buys you an appetizer and an entree (both from a choice of three), as well as a cocktail, wine or beer. Or splurge on a wine flight constructed from the more than 30 wines served in two-oz. tastes.

Philippe

This modish new Chinese puts on a twice nightly "Noodle Show" (around 8 and 9:30 PM), during which diners can watch chef Wai Ming Cheng ceremoniously pull noodles in the midst of the restaurant's dining room. Chef Cheng's noodles are served either "Singapore-style" (with shrimp, pork, scallions, bean sprouts and peppers in a curry sauce) or in a special pork bean sauce; both dishes are priced at $14 and are meant to be shared by several guests.

Rare Bar & Grill

The new Greenwich Village branch (228 Bleecker St., 212-691-RARE) of this Murray Hill patty purveyor may not feature a rooftop bar, but it does offer a "Murray's Cheese burger" topped with a weekly changing fromage from Murray's down the block.

Sushi Sen-nin

A new branch has opened at 30 E. 33rd Street (212-889-2208).

Amuse
Assagio
Bolzano's
EJ's Luncheonette (Sixth Ave. branch only)
Grilled Cheese
Julian's
Kitchen 82
Lento's (Brooklyn location only)
McHales
Metropol
Second Avenue Deli
Shaan
Smoked

ZagatWire: March 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:50:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Buddakan	75 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-989-6699
Destino	891 First Ave.	Manhattan	212-751-0700
El Centro	824 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	646-763-6585
Je' Bon Noodle House	15 St. Marks Pl.	Manhattan	212-388-1313
Kellari Taverna	19 W. 44th St.	Manhattan	212-221-0144
Little D Eatery	434 Seventh Ave.	Brooklyn	718-369-3144
Noodle Bar	26 Carmine St.	Manhattan	212-524-6800
Oga Japanese Tapas	143 E. 47th St.	Manhattan	212-308-5688
Palà	198 Allen St.	Manhattan	212-614-7252
Petrarca Vino e Cucina	34 White St.	Manhattan	212-625-2800
Tintol	155 W. 46th St.	Manhattan	212-354-3838

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Abilene	442 Court St.	Brooklyn	718-522-6900
Annex, The	152 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-673-3410
Blue Owl	196 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-505-2583
Clandestino	35 Canal St.	Manhattan	212-475-5505
Element	225 E. Houston St.	Manhattan	212-254-2200
G Spa & Lounge	18 Ninth Ave., downstairs	Manhattan	212-206-6700
Genesis	1708 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-348-5500
Jack Russell's	1591 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-472-2800
Molly Pitcher's Ale House	1641 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-249-3068
Morimoto	88 10th Ave.	Manhattan	212-989-8883
Mr. Black	643 Broadway, downstairs	Manhattan	212-253-2560
Pink Elephant	527 W. 27th St.	Manhattan	212-463-0000
Pre:Post	547 W. 27th St.	Manhattan	212-695-7270
Professor Thom's	219 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-260-9480

Coming Soon

Bouchon Bakery

On March 13th, Bouchon Bakery, Thomas Keller's long-awaited bakery and cafe, will open on the third floor of the Time-Warner Center (10 Columbus Circle). A retail counter will sell French pastries plus soups, salads and sandwiches made from premium ingredients, while cordoned off in the third-floor lobby area will be a 60-seat full-service cafe with an espresso and wine bar and views of Central Park.

Degustation

Grace and Jack Lamb are turning the tiny space adjacent to Jewel Bako into this 16-seat bar offering French and Spanish small plates that's scheduled to open in April (239 E. Fifth St.; 212-979-1045); the couple's previous attempts at remaking the room include the short-lived Grace's Kalbi Bar & Korean Cuisine and Jewel Bako Robata.

Ditch Plains

After floating Landmarc Oyster Bar and Watermarc as potential names for their forthcoming Greenwich Village oyster bar (29 Bedford St.), Marc and Pamela Murphy of TriBeCa's popular Landmarc have settled on Ditch Plains – a reference to the über-cool surfers' beach out in Montauk. Expect it to roll in early spring.

Japonais

The latest chic Japanese out-of-towner to give Gotham a go (see also: Morimoto) is this Chicago hottie famed for its sexy decor and even sexier clientele. Whether or not it impresses the locals will be seen in the spring, when it opens off a stretch of Park Avenue South (111 E. 18th St.) that's already pulsing with the arrivals of Barbounia and Barça 18.

Megu Midtown

Billed as a boutique version of Megu, this spin-off of the TriBeCa Japanese powerhouse will feature a new menu (a few of the signatures will remain) and a smaller, more intimate room outfitted with rich fabrics, chandeliers and a large-scale tiger mural. There will also be outdoor seating and a dining-room cart from which guests will be able to choose their meal's ingredients; slated to open in late March on the ground floor of the Trump World Tower (845 UN Plaza).

Nomad

Tagines and other North African dishes will be on offer at this East Villager (78 Second Ave.; 212-253-5410) with an outdoor garden and a wine list that wanders from Algeria and Morocco to California and Israel; opening in early March.

Quality Meats

The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group has hired trendy design firm AvroKO (Public, Stanton Social) to remake the Midtown space that was once the Manhattan Ocean Club (57 W. 58th St.) into an industrial yet inviting setting for contemporary twists on classic steakhouse selections (Caesar salad, steak tartare); scheduled to open in the spring.

Setacci

Spigolo's Joey D'Angelo will bring his innovative Italian cooking to Greenwich Village (420 Hudson St.; 212-675-0810) by month's end; the restaurant, done up in warm tones of chocolate and pistachio, will feature a raw bar and cocktails mixed with fresh juices.

Tokyo Pop

The owners of the Upper West Side's Café du Soleil are opening this casual Japanese eatery across the street (2728 Broadway; 212-932-1000). The affordable menu will feature sushi, as well as the kind of everyday snacks found in a Japanese pub or izikaya, all served in an airy, modern setting with cartoon-style art in the spirit of Takashi Murakami; slated to open in late March.

Good Deals and Other News

Gone But Not Forgotten

The old is constantly making way for the new in this town, and in recent months, a particularly large number of venerable dining institutions have shuttered, including Bill Hong's (1955), McHales (1953), Second Avenue Deli (1954) and Ye Waverly Inn (1920).

Tableside Service Takes Off

Once the jurisdiction of old-timers like Sardi's and 21, tableside service is now in vogue at the city's newest fine-dining destinations. The house salad on the set menu at Country is preciously prepared in view of diners; the servers at Del Posto wheel around everything from a mixed grill for six to an old-fashioned cookie cart; and at Morimoto, an army of servers offer stagy flourishes, even going so far as to mold and set fresh tofu tableside.

Barbounia

This popular Med newcomer has added lunch and weekend brunch service.

Beppe

Cesare Casella is no longer a partner in this Flatiron Northern Italian; instead, he's focusing full-time on Maremma and revamping its menu to better reflect the Tuscan touches for which he's known.

Blue/Green

The Dumbo location of Matthew Kenney's vegetarian cafe is now offering a Friday night prix fixe raw-food dinner menu for $40.

Craftbar

The menu at Tom Colicchio's more casual New American eatery has been rejiggered, with prices now topping out at $20 for a main course of roasted pork with capers, golden raisins and roasted vegetables.

Hampton Chutney Co.

This Indian fusion eatery has opened a new branch on the Upper West Side (464 Amsterdam Ave., 212-362-5050).

Hearth

Marco Canora's East Village Tuscan-American is offering Monday night wine dinners built around a region or grape. Upcoming editions will focus on Northern Rhône (March 13th; $150), Shiraz (March 20th; $195) and Châteauneuf-du-Pape (March 27th; $210) bottles and will pair each of four courses with one or two wines (7 PM; 646-602-1300); prices include tax and gratuity.

HQ

This SoHo New American now serves brunch seven days a week, including lobster Benedict ($15) and a bananas Foster Belgian waffle with vanilla ice cream ($10).

Ideya

Chill out at this SoHo Caribbean's monthlong "Reggae Sunday Brunch" featuring $4 Red Stripes and old-school roots reggae.

Jean Georges

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is now running Restaurant Week promotions year-round at all of his NYC restaurants, with $24.07 prix fixe lunches offered at Jean Georges, JoJo, Mercer Kitchen, Perry Street, 66, Spice Market and Vong; 66 also serves a $35 prix fixe dinner.

March

Book a private luncheon or dinner at this East Side New American through April and receive 15% off the food portion of your bill.

Mexicana Mama

A new cash-only branch of this Nuevo Mexican has opened at 47 E. 12th Street (212-253-7594).

Myriad Restaurant Group

Drew Nieporent's restaurant group has opened Proof on Main in Louisville, Kentucky (702 W. Main St., 502-217-6360); the American menu will feature Tuscan influences and local, seasonal ingredients, complemented by an extensive bourbon list and served in a room filled with contemporary art.

Rain

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, this Pan-Asian Westsider has freshened up its menu and decor.

Riingo

Marcus Samuelsson's New American–Japanese is serving a $35 three-course pre-theater menu throughout the month of March.

Serafina

After closing for renovations, the Lafayette Street branch has reopened in more intimate (read: smaller) digs; to celebrate, it's offering a complimentary tiramisu with the purchase of lunch or dinner throughout the month of March.

Tasting Room

This tiny East Villager has expansion plans. Come late spring, it will open the Tasting Room Restaurant in the space that was Soho Cantina (174 Elizabeth St.), where it will quadruple its seating and boast a full liquor license; the original Tasting Room Wine Bar and Cafe will switch to a simpler, less expensive menu.

Telepan

Bill Telepan's seasonal New American fare is now being served at lunch and weekend brunch; new dishes include The Upper Westsider (smoked salmon, whitefish salad and gravlax with soft scrambled eggs; $21) and a hen-of-the-woods panini ($17.50).

Tocqueville

This acclaimed French-American off Union Square has relocated down the street to tonier digs at 1 E. 15th Street; the larger, more refined appointments feature a lounge and private upstairs dining room. Owners Marco Moreira and Jo-Ann Makovitzky plan to turn the original space into a brand-new restaurant with a more affordable menu offering sushi.

Bellini
Bill Hong's
Bolzano's
Grilled Cheese NYC
Meet
Onju
Penang (Spring St. branch only)
Petrosino, Rib
Secretes
Soho Cantina (Elizabeth St. branch only)
Soju
343

ZagatWire: May 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:49:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
AJ Maxwell's Steakhouse	57 W. 48th St.	Manhattan	212-262-6200
Baci & Abbracci	204 Grand St.	Brooklyn	718-599-6599
Buddha Bar	25 Little W. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-647-7314
Chanto	133 Seventh Ave. S.	Manhattan	212-463-8686
Craftsteak	85 10th Ave.	Manhattan	212-400-6699
Crema	111 W. 17th St.	Manhattan	212-691-4477
Degustation	239 E. Fifth St.	Manhattan	212-979-1012
Ditch Plains	29 Bedford St.	Manhattan	212-633-0202
Dressler	149 Broadway	Brooklyn	718-384-6343
Dublin 6 Wine & Dine	575 Hudson St.	Manhattan	646-638-2900
Good Fork	391 Van Brunt St.	Brooklyn	718-643-6636
Imagine Bar & Grill	112 First Ave.	Manhattan	212-228-2282
Megu Midtown	845 United Nations Plaza	Manhattan	212-964-7777
Per Lei	1347 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-439-9200
Quality Meats	57 W. 58th St.	Manhattan	212-371-7777
Rack & Soul	2818 Broadway	Manhattan	212-222-4800
Shelly's Trattoria	41 W. 57th St.	Manhattan	212-245-2422
Tokyo Pop	2728 Broadway	Manhattan	212-932-1000
Turks & Frogs	458 Greenwich St.	Manhattan	212-966-4774
Vezzo	178 Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-839-8300
Watana Siam	420 Seventh Ave.	Brooklyn	718-832-1611

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Audrey	120 E. 39th St.	Manhattan	212-686-1600
Bar Centrale	326 W. 46th St., 2nd fl.	Manhattan	212-581-3130
Blackstone's	245 E. 55th St.	Manhattan	212-355-4474
Buddha Bar	25 Little W. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-647-7314
Country Champagne Lounge	90 Madison Ave., 2nd fl.	Manhattan	212-889-7100
Crocodile Lounge	325 E. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-477-7747
Dave & Buster's	234 W. 42nd St., 3rd fl.	Manhattan	646-495-2015
Finnerty's	221 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-677-2655
Hade Bade	89 E. Second St.	Manhattan	212-677-2223
Harlem Lanes	2116 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., 3rd fl.	Manhattan	212-678-2695
Le Caire	189 E. Third St.	Manhattan	212-777-7447
Manor, The	73 Eighth Ave.	Manhattan	212-463-0022
Petrarca Vino e Cucina	34 White St.	Manhattan	212-625-2800
Plumm, The	246 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-675-1567
Revel	10 Little W. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-645-5369
Riposo 46	667 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-247-8018
Rose	345 Grand St.	Brooklyn	718-599-0069
Stillwater Bar & Grill	78-80 E. Fourth St.	Manhattan	212-253-2237
Vin Noir	228 Mott St.	Manhattan	212-925-6647
Vlada	331 W. 51st St.	Manhattan	212-974-8030

Coming Soon

Chinatown Brasserie

Both regional Chinese specialties and Chinese-American classics will get the royal treatment (e.g. multiple lobster and steak preparations, deluxe dim sum) at this NoHo brasserie scheduled to open the third week of May in the old Time Cafe space (380 Lafayette St.; 212-533-7000). Expect restaurateurs Joshua Pickard and John McDonald (Lever House, Lure Fishbar) to put their stylish stamp on the venue, which will feature a downstairs lounge pouring Singapore Slings and other specialty cocktails till 2 AM nightly.

Harry's Café & Harry's Steak

The ground-floor space of Wall Street's landmark India House, longtime home to Harry's at Hanover Square, is being reborn on May 12th as Harry's Café and Harry's Steak (1 Hanover Sq.; 212-785-9200), two distinct but related eateries. With its 47-ft.-long black-walnut bar and New American menu (e.g. crispy lobster spring rolls, a tuna burger), the more casual cafe is expected to attract the young Downtown residents who swarm nearby Stone Street hangouts. Meanwhile, dealmakers can retire to the more intimate and clubby steakhouse, which will feature a reserve wine list, as well as the space's original murals of monks making wine.

Le Cirque

The third incarnation of Sirio Maccioni's celebrated restaurant is set to open in the Bloomberg building at One Beacon Court (151 E. 58th St.) on May 31st. The main dining room will feature whimiscal bent-wire art inspired by Alexander Calder, while the focal point of the separate bar area will be a 27-ft.-tall wine tower. Chef Pierre Schaedelin will return to the restaurant after a stint working as Martha Stewart's private chef; his menu will mix French classics like Châteaubriand with more contemporary dishes. There will also be a small-plates menu at the bar.

7 Square

Time Hotel is closing Océo (224 W. 49th St.) the first week of May to make way for this New American chophouse opening in the fall; while the room will have a new look and design, its chef will remain the same.

Good Deals and Other News

Up In Smoke?

NYC has seen a rash of recent 'cue arrivals but the trend may have reached its saturation point. At least a handful of BBQ joints have shuttered in the past months, including Pearson's Texas BBQ, Rib, Smoked, Smoke Shack (fka Maroons Smoke Shack) and Tennessee Mountain.

Aquavit

Marcus Samuelsson welcomes guest chefs Kristoffer Luczak and Calvin Soh of the Raffles Hotel in Singapore for a weeklong celebration (May 16–21) of Southeast Asian cuisine; highlights of the lunch and dinner menus (offered in addition to the usual Scandinavian ones) include otak-otak (a spicy mackerel fish mousse) and Nyonya sea bass (with spicy ginger flower sauce and black nut).

Brasserie Ruhlmann

Chef Laurent Tourondel (BLT Prime, among others) has been appointed executive chef of this new Midtown brasserie; his updated menu includes French classics such as steak tartare and duck à l'orange.

Bread Tribeca

Sara Jenkins, who made a splash cooking at 50 Carmine, has recently landed at this TriBeCa Italian.

'Cesca

Kevin Garcia, the former chef de cuisine at Del Posto, has replaced chef Tom Valenti, who left this Southern Italian earlier this year to focus full-time on Ouest; Garcia is expected to implement a new menu in July after he gets to know his clientele.

Eleven Madison Park

New chef Daniel Humm (formerly of San Francisco's Campton Place) has instituted a prix fixe–only dinner menu featuring three courses for $68; his new market-driven menu is rooted in Provence and includes such signature dishes as artisanal foie gras with golden raisin brioche and African kili pepper, and Jamison Farm lamb herb roasted and braised with tomato confit and niçoise olives.

Frankies Spuntino

A Lower East Side location (17 Clinton St.; 212-253-2303) of Carroll Gardens' popular Italian noshery has opened.

Le Miu

Until its old wine inventory is gone, the bottles at this East Village Japanese newcomer are half off.

Lure Fishbar

After a fire temporarily closed it earlier in the year, this handsome SoHo seafooder is set to reopen this month.

Mainland

On May 7th, this contemporary East Side Chinese is opening an outdoor cafe area secluded from car and foot traffic; the lounge's daily two-for-one, late-night happy-hour specials (10 PM–midnight) will also be available outside.

Pam Real Thai

Patrons tired of waiting for a table at this authentic Thai in Hell's Kitchen may find relief in a new nearby branch at 402 W. 47th Street (212-315-4441).

per se

No luck scoring a reservation at Thomas Keller's culinary oasis? A lull in lunchtime dining during the warmer months means you might have an easier time enjoying the chef's creations in the afternoon, when seven-, nine- and vegetarian nine-course tasting menus are available for $210 per person.

Planet Thailand

Williamsburg's bustling Thai-Japanese is opening a Manhattan branch this month dubbed Planethailand 212 (30 W. 24th St.; 212-727-7026); the menu at the new location will focus on the Thai part of the equation.

Samba-Lé

On Monday nights, this Brazilian-Italian East Villager offers free samba lessons from 6–7:30 PM; complimentary hors d'oeuvres and wine tastings will add to the party vibe.

Silverleaf Tavern

Though its bar remains open, the restaurant at this Murray Hill American (43 E. 38th St.; 212-973-2550) has closed.

Telepan

The new dishes on Bill Telepan's spring menu include roasted blue prawns ($16.50), pea carbonara ($17) and artichoke-crusted king salmon ($27.50).

Tony Luke's

This Philly cheese steak specialist (576 Ninth Ave.) is temporarily closed for a major renovation; it will reopen the third week in May with 50 seats and a sports bar.

Bayou
Bleu Drawes Cafe
Blue Star Oyster Bar
Broomedoggs
Gumbo Cafe
Heirloom
Josephs Citarella
Le Pain Quotidien (1336 1st Ave. branch only)
Les Moules
Mandoo Bar (University Pl. branch only)
Parish & Co.
Sabor
Sushi Rose
Tennessee Mountain
Yujin
Zeytuna (161 Maiden Ln. branch only)

ZagatWire: April 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:49:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
A Voce	41 Madison Ave.	Manhattan	212-545-8555
Beccofino	5704 Mosholu Ave.	Bronx	718-432-2604
Bouchon Bakery	10 Columbus Circle, 3rd fl.	Manhattan	212-823-9366
Buenos Aires	513 E. Sixth St.	Manhattan	212-228-2775
Café d'Alsace	1695 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-722-5133
Jack Bistro	80 University Pl.	Manhattan	212-620-5544
KitchenBar	687 Sixth Ave.	Brooklyn	718-499-5623
Moksha	18 Murray St.	Manhattan	212-608-0707
Nomad	78 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-253-5410
Pre:Post	547 W. 27th St.	Manhattan	212-695-7270
Ronald's Pizza Cafe	74 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-533-4052

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Bounce Deuce	103 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-533-6700
Buddakan	75 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	415-625-8880
Circus	615 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan
Double Down Saloon	14 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-982-0543
Ice Bar	31 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-777-0774
Jadis	42 Rivington St.	Manhattan	212-254-1675
Julep	9 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-254-2442
Night Hotel Bar	132 W. 45th St.	Manhattan	212-835-9600
Tuts	196 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-961-7507

Coming Soon

A.J. Maxwell's Steakhouse

A large-scale mosaic mural will be the focal point of this new steakhouse opening the second week of April in Rockefeller Center (57 W. 48th St.).

Chanto

In early April, this upscale Japanese will launch in the Greenwich Village space that was most famously home to Moomba (133 Seventh Ave. S.; 212-463-8686); its parent company owns several restaurants throughout Japan.

Dressler

The folks responsible for hipster hot spots DuMont and DuMont Burger are opening their third Billyburg venture (149 Broadway) this month; it too will specialize in New American cuisine.

Grayz

Gray Kunz (Café Gray) will give small plates a classic New York spin at this forthcoming lounge in the old Aquavit space (13-15 W. 54th St.), which is being restored to resemble its glamorous heyday as a Rockefeller residence. The menu will feature finger foods (think oysters Rockefeller) built around a cocktail list that will include an updated Manhattan. The swell surrounds, scheduled to open in October, will also feature a private catering space for weddings and other functions.

Hawaiian Tropic Zone

What do you get when you cross bikini-clad servers in sarongs and a Time Square theme setting? This saucy eatery, slated for a September opening in the former Houlihan's space (729 Seventh Avenue), featuring David Burke (davidburke & donatella) as consulting chef.

Il Porcchetto

The owners of Cobble Hill's Banania Cafe are transforming that recently shuttered French bistro into this Italian (241 Smith St.; 718-237-9100) helmed by a new chef; the popular weekend brunch will remain the same.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

A NYC outpost of Ft. Worth's celebrated Southwestern restaurant – a showcase for chef Tim Love's cowboy fusion cooking (blue corn–crusted rabbit, buffalo rib-eye, etc.) – is in the works; the Flatiron District eatery (29 W. 21st St.) should be ready to welcome curious city slickers by early fall.

Porter House New York

Michael Lomonaco's forthcoming bar and grill now has a name; modeled after Boston's Grill 23, it's slated for a late-summer opening on the fourth-floor of the Time Warner Center.

Also Coming Soon

Ted's Montana Grill: Manhattan makes way for another down-home import, this one an American grill specializing in both beef and bison; it's part of a nationwide chain from mogul Ted Turner and slated for a late fall opening in the Time & Life Building (110 W. 51st St.).

Good Deals and Other News

Garden Variety

Spring is in the air, so where to park it for a breezy tête-à-tête? This month, Gavroche will open its secret garden seemingly miles away from the bustle of 14th Street, and on April 17th, Tabla will open its patio featuring views of Madison Square Park. Speaking of the park, Danny Meyer no longer owns alfresco dining in this part of town (see also: Shake Shack) now that Andrew Carmellini's new restaurant, A Voce, is about to unveil a lemon tree–lined piazza outside its Madison Avenue digs; it's scheduled to open by the end of April.

Ama

Donatella Arpaia has sold her interest in this SoHo Puglian to chef Turibiio Girardo; her new Mediterranean restaurant, Dona, recently opened at 208 E. 52nd Street.

Aroma

This NoHo Italian wine bar offers three tastes of wine and a plate of antipasti for $15 Tuesday–Friday from 5–7 PM; antipasti selections change daily.

ChikaLicious

On June 1st, this East Village sweet spot will move to larger digs at 212 E. 10th Street (roughly triple the size of the original with 60 seats); at that time, the E. 12th Street location will become limited to takeout.

Craftbar

Craft's more casual sibling now serves weekend brunch starting at 10 AM; dishes include chickpea pancakes with smoked salmon and crème fraîche ($12) and crispy pork terrine with farm eggs ($12).

Daisy May's BBQ USA

This BBQ specialist is expanding in April to feature a dining room seating 40; a wine and beer license has been approved and hours will be extended, including the addition of weekend service.

Diner 24

Despite its name, this Chelsea American is now open 24/7 Thursday–Sunday only; Monday–Wednesday, it's 9 AM–1 AM.

Earl Monroe's

Now that Earl Monroe has pulled out, this Harlem New Southerner has been renamed The River Room.

Four Seasons

Executive chef Christian Albin's new spring menu features such seasonal dishes as kampachi and bluefin tartare with ginger, wasabi and jalapeño ($26), shad and roe with crisp bacon and orange-caper sauce ($37) and spring rabbit with sausage, morels, asparagus and polenta ($38).

Freemans

This hip Lower Eastsider off Freeman Alley is expanding to the Chrystie Street side as part of a face-lift that's expected to be completed this month; the original space will continue to operate during the renovations.

Heartland Brewery

The South Street Seaport branch is now known as Heartland Brewery & Barbecue; replacing the pub grub is a BBQ menu lifted from sister restaurant Spanky's BBQ.

Jacques

A new branch of this French bistro has opened in NoHo at 20 Prince Street (212-966-8886), the former home of Porcupine and Mix It.

JoJo

Sunday brunch is now offered at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's modern French bistro; served from noon–2:30 PM, it features à la carte items such as potato pancakes with smoked salmon and crème fraîche ($15), as well as a $24.07 prix fixe lunch menu that includes a choice of two small plates (the long list of choices includes goat cheese fondue, warm asparagus, foie gras brulée, black bass and peekytoe crabmeat).

Jolie

This Boerum Hill French bistro offers a four-course tasting menu for $25 on Monday nights.

Maya

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, this upscale Mexican Eastsider has spruced up its menu and decor; new dishes include spice-marinated duck with ancho-fruit mole ($24).

Poke

The new digs (343 E. 85th St.) of this East Side Japanese has triple the seating of the original.

Saigon Grill

This pair of popular Uptown Vietnamese restaurants is opening a Greenwich Village branch this spring at 91 University Place.

San Domenico

Restaurateur Tony May and brother Mimmo Magliulo have signed a lease for the ground floor of the Columbia University School of Social Work (1255 Amsterdam Ave.); plans for the public space are still being hammered out but will encompass what May calls "a total food experience – Italian, of course." A fall opening date is scheduled.

Scottadito Osteria Toscana

As befitting a restaurant a few doors down from the Park Slope Food Co-op, the menu at this Tuscan has been updated to feature more organic and locally farmed ingredients.

66

A new take-out menu at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's TriBeCa Chinese features roasted Peking duck ($23) and chile prawns with lily bulb and sweet walnuts ($22).

Tintol

This new Portuguese wine and tapas bar is luring Times Square clock-punchers with a lunch menu of larger entree-size dishes; choices include a ham and cheese sandwich ($10), pork tenderloin with clams ($16) and beef tenderloin with papas bravas ($22).

Banania Cafe
Blue Star Oyster Bar
Cyclo
Della Rovere
14 Wall Street Restaurant
French Quarter
Il Menestrello
Kelly & Ping (Third Ave. branch only)
71 Clinton Fresh Food
Shorty's on the Half Shell
Via Emilia

ZagatWire: July 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:48:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Aquamarine	713 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-297-1880
Billie's Black	271 W. 119th St.	Manhattan	212-280-2248
Bistro Citron	473 Columbus Ave.	Manhattan	212-400-9401
Brouwers of Stone Street	45 Stone St.	Manhattan	212-785-5400
Burgers & Cupcakes	265 W. 23rd St.	Manhattan	212-242-0600
Carbone	331 W. 38th St.	Manhattan	212-290-2625
Da Gianni's	21-50 44th Dr.	Queens	718-707-0442
Gabriela's	688 Columbus Ave.	Manhattan	212-961-0574
Jack the Horse Tavern	66 Hicks St.	Brooklyn	718-852-5084
Junior's	1515 Broadway	Manhattan	212-302-2000
Little Owl	90 Bedford St.	Manhattan	212-741-4695
Morgan, The	225 Madison Ave.	Manhattan	212-683-2130
Pier 2110	2110 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.	Manhattan	212-280-7437
Provence en Boite	263 Smith St.	Brooklyn	718-797-0707
Room Service	166 Eighth Ave.	Manhattan	212-691-0299
Shanghai Mong	30 W. 32nd St.	Manhattan	212-629-6450
Staghorn Steakhouse	315 W. 36th St.	Manhattan	212-239-4390
Trinity Place	115 Broadway	Manhattan	212-964-0939
Zip Burger	300½ E. 52nd St.	Manhattan	212-308-1308

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Centovini	25 W. Houston St.	Manhattan	212-219-2113
M&R Bar	356 Bowery, downstairs	Manhattan	212-260-1890
Ten Degrees	121 St. Marks Pl.	Manhattan	212-358-8600
Tonic East	411 Third Ave.	Manhattan	212-683-7090

Coming Soon

BLT Market

Chef Laurent Tourondel will open this offshoot of his growing BLT franchise (BLT Fish , BLT Prime and BLT Steak ) in the Ritz-Carlton Central Park (50 Central Park S.) sometime next year; it will replace the hotel's plush New French dining room, Atelier .

Chat Noir

This French bistro (22 E. 66th St.) will need no letter of introduction to le tout Madison Avenue – one of its owners is the former general manager of fashionable La Goulue . A September debut is planned.

French Connection

Simon Oren, who owns Café d'Alsace, Marseille and Nice Matin among other French eateries, has several new projects opening soon. Next to Marseille on Ninth Avenue will be Nissa, a Mediterranan cafe serving sandwiches, pizzas and the like, opening in July. At Port Authority (8th Ave. and 41st St.), he is partnering with Steve Tenedios of the Café Metro chain on Metro Marché, a French brasserie opening in August. And in October, Oren's shuttered Brothers Bar-B-Que at 225 Varick Street in the West Village will reopen as La Moelle, a country French steakhouse. A bit of trivia: the Varick venue was once home to the high-end restaurant Rakel, the original stomping grounds of celeb chef Thomas Keller before he went west to launch French Laundry.

FR.OG

The oddly punctuated name stands for "French Origin," the common influence that will be felt in all of Didier Virot's global dishes (sautéed black sea bass with coriander and garlic, roasted chicken with toasted peanuts, etc.). The Aix chef is setting up shop in a duplex SoHo space (71 Spring St.), located across the street from Balthazar, in the fall.

Japonais

The latest imported behemoth to give Gotham a go is this Chicago hottie famed for its sexy decor. When it settles into Gramercy Park (111 E. 18th St.) later this month, expect spins on sushi and other dramatically presented Japanese fare, not to mention five dining and lounge areas.

P*ONG

Pastry chef Pichet Ong (Spice Market ) strikes out on his own with this sweet-and-savory West Village dessert bar (150 W. 10th St.) in the vein of ChikaLicious and Room 4 Dessert ; it's scheduled to open in the fall.

Trestle on Tenth

This West Chelsea New American (242 10th Ave.), whose name nods to the nearby Highline, will feature a walled garden and hearty, Swiss-influenced cuisine by chef-owner Ralf Kuettel (ex Zoë ). Special emphasis will be placed on the wine list: Kuettel was the wine buyer of the Chelsea Wine Vault and his wife is the beverage director of Gramercy Tavern. A July 10th opening is planned.

Wicker Park

The cuisine at this Upper Eastsider (200 E. 83rd St.), scheduled to open on July 7th, will revisit Continental-American classics, while a sidewalk cafe will provide additional seating.

Good Deals and Other News

Anzu

Lannie Ahn has replaced D'or Ahn, her Korean fusion restaurant, with this new spot offering more affordably priced sushi and Japanese small plates (207 10th Ave.; 212-627-7777). Look for more information on Anzu in the August ZagatWire.

Bar With No Name

Last month, this laid-back Meatpacking District bar began serving Mediterranean cuisine. Owned by the folks from Barolo and I Tre Merli, it is planning to emphasize its food service and could soon receive an actual name.

Beacon

Waldy Malouf now serves a casual continental brunch on Sundays (10:30 AM–2:30 PM) featuring unlimited coffee, espresso drinks and pastries, plus fresh juice and housemade granola and yogurt for $14.95 per person; more substantial dishes and brunch cocktails can be added on.

Caracas Arepa Bar

This Venezuelan East Villager has opened a new branch (93 1/2 E. 7th St.; 212-228-5062) two doors down from the original. The new 34-seat venue will serve dinner and weekend lunch, while the smaller original will focus on takeout and delivery.

District

Recently appointed chef Patricia Williams (formerly of Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe) has cooked up a new seasonal menu at this Times Square New American; dishes include paillard of chicken with heirloom tomato salad and basil oil ($14) and asparagus black trumpet risotto ($18).

Dos Caminos

A sprawling Midtown branch is planned for the fall at the corner of 50th Street and Third Avenue.

5 Ninth

Get ready for "Chefs From Hell Tuesdays" – a late-night party for the restaurant industry featuring an open Leblon caipirinha bar in the garden from 11 PM–1 AM.

The Hideaway

On Monday nights through Labor Day, this upscale TriBeCa lounge serves steamed and chilled Maryland blue crabs (three "oversized" specimens for $19) paired with $5 pints of Sam Adams Summer Ale.

Jefferson Seafood

This West Village New American has taken another culinary turn – this time from small plates and skewers to seafood.

Jovia

Josh DeChellis has departed from this Italian-accented New American. A replacement has yet to be announced.

La Goulue

Chef Christian Delouvrier (formerly of Alain Ducasse) is teaming up with this Madison Avenue bistro to open La Goulue Christian Delouvrier in Bal Harbour, Florida (Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., Ste. 135; 305-865-2181), later this month.

Le Gamin

The 132 W. Houston Street location of this bistro chainlet has reopened after several other restaurants (Le Quinze, Manon) failed to gel in its spot.

Shake Shack

Danny Meyer has equipped the Shack with a Web cam so that patrons can check out the lines before heading to Madison Square Park. To view the cam, go to www.shakeshacknyc.com/camera.html.

Stone Park Café

Speaking of alfresco dining, this Park Slope New American is now the concessionaire for the summer entertainment series in JJ Byrne Park (Fifth Ave. and Third St. in Park Slope): bring a picnic blanket and a bottle of wine, watch free movies and concerts and order noshes such as crudité and short rib tamales. For a complete entertainment calendar, go to www.theoldstonehouse.org.

Tasting Room

Later this month, this tiny East Villager will open a new, larger location at 174 Elizabeth Street, where it will boast a full liquor license. The original space, to close temporarily, will reopen in August with a simpler, less expensive menu.

Via Emilia

This cash-only Italian has moved to a bigger, more modern space at 47 E. 21st Street (212-505-3072). Look for more information on Via Emilia in the August ZagatWire.

A Salt & Battery (2nd Ave. branch only)
Cafe El Cubanito
Chez Henry
D'or Ahn
Elle et Lui
Ian
MJ Grill
Scopa

ZagatWire: June 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:48:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Alma Grill	134 E. 48th St.	Manhattan	212-593-5900
Bonjoo	107 First Ave.	Manhattan	212-505-7974
Buzina Pop	1022A Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-879-6190
Cafe Condesa	183 W. 10th St.	Manhattan	212-352-0050
Carne Vale	46 Ave. B	Manhattan	212-777-4686
Chinatown Brasserie	380 Lafayette St.	Manhattan	212-533-7000
Dirty Bird to-go	204 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-620-4836
Gribouille	2 Hope St.	Brooklyn	718-384-3100
Harry's Cafe	1 Hanover Sq.	Manhattan	212-785-9200
Harry's Steak	97 Pearl St.	Manhattan	212-785-9200
Knife + Fork	108 E. Fourth St.	Manhattan	212-228-4885
Le Cirque	151 E. 58th St.	Manhattan	212-644-0202
Mr. Chow Tribeca	121 Hudson St.	Manhattan	212-965-9500
Pies-n-Thighs	351 Kent Ave.	Brooklyn	347-282-6005
Quaint	46-10 Skillman Ave.	Queens	917-779-9220
Sfoglia	1402 Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-831-1402
Todai	6 E. 32nd St.	Manhattan	212-725-1333

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
230 Fifth	230 Fifth Ave., penthouse	Manhattan	212-725-4300
Chill Lounge	329 Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-682-8288
Chinatown Brasserie	380 Lafayette St.	Manhattan	212-533-7000
Danny's and Eddie's	1643 First Ave.	Manhattan	212-396-2090
Katra	217 Bowery	Manhattan	212-473-3113
Metropolitan Room	34 W. 22nd St.	Manhattan	212-206-0440
Midway	25 Ave. B	Manhattan	212-253-2595
Rewind	137 Essex St.	Manhattan	212-779-7923

Coming Soon

Boqueria

This Flatiron taperia (53 W. 19th St.) will take its culinary cue from the bars that surround the Barcelona food market from which it takes its name; glass-enclosed tapas cases will allow patrons to order by pointing, and there will be sherries, ports and beers, as well as an all-Spanish wine list, to complement signature dishes such as "huevo y pisto" (an egg poached in olive oil and served on a seasonal vegetable pisto). It's scheduled to open mid-summer.

Cluny

Named after a small Burgundy town famous for its old medieval abbey, this French-American bistro from Lynn Wagenknecht (the owner of cult classics Odeon and Cafe Luxembourg) will feature a menu modeled on the Odeon and similarly sophisticated yet simple Greenwich Village surrounds (284 W. 12th St.); a late July opening is planned.

Lollipop

Expect a Euro crowd to descend upon this sib (27 E. 61st St.) of East Side Prada magnets Geisha and Serafina when it debuts in July. A techno-pop lounge specializing in Thai-Vietnamese small plates (including skewered shrimp, lobster and Kobe-style beef "lollipops"), it will feature nightly DJs and a digital video installation that captures and projects guests' silhouettes.

M & R Bar-Dining Room

The folks behind retro Downtown haunt Marion's Continental are reviving this former Elizabeth Street lounge in the neighboring cellar space (356 Bowery; 212-260-1890) that was last home to The Slide; no doubt a similarly fun-and-freewheeling crowd will swing by for Eclectic small plates coupled with extensive wines by the glass when it opens on June 8th.

The Standard

André Balazs is planning a 2008 opening for the Meatpacking District outpost (13th St. at Washington Ave.) of his hip hotel chain; like its LA and Miami counterparts, it will house a chic restaurant that's destined to become a refuge for the willowy.

Good Deals and Other News

Hamptons Happenings

Looking to leave the city? For the latest developments in the East End's dining and clubbing landscape, click here.

Agata & Valentina Food Bar

Enjoy a summertime happy hour at this Upper East Side Italian from 5–8 PM on Thursdays and Sundays, when complimentary appetizers (grilled antipasti, mozzarella di bufala, etc.) can be savored alongside specialty cocktails like the limoncello sorbet martini.

Asiate

There are now seafood ($35) and vegetarian ($28) versions of chef Nori Sugie's bento box lunch ($38) sampling the chef's signature dishes; a wine or sake pairing can be added for $15.

Biltmore Room

Chef Gary Robins is no longer affiliated with this Chelsea looker and the entire space is now a bar/lounge; its future remains unclear.

Bobby Van's Grill

A new Midtown West branch (135 W. 50th St.; 212-957-5050) features a broader menu than its East Side sibs, with sandwiches, pizzas and pastas supplementing the steaks; the space is also outfitted with a 75-ft. marble bar.

Bouterin

This Provençal farmhouse by way of Sutton Place has opened a sister restaurant, Café Soleil, offering more casual all-day French fare, including raw-bar selections (1016 Second Ave.; 212-758-1351); look for more information in the July ZagatWire.

Cité

The popular unlimited wine dinner at this Midtown steakhouse can be ordered during all dinner hours through Labor Day (usually it is available only after 8 PM Monday–Saturday and after 5 PM on Sundays). The $69 three-course deal features a choice of any appetizer, entree and dessert on the regular menu, not to mention bottomless glasses of selected wines, including a 2003 Vieux Lazaret Châteauneuf du Pape.

Fig & Olive

This Mediterranean Upper Eastsider has plans to open a megabranch in November 2006 at 201 W. 13th Street in the same building that houses Buddha Bar.

HQ

Tuck into a Monday night clambake at this stylish SoHo bistro; the $37.50 three-course menu features a one-and-a-half-pound steamed lobster with Ipswich clams, mussels, chorizo, corn on the cob and new potatoes.

Kittichai

A new $20 three-course prix fixe lunch is served daily at this Thai trendsetter; there is also a $30 pre-theater prix fixe offered Sunday–Thursday from 5:30–7 PM.

Lo Scalco

Is closing on June 15th; the TriBeCa Italian plans to reopen in a Midtown location early next year.

Lure Fishbar

This handsome SoHo seafooder now boasts a bona fide sushi bar manned by chef Tanaka Shigenori, formerly of Hatsuhana, Sushi Yasuda and Jewel Bako; the new sushi selections are offered in addition to chef Josh Capon's fin fare.

Minnow

Temporarily closed for renovations, this Park Slope fish house is expected to reopen sometime this month; in the meantime, its full menu can be had at the neighboring Bar Minnow (444 Ninth St.; 718-788-4376).

The Place

This romantic West Villager is battling to renew the lease on its original W. Fourth Street site; fans of the restaurant can show their support by signing a petition at www.savetheplace.com.

Sapa

The new happy-hour menu (offered daily from 5:30–7:30 PM) at Patricia Yeo's Flatiron French-Vietnamese features all kinds of neat noshes, including oyster shooters with sake, white soy sauce and fresh wasabi ($2), mini steak sandwiches ($4) and BBQ pork won tons ($3).

Savoy

After 6 PM, the first-floor cafe of this SoHo greenmarketeer serves a daily selection of small plates priced at $6, $9 or $12; choices might include "a bit of cheese" ($6), roasted asparagus ($9) and a selection of Mediterranean dips ($12).

Sea Grill

A new menu of light bites is available evenings out on the patio, including sushi, sashimi and other "Sea Side" fare, not to mention retro desserts such as funnel cakes and ice pops.

718 B-klyn Diner

Is the new name of the Billyburg Italian formerly known as Miss Williamsburg.

Tournesol

This authentic Long Island City bistro is planning to open an adjacent wine, cheese and oyster bar later this summer.

Triomphe

Lighter, seasonal choices dominate the new summer menu at this Theater District New French, including sections dedicated to small plates, salads and seafood-centric entrees.

Ureña

Weekend brunch (11 AM–4 PM) is now served at Alex Ureña's modern Spaniard; dishes include a duck confit and morcilla omelet ($14) and a poached egg served on a biscuit with chorizo cular and hollandaise sauce ($12).

Vento

Small plates seem to be all the rage this summer, when emptier-than-usual rooms mean restaurateurs don't mind customers lingering over snacks. Fittingly, the new menu at this Meatpacking District Italian features imported cheeses ($4 each), cured meats ($6 each) and other casual nibbles.

Village

From June 5th–18th, this Greenwich Village bistro celebrates summer's bounty in a five-course menu culled from the Union Square Greenmarket; the $42.50 meal includes dishes such as Boston lettuce, asparagus and sorrel soup with truffle butter, and sautéed spring chicken with purslane, fava beans and chanterelles.

'wichcraft

Tom Colicchio's growing sandwich shop chainlet now counts a Greenwich Village branch (60 E. Eighth St.; 212-780-0577).

Yama

This popular sushi trio is now a quartet: the latest outpost is located in Midtown East at 308 E. 49th Street (212-355-3370).

A&B Lobster King House
Baluchi's (Carroll Gardens branch only)
Baru
Bistro du Vent
Café B
Cafe Trevi
Canton
East Lake
Eemo
El Rancho
Go Hyang Jip
Lemongrass Grill (Barrow Street branch only)
Le Pescadou
Mainland India
Mary Ann's (1803 Second Avenue branch only)
Manon
Mee Noodle Shop (First Avenue branch only)
Minado
Océo
Osteria Stella
Quintessence (Amsterdam Avenue branch only)
Raymond's Cafe
River
Roll-n-Roaster (East Village branch only)
The Sultan
Tre Pomodori
Ulrika's

ZagatWire: September 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:47:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
809 Sangria Bar & Grill	112 Dyckman St.	Manhattan	212-304-3800
A La Turka	1417 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-744-2424
Almond Flower Bistro	96 Bowery	Manhattan	212-966-7162
Bocca Lupo	391 Henry St.	Brooklyn	718-243-2522
Bondi Road	153 Rivington St.	Manhattan	212-253-5311
Boqueria	53 W. 19th St.	Manhattan	212-255-4160
Cafe Fuego	9 St. Marks Pl.	Manhattan	212-677-7300
Farm on Adderley	1108 Cortelyou Rd.	Brooklyn	718-287-3101
Gin Lane	355 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-691-0555
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon	57 E. 57th St.	Manhattan	212-350-6658
Max Brenner	841 Broadway	Manhattan	212-388-0030
Momofuku Ssäm Bar	207 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-254-3500
Safran	88 Seventh Ave.	Manhattan	212-929-1778
San Luigi	311 Amsterdam Ave.	Manhattan	212-362-8828
Tasting Room	264 Elizabeth St.	Manhattan	212-358-7831
Tour	102 Eighth Ave.	Manhattan	212-242-7773
Wicker Park	1469 Third Ave.	Manhattan	212-734-5600

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Essex Ale House	179 Essex St.	Manhattan	212-505-6027
Gin Lane	355 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-691-0555
Grape and Grain	620 E. Sixth St.	Manhattan	212-420-0002
Honey	243 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-620-0077
Jade Bar	2 Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-920-3300
Minton's	208 W. 118th St.	Manhattan	212-864-8346
Rose Bar	2 Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-920-3300
Society	535 La Guardia Pl.	Manhattan	212-358-7995
SoHo Park	62 Prince St.	Manhattan	212-219-2129
Union Hall	702 Union St.	Brooklyn	718-638-4400

Coming Soon

Café Largo

Police-officer-turned-restaurateur Marc Calcano is planning to open a restaurant-and-takeout-shop complex this fall in Harlem, with a revival of Café Largo (3387 Broadway), which closed three years ago, as its centerpiece. It will have 120 seats, a renovated rustic interior and Mediterranean cuisine. Next door at 3385 Broadway will be two take-out spots: Vinegar Hill, a bread market and gourmet shop, and Tres Pasos, serving Mexican burritos.

The E.U.

Bob Giraldi and Jason Hennings had hoped to open this East Village gastropub (235 E. Fourth St.; 212-254-2900; Mai Housewww.theeunyc.com) last spring, but faced a number of stumbling blocks obtaining a liquor license, largely due to pressure from the Village community board. Following months of petitioning and negotiating with the board, the E.U. has finally nabbed a beer and wine license and will reopen this month with a new chef.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

A NYC outpost of Ft. Worth's celebrated Southwestern restaurant – a showcase for chef Tim Love's cowboy fusion cooking (roasted garlic-stuffed beef tenderloin with western "plaid" hash, grilled New Zealand red deer chop, etc.) – is in the works; the Flatiron District eatery (29 W. 21st St.) should be ready to welcome curious city slickers the week of September 18th. Designed and built by Love, it will feature a semi-open kitchen, a New World–centric wine list and a downstairs wine cellar with a table that holds up to 25 for private dining.

Mai House

In October, Drew Nieporent and Bao Noodles chef-owner Michael Huynh will open this 125-seat Vietnamese restaurant at 186 Franklin St., located on the same block as Nieporent's Tribeca Grill.

Park Chinois

Alan Yau – the high-profile restaurateur behind London hot spots Hakkasan and Yauatcha – is the creative force behind this modern Chinese eatery opening later this fall in the Gramercy Park Hotel (2 Lexington Ave.; 212-920-3300). The authentic, regional cuisine will showcase the flavors of Shanghai, Szechuan and Beijing, served in a chinoiserie-style setting that will also offer dim sum, Chinese high tea and late-night cocktails.

Porter House New York

Michael Lomonaco's American grill is slated to open this month in the former V Steakhouse space in the Time Warner Center (10 Columbus Circle, 4th fl.), where it will feature a menu specializing in grilled meats and fish. Initially open for dinner only, it will eventually serve lunch, as well as late-night meals at its large bar.

Russian Tea Room

The third incarnation of this illustrious restaurant is opening in October in the original 150 W. 57th St. location. The building has remained untouched since the Warner LeRoy edition shuttered in 2002 (plans for a PGA museum having never materialized), as has its opulent gilded interior. The latest version will offer Continental dining on two floors, with two levels of banquet space above.

Good Deals and Other News

A Voce

Don't have a reservation for Andrew Carmellini's popular Madison Square Park Italian? The tables in the recently opened sidewalk cafe are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

District

On weekdays, this Times Square New American offers a $20 three-course prix fixe lunch (noon–2:30 PM; price excludes tax and gratuity); the menu changes daily but might include dishes such as crispy grits with shrimp, corn and chanterelles in a lobster sauce or steak tartare with quail eggs and toasted brioche.

Gilt

Paul Liebrandt is out as chef of this NY Palace Hotel entry and Christopher Lee (formerly of Philly's Striped Bass) is in. Currently in soft-opening mode, the restaurant will officially reopen on October 3rd with a New American menu, a "smart casual" dress code and desserts by new pastry chef Nicholas Morgenstern (ex Gramercy Tavern). A bar menu has also been added.

Gramercy Tavern

Tom Colicchio has ended his partnership with Danny Meyer to focus on his expanding Craft empire. Executive chef John Schaefer, Colicchio's longtime right-hand man, will continue to run the kitchen until a replacement is found. In addition, a new pastry chef, Nancy Olson (ex Dona), was recently brought in.

Gusto

Chef Amanda Freitag (formerly of Sette Enoteca e Cucina) has been hired to replace Jody Williams, who has left this hip Village hang to helm Morandi, Keith McNally's forthcoming Italian bistro at 15 Charles St. In other news, Gusto owner Sasha Muniak is planning to open an as-yet-unnamed modern Italian at 74 Seventh Ave. S. in November.

Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar

Has moved to 101 Second Ave., where its decor (red-and-white gingham) and small size (24 seats) remain intact. The menu is still French-Continental seafood, now parceled into small plates by new chef Brendan McHale. As a result, prices are considerably lower: for example, the five-course tasting menu, previously $75, is now $50.

Jewel Bako

The menu is now broader, with dishes from the recently shuttered Jewel Bako Makimono merged into it.

Lentini

Later this month, the owners of this Upper East Side Italian are transforming it into the more casual and affordable Tini; the menu will emphasize seafood, complemented by raw-bar offerings and an extensive cocktail list.

Megu Midtown

Lunch is now being served at this scaled-down spin-off in Midtown's Trump World Tower. In addition to the à la carte menu, there's a $20.06 bento box consisting of eight chef selections that comes with soup and salad and a complimentary dessert.

Oceana

The restaurant is seeking a new executive chef following the departure of Cornelius Gallagher, who is now the top toque at Sonnier & Castle, a catering company.

Peacock Alley

On September 10th, the Waldorf-Astoria will begin serving its famously decadent Sunday brunch – which features everything from caviar and oysters to a beef Wellington carving station – in its Peacock Alley restaurant (10:30 AM–2:30 PM; $75 per person, excludes tax and gratuity; 212-872-7335).

Persepolis

This East Side Persian is moving down the block to 1407 Second Ave.

Philly Slim's Cheesesteaks

Has opened a new location at 106 University Pl. (212-989-8281) in Greenwich Village.

Picholine

Terry Brennan's Lincoln Center standby is reopening mid-month after temporarily closing for renovations. Most notably, the front bar will be transformed into a wine and cheese room serving a variety of small plates, wines by the glass and suggested flight pairings with Max McCalman's cheese selections.

Pietrasanta

A takeout-shop spin-off of this Hell's Kitchen Italian has opened by South Street Seaport at 88 Fulton St. (212-693-2600).

Thor

Kurt Gutenbrunner has departed from this trendy Lower East Side hotel eatery, where the kitchen will continue to run under the current staff.

Tony Luke's

This cheese-steak specialist (576 Ninth Ave.; 212-967-3055) has reopened after renovating over the summer; it features new decor and a liquor license. Look for more details in the October ZagatWire.

Two Boots

A branch of this pizzeria is scheduled to open in December at 384 Grand St. on the Lower East Side.

'wichcraft

Tom Colicchio's rapidly growing chain of sandwich shops has opened a new outpost at 106 Crosby St. (212-780-0577).

Babu
Bivio
Chelsea Grill (8th Ave. branch only)
Diner 24
El Bocadito
Jewel Bako Makimono (2nd Ave. branch only)
Mainland
Manhattan Grille
Meskerem (Amsterdam Ave. branch only)
Ora
Partage
Soho Cantina
Sweet Melissa (W. Houston St. branch only)
Sweet-n-Tart Restaurant (Mott St. branch only)
Taku
Tuk Tuk (Smith St. branch only)

ZagatWire: August 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:47:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Alonso's Steakhouse	265 W. 20th St.	Manhattan	212-675-7749
Barbone	186 Ave. B	Manhattan	212-254-6047
Devin Tavern	363 Greenwich St.	Manhattan	212-334-7337
Japonais	111 E. 18th St.	Manhattan	212-260-2020
S'mac	345 E. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-358-7912
Sofrito	400 E. 57th St.	Manhattan	212-754-5999
Trestle on Tenth	242 10th Ave.	Manhattan	212-645-5659
Via Emilia	47 E. 21st St.	Manhattan	212-505-3072
Wolfgang's Steakhouse	409 Greenwich St.	Manhattan	212-925-0350

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Boysroom	211 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-533-5188
Home Sweet Home	131 Chrystie St., downstairs	Manhattan	212-226-5708
Japonais	111 E. 18th St.	Manhattan	212-260-2020
Lollipop	27 E. 61st St.	Manhattan	212-752-8900
St. Jerome's	155 Rivington St.	Manhattan	212-533-1810
Sweet Paradise Lounge	14 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-226-3612
Trinity Place	115 Broadway	Manhattan	212-964-0939

Coming Soon

Allen & Delancey

Downtown will get another culinary star when Akhtar Nawab, formerly the executive chef of Craftbar, opens this New American restaurant in a luxury condo building on the Lower East Side (115 Allen St.) in October.

Eleven B

Vincent Sgarlato, who once owned a Frank Sinatra–themed eatery in Midtown known as the Summit, will debut this Alphabet City Italian (174 Ave. B) by Labor Day; it will house a lounge and a take-out section with a separate entrance.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

The famed French chef is bringing a version of his Parisian hot spot – which marries Haute Cuisine and casual, countertop environs – to the Four Seasons Hotel (57 E. 57th St.; 212-350-6658) later this month. As in Paris, the counter will be the restaurant's focal point, with an exposed kitchen that can be viewed through a see-through glass wall. But unlike the original's intimate, clubby setting, the NYC outpost will occupy a far grander space beneath I.M. Pei's soaring ceiling.

Pera Mediterranean Brasserie

Named after a neighborhood in Istanbul, this Midtown brasserie (303 Madison Ave.), opening in late August, will specialize in charcoal-grilled meats sliced tableside.

STK

Like Strip House, this Meatpacking District newcomer (26 Little W. 12th St.; 646-624-2444) from the owners of One will put a saucy spin on the steakhouse formula, with private dining areas named after burlesque stars and a downstairs lounge with a DJ; it's scheduled to open in September.

supperclub

NYC offshoot of this multisensory eatery (with branches in Amsterdam, Rome and San Francisco) will open next summer in the Meatpacking District (location TBA); guests will dine on Eclectic, three-hour-long meals while lounging on oversized beds amid DJs, video artists, aerial performers and roving massage therapists.

Also Coming Soon

Restaurateur Ed "Jean-Luc" Kleefield is transforming Jean-Luc, his shuttered Upper West Side bistro, into a Southern restaurant (507 Columbus Ave.; 212-712-1700) helmed by a finalist of the Fox TV show Hell's Kitchen.

Good Deals and Other News

Atlantic City Arrivals

The casinos at New Jersey's seaside resort are boasting more than just slot machines these days. Fine-dining establishments are flourishing, with three new celebrity chef–backed entries recently opened in The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa: Bobby Flay Steak, Michael Mina's SeaBlue and Wolfgang Puck American Grille. And there's more on the way. Next month will see newcomers from Stephen Starr and Jeffrey Chodorow with the opening of The Pier at Caesars, an upscale dining, retail and entertainment complex ( www.thepieratcaesars.com).

Lunchtime Deals

Summer Restaurant Week may be over but several restaurants are extending the deal, especially at lunch. Jean-Georges Vongerichten runs Restaurant Week promotions year-round at all of his NYC restaurants, with $24.07 three-course prix fixe lunches offered at Jean Georges, JoJo, Mercer Kitchen, Perry Street, Spice Market and Vong; JoJo, Mercer Kitchen, 66 and Vong also serve a $35 prix fixe dinner. Meanwhile, Nori Sugie is offering a $24.07 bento box lunch with soup and dessert Monday through Friday through September 1st at Asiate. And Telepan is serving its $24.07 fixed-price lunch, which makes ample use of the season's bounty, Wednesday through Friday through Labor Day. For a complete list of restaurants offering Restaurant Week extensions, click here.

Carlyle Restaurant

Yet more lunch specials for you, dahling. This chic Upper Eastsider is offering a "Ladies Who Lunch" promotion featuring any two courses from a special menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts for $24 (a third course can be added for an additional $7). Main choices include a petite Cobb salad, pan-roasted Pacific king salmon and grilled hanger steak au poivre. Available Monday through Saturday from noon–2 PM.

Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

This intimate Jazz at Lincoln Center–affiliated club in the Time Warner Center is offering a swinging happy hour (Monday–Thursday from 4–6 PM) featuring $5 wine, beer and cocktails. Hang around till the 7:30 PM set and get the $30 cover waived (based on availability).

Heartland Brewery

The brewery is setting up a temporary waterfront beer garden as part of "Spiegeltent," a music and performance series running from August 3rd–October 1st at the former Fulton Fish Market in South Street Seaport. The beer garden is open to the public and will serve suds and snacks daily from noon–2 AM; for tickets and the complete "Spiegeltent" lineup, visit www.spiegelworld.com.

Kitchenette

The Downtown branch of this Southern duo has moved to roomier digs at 156 Chambers St.

The Orchard

John LaFemina's sleek American Downtowner is finally getting its liquor license; the restaurant expects to serve alcohol by late this month, so call first before bringing your own.

Paramount Bar

This trendy Theater District hotel bar offers Theatre Equity members and theater patrons reduced prices on apps and cocktails every Sunday from noon–2 AM (till midnight in the mezzanine Paramount Library Bar). Membership cards or ticket stubs must be presented to cash in on the specials, which include $7 martinis and specialty cocktails.

Saigon Grill

This good-value Vietnamese has opened a third branch, this one a 200-seater in Greenwich Village (91-93 University Pl.; 212-982-3691).

Sapa

In addition to hosting a daily happy hour (5:30–7:30 PM) with $1 oysters and $5 cocktails, Patricia Yeo's French-Vietnamese eatery is offering $15 entrees (e.g. a whole steamed one-and-a-quarter-pound lobster with red bliss potatoes and corn) every Sunday night.

Tasting Room Restaurant

The new, larger location of this New American gem has opened at 174 Elizabeth St. (212-358-7831), where it boasts a full liquor license. It's currently open only as a bar, though a food menu is on the way. The original East Village space (72 E. First St.) will reopen later this month as the Tasting Room Wine Bar & Cafe with a simpler, less expensive menu.

Veselka

In early August, this popular Ukranian East Villager is opening a kiosk in a former newsstand just outside the F train station at East First Street and First Avenue.

Vittorio Cucina

Chef-owner Vittorio Capparelli recently passed away. His wife and family will continue to run the restaurant.

Water Taxi Beach

Long Island City's "beachside" bar is hosting an "All You Can Eat Chicken BBQ" from 6:30–8 PM on August 5th, 12th and 19th. The $35 dinner comes with plenty of sides (veggies, corn on the cob, coleslaw, potato salad, garden salad) plus two cups of beer and ice cream for dessert.

'wichcraft

A branch of Tom Colicchio's rapidly growing chain of sandwich shops has opened at 555 Fifth Ave. (212-780-0577), where it operates Monday–Friday only from 8 AM–6 PM.

Baluchi's (Columbus Ave. branch only)
Biltmore Room
Burger Joint (Bleecker St. branch only)
Fontana di Trevi
Frère Jacques
Ian
Jean-Luc
Lo Scalco
Magnifico
Monsoon
Ora
Raga
Scopa
SQC

ZagatWire: October 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:46:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Acqua at Peck Slip	21 Peck Slip	Manhattan	212-349-4433
B. Café	240 E. 75th St.	Manhattan	212-249-3300
Bamn!	37 St. Marks Pl.	Manhattan	212-358-7685
Basso 56	234 W. 56th St.	Manhattan	212-265-2610
Chat Noir	22 E. 66th St.	Manhattan	212-794-2428
eleven B.	174 Ave. B	Manhattan	212-388-9811
Flatbush Farm	76 St. Marks Ave.	Brooklyn	718-622-3276
Goblin Market	199 Prince St.	Manhattan	212-375-8275
Masala Bollywood	108 Lexington Ave.	Manhattan	212-679-1284
Papatzul	55 Grand St.	Manhattan	212-274-8225
Petite Crevette	144 Union St.	Brooklyn	718-855-2632
Porter House New York	10 Columbus Circle, 4th fl.	Manhattan	212-823-9500
PT	331 Bedford Ave.	Brooklyn	718-388-7438
Shorty's	576 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-967-3055
STK	26 Little W. 12th St.	Manhattan	646-624-2444
Tini's Ristorante Italiano	1562 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-628-3131

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
205 Club	205 Chrystie St.	Manhattan	212-477-6688
BB&R	1720 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-987-5555
Cherry Tree	65 Fourth Ave.	Brooklyn	718-399-1353
Comix	353 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-524-2500
Dirty Disco	248 W. 14th St.	Manhattan	212-488-2525
Harmony View	210 W. 50th St.	Manhattan	212-957-5100
Hawaiian Tropic Zone	729 Seventh Ave.	Manhattan	212-626-7312
Marshall Stack	66 Rivington St.	Manhattan	212-228-4667
R Bar	218 Bowery	Manhattan	212-334-0484
Ritz, The	369 W. 46th St.	Manhattan	212-333-2554
Stanton Public	17 Stanton St.	Manhattan	212-677-5555
Tenjune	26 Little W. 12th St., downstairs	Manhattan	646-624-2410

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

ZagatWire: November 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:45:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Benjamin Steak House	52 E. 41st St.	Manhattan	212-297-9177
BLT Burger	470 Sixth Ave.	Manhattan	212-243-8226
Cacio e Vino	80 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-228-3269
Cafe Cluny	284 W. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-255-6900
Core One Nine One	191 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-228-9888
Earthen Oven	53 W. 72nd St.	Manhattan	212-579-8888
Frederick's Downtown	637 Hudson St.	Manhattan	212-488-4200
Hawaiian Tropic Zone	729 Seventh Ave.	Manhattan	212-626-7312
Izakaya Ten	207 10th Ave.	Manhattan	212-627-7777
Juliette	135 N. Fifth St.	Brooklyn	718-388-9222
Lunetta	116 Smith St.	Brooklyn	718-488-6269
Metro Marché	625 Eighth Ave.	Manhattan	212-239-1010
NoNO Kitchen	293 Seventh Ave.	Brooklyn	718-369-8348
Noo Na	565 Vanderbilt Ave.	Brooklyn	718-398-6662
Palo Santo	652 Union St.	Brooklyn	718-636-6311
Pasita	47 Eighth Ave.	Manhattan	212-255-3900
Russian Tea Room	150 W. 57th St.	Manhattan	212-581-7100
Sheep Station	149 Fourth Ave.	Brooklyn	718-857-4337
Sushi of Gari 46	347 W. 46th St.	Manhattan	212-957-0046
Ted's Montana Grill	110 W. 51st St.	Manhattan	212-245-5220
Vamos!	348 First Ave.	Manhattan	212-358-7800
Wombat	613 Grand St.	Brooklyn	718-218-7077

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Big Lug	85 Ave. A	Manhattan	212-673-1775
Corio	337 W. Broadway	Manhattan	212-966-3901
Grand, The	41 E. 58th St.	Manhattan	212-308-9455
Rebel	251 W. 30th St.	Manhattan	212-695-2747
Revolver	210 Rivington St.	Manhattan	212-505-7625
Royale	157 Ave. C	Manhattan	212-254-6600
Studio B	259 Banker St.	Brooklyn	718-389-1880
Time Out New York Lounge	340 W. 50th St.	Manhattan	646-871-1730
Tini	414 Van Brunt St.	Brooklyn	718-855-4206

Coming Soon

Brasserie 52

From the owner of Le Refuge and Métisse comes this casual Hell's Kitchen French bistro (772 Ninth Ave.; 212-586-5006) with a 30-ft. bar, a pastel color scheme, stone-tiled floors and art nouveau posters on the walls. It will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch when it opens mid-month.

The House

In December, this International wine bar/restaurant will open in a three-story Gramercy carriage house dating back to 1854 (121 E. 17th St.). It will feature an oyster bar as well as chef's tables on the third floor, plus a sidewalk cafe. There are also plans for a daily game menu and a rotisserie.

Next Up From Boulud

Daniel Boulud is opening an Upper West Side wine bar (1900 Broadway) across the street from Lincoln Center in late spring 2007. Though casual by Boulud standards, it should be to a wine bar what db Bistro Moderne is to a bistro. The list will lean toward Burgundy, with a private "Cave" dining room accessed through the wine cellar and a "Tasting Table" in the main dining room that sits up to 20 people. "Reverse pairings" will match the wine list with a New French menu focusing on homemade charcuterie.

Provence

Vicki Freeman and Marc Meyer of Five Points and Cookshop will reopen this SoHo perennial – which closed on October 14th after 20 years of business – on January 15th, 2007, with local, seasonal Provençal cooking from chef-partner Lynn McNeely (formerly of Barbuto).

Ray to Open a Burger Joint?

Celebrity chef and "Queen of Quick" Rachael Ray is reportedly opening a burger joint in NYC. According to MediaBistro.com, Ray told an audience at the American Magazine Conference in Phoenix on October 22nd that the yet-to-be-named eatery will serve 190 of her burger recipes. "We'll rotate them," she said. "Tuna burgers, swordfish burgers, turkey burgers ... I like anything you can pick up with your hands – portable food."

Good Deals and Other News

Truffle Time Again

Truffle season is in full swing, with the prized white Piedmontese specimen gracing menus across town. A two-pound beauty from Alba, Italy, was scored by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto (for which he paid $10,500) – shavings of it grace his seven-course "omakase truffle menu" ($295 per person) at Morimoto. If you're feeling as extravagant as Morimoto, you can indulge in an eight-course tasting menu with white truffles in every course at the Sea Grill for $1,000 per person (two-person minimum). Meanwhile, $70 will buy you a liberal sprinkling of white truffles on any à la carte dish at Alto; a three-course "white truffle lunch" is also available for $100 – a comparative bargain. Or tuck into daily specials like white truffle lasagna or white truffle risotto at Andrew Carmellini's A Voce. Finally, through early December, add truffles to any dish at San Domenico for $6 per gram (a 4–5 gram serving per dish is suggested), while at Gusto, enjoy the delicacy à la carte or as part of a three-course menu ($120).

Baluchi's

The local Indian chain plans to open a second Brooklyn outlet (no date set yet) in Park Slope at 310 Fifth Avenue, replacing its Smith Street location that closed in Carroll Gardens last spring.

Barbounia

This Flatiron Mediterranean has done some slight remodeling, with the feathery chandelier banished, and the lounge area with couches up front replaced by a large communal table with high chairs.

Blair Perrone Steakhouse

Through November 30th, this Midtown steakhouse is offering a $24.06 prix fixe lunch menu to benefit the Save the Children Foundation. The three-course meal includes a choice of baked clams or fried calamari, mixed baby greens or beefsteak tomato with onion, and entrees such as a prime dry-aged 8-oz. filet mignon or grilled salmon steak.

Brooklyn Diner USA

A new Times Square location of Shelly Fireman's American diner (155 W. 43rd St.; 212-265-5400), opening this month, will feature the same menu and retro decor as the original.

Bungalow 8

Club queen Amy Sacco will sprinkle some of her celebrity pixie dust in London next year, when an offshoot of her hot boîte opens in the St. Martin's Lane Hotel (45 St. Martin 's Lane, WC2). Sacco is expected to oversee the opening, which is slated for March or April 2007.

Café Boulud

To celebrate the publication of his new cookbook, Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine, chef Daniel Boulud is offering a special three-course lunch featuring recipes from the book, served weekdays throughout November from noon–2:30 PM. The $60 price tag includes a signed copy of the cookbook.

Crumbs Bake Shop

A new flagship location of this nostalgic kosher bakery is opening in early December in Greenwich Village (37 E. Eighth St.), where it will feature cafe seating for 45, WiFi access and a tapas dessert menu in the evening.

Da Noi

A new location of this Staten Island Northern Italian has opened at 138 Fingerboard Road (718-720-1650).

David Burke at Bloomingdales

David Burke now caters from his Bloomie's cafe; interested parties should call Sandy Lee at 212-705-3800.

Masa

This Time Warner Center Japanese – the most expensive restaurant in the United States according to Zagat surveyors – recently instituted a $50 price hike, raising the base price of Masayoshi Takayama's kaiseki-style menu to a whopping $400 per person (that's before drink, tax and tip).

Metrazur

Through December, Charlie Palmer is offering a "World Wine Saturdays" deal from 5–10:30 PM. The $39 three-course meal features entree choices such as filet mignon and morel-dusted sea scallops, as well as a bottle of wine for every two guests – diners have a choice between a 2004 Russian River Valley Chardonnay or a 2000 Geyser Peak Winery Shiraz.

Pó

Stephen Crane, owner of this Greenwich Village Italian classic, is opening a second location in Cobble Hill partnered with his general manager, Jonathan Casteel, who will run the new operation. Chef Lee McGrath will be in charge of the menus at both. The new outpost is scheduled to open in late November at 270 Smith Street, between Degraw and Sackett streets.

Porter House New York

Michael Lomonaco's American grill in the Time Warner Center has begun serving lunch.

Punch

The second-floor lounge at this Flatiron Eclectic is reopening on November 15th as Wined Up, a wine bar offering 30 pours by the glass.

Tamarind

A new "Executive Lunch Menu" features three courses – including entrees such as baked fillet of red snapper served with a plum and coconut tomato sauce and chicken served with fiery Kohalpuri sauce – for $21.50; it's served daily from 11:30 AM–3 PM.

The Alamo
Anzu
Bouterin
Chemist Club Grill
Columbus Bakery (1st Ave. branch only)
Emack & Bolio's (Astoria branch only)

ZagatWire: February 2007

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:43:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
67 Burger	67 Lafayette Ave.	Brooklyn	718-797-7150
Aces	32-07 36th Ave.	Queens	347-495-6991
Asiakan	710 Amsterdam Ave.	Manhattan	212-280-8878
Black Pearl	37 W. 26th St.	Manhattan	212-532-9900
Brooklyn Burger Bar	444 Ninth St.	Brooklyn	718-832-5500
Caffe Falai	265 Lafayette St.	Manhattan	917-338-6207
Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen	54 Seventh Ave.	Brooklyn	718-230-7700
Estancia 460	460 Greenwich St.	Manhattan	212-431-5093
House, The	121 E. 17th St.	Manhattan	212-353-2121
Kefi	222 W. 79th St.	Manhattan	212-873-0200
Le Petit Marché	46 Henry St.	Brooklyn	718-858-9605
Supermac	348 Seventh Ave.	Manhattan	212-760-1900
Tasca	130 Seventh Ave. S.	Manhattan	212-620-6815
Zoma	2084 Frederick Douglass Blvd.	Manhattan	212-662-0620

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
3Steps	322 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-533-5336
Bayard's Ale House	533 Hudson St.	Manhattan	212-989-0313
Beatrice Inn	285 W. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-243-4626
Death & Co	433 E. Sixth St.	Manhattan	415-625-8880
GalleryBar	120 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-529-2266
Geronimo	1600 Third Ave.	Manhattan	212-369-0808
GoldBar	389 Broome St.	Manhattan	212-274-1568
Luna Lounge	361 Metropolitan Ave.	Brooklyn	718-384-7112
Nurse Bettie	106 Norfolk St.	Manhattan	917-434-9072
Oliver's Bar & Grill	190 W. Fourth St.	Manhattan	212-647-0500
Pudding Stones	1457 Third Ave.	Manhattan	212-717-5797
Tillman's	165 W. 26th St.	Manhattan	212-627-8320

Coming Soon

Alchemy

Park Slope's Restaurant Row will get its very own gastropub with the debut of this New American tavern housed in an old hardware store (56 Fifth Ave.; 718-636-4385), where specialty cocktails and microbrews will complement dishes like skate and chips with pickled cauliflower and smoked paprika aïoli.

Anthos

Midtown's critically acclaimed Dona shuttered prematurely last month, so it's a good thing Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia already had this Modern Greek project in the works. Meaning "new beginning" or "blossoming," it will feature an haute Grecque menu similar to the one offered at Psilakis' Upper West Sider, Onera (which recently tranformed into the more countrified Kefi), now to be served in a larger, grander Midtown setting (36 W. 52nd St.) with a pink-hued cherry blossom theme. It's slated to open late this month.

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill

Summer 2007 is the latest opening date being tossed around for this Midtown outpost of Blue Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Sushi (it will combine elements of both) housed in Jason Pomeranc's forthcoming hotel at 6 Columbus Circle, which is still undergoing renovations. Meanwhile, Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar (34 Downing St.; 691-0404) is set to open its doors early this month.

The Inn LW12

The next "inn" spot to open Downtown (see Waverly Inn, Beatrice Inn) is this three-story Meatpacking District newcomer (7 Ninth Ave.) from nightlife vet Jeffrey Jah (Lotus) and scenester Lyman Carter that's scheduled to open in late February after being in the works for quite some time. The kitchen will get a boost from culinary consultant Daniel Boulud, who's recruited Andy Bennett, former sous-chef at Daniel, to craft a European gastropub menu featuring, as one flack described it, the kind of cuisine you'd get if a "really good English cook studied in Paris."

Patina

Joachim Splichal's LA flagship will find an East Coast home in Lincoln Center, where it will open in 2009 as part of a redevelopment plan keyed to the center's 50th anniversary. Open to the public for lunch, dinner and post-theater noshing, the New American restaurant will be one of nine new dining options in the complex, with entrances on 65th Street as well as the plaza.

Second Avenue Deli

This iconic kosher deli closed in January 2006 after it lost its lease for the East Village space it had resided in since 1954. Fans of its famous pastrami, chopped liver and matzo ball soup can now rest easy – the Lebewohls will reopen in a Midtown location (162 E. 33rd St.) this summer.

Wild Salmon

The Pacific Northwest will inspire Jeffrey Chodorow's latest, to replace English is Italian when that restaurant shutters on March 17th at 622 Third Avenue. Chef Charles Ramseyer hails from Ray's Boathouse in Seattle, and will craft a menu showcasing regional ingredients including the namesake wild salmon. Expect an April opening.

Also Coming Soon

The owners of Lotus are keeping very busy. While Jeffrey Jah readies The Inn LW12 (see above listing), partners David Rabin (also the prez of the New York Nightlife Association) and Will Regan are cooking up their own project, a Meatpacking District Mexican scheduled to open in early April in the former Meet space (71-73 Gansevoort St.). Rabin tells ZAGAT.com it will be "casual, authentic, accessible" – stay tuned for more developments.

Good Deals and Other News

Café Gray

A new $62 three-course prix fixe menu is available weekdays from 5:30–6:30 PM and weekends beginning at 5 PM; entrees include coconut-coated black bass, spiced venison medallions and braised short rib of beef. Guests who are in a rush are invited to come back to the restaurant after the show to enjoy dessert.

Café St. Bart's

This New American restaurant at St. Bartholomew's Church will remain open while it gets a revamp under new management; its spiffier digs are to be unveiled in fall 2007.

Cercle Rouge

New chef Pierre Landet's updated brasserie menu is complemented by a Monday night wine promotion featuring 50 percent off bottles from a weekly changing region.

Del Posto

Recently arrived pasty chef Nicole Kaplan, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, has unveiled a new dessert menu featuring the likes of panettone with candied orange, sour cherry and lemon butter, and Crostata di Nocciolo with hazelnut praline and milk chocolate crema. A new seasonal enoteca menu offers an edited selection of antipasti, pastas, entrees and desserts, as well as assorted wine and cheese pairings from Piedmont ($30) and a $41 prix fixe menu that must be ordered by the entire table.

Landmarc

Marc Murphy's popular TriBeCa bistro has expanded its weekend hours and brunch menu; it now offers dishes such as eggs en meurette (with bacon, mushrooms, onions and red wine) from 9 AM–4 PM.

Le Cirque

New executive chef Christophe Bellanca hails from L'Orangerie, LA's bastion of fine French dining, which shuttered on January 1st. He has introduced an entirely new menu, though the cuisine is still modern French with international influences.

London Bar

Gordon Ramsay's more informal dining alternative in the London Hotel offers daily tea service from 3–5:30 PM featuring assorted teas, sandwiches, scones and pastries for $35 a person.

Patina Restaurant Group

Through March 11th, purchase any bottle of red wine and receive 25 percent off and a "Pocket Guide to Wine" from Wine Enthusiast Magazine; the "Savor the Reds" offer is available at all Patina Restaurant Group restaurants, including Brasserie 8 1/2 and Sea Grill.

There's been no further word from the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group on the hostile takeover bid that was recently launched by the Texas-based Landry's Restaurants Inc. (owner of the Chart House and Rainforest Cafe chains, among others). On January 12th, the NYC-based steakhouse chain, whose portfolio also includes Park Avenue Cafe and Quality Meats, received what it called an "unsolicited, highly conditional proposal from Landry's ... to acquire the company at $7.50 a share." Company spokesperson Allison Good had no comment, though S & W has issued a release stating it is evaluating the proposal via a special committee.

Tasting Room

The cramped original space at 72 E. First Street has morphed into a casual wine bar/cafe with just five tables.

Tribeca Grill

On Mondays beginning February 12th, guests are invited to bring wines from their cellar without paying a corkage fee; there is a one-bottle limit per customer and a $10 per person service charge for parties of five or more.

Atelier
Barca 18
Dona
50 Carmine
Ixta
Le Sans Souci
Marbella
Onera
Pop
Setacci
Sosa Borella (Greenwich St. branch only)

ZagatWire: January 2007

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:43:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
15 East	15 E. 15th St.	Manhattan	212-647-0015
Bar Martignetti	406 Broome St.	Manhattan	212-680-5600
Brasserie 52	772 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-586-5006
brgr	287 Seventh Ave	Manhattan	212-488-7500
Ecco-la	1660 Third Ave.	Manhattan	212-860-5609
Fig & Olive Downtown	420 W. 13th St.	Manhattan	212-924-1200
Fireside	19 E. 52nd St.	Manhattan	212-754-5011
Gus' Place	192 Bleecker St.	Manhattan	212-777-1660
Kampuchea	78 Rivington St.	Manhattan	212-529-3901
Kobe Club	68 W. 58th St.	Manhattan	212-644-5623
Kyotofu	705 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-974-6012
Lucali	575 Henry St.	Brooklyn	718-858-4086
Ovelia	34-01 30th Ave.	Queens	718-721-7217
Papoo's	55 Broadway, 2nd fl.	Manhattan	212-809-3150
Rosanjin	141 Duane St.	Manhattan	212-346-7991
savorNY	63 Clinton St.	Manhattan	212-358-7125
Stand	24 E. 12th St.	Manhattan	212-488-5900

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
40C	40 Ave. C	Manhattan	212-466-0800
Against the Grain	620 E. Sixth St.	Manhattan	212-358-7065
Bin No. 220	220 Front St.	Manhattan	212-374-9463
Martignetti Downstairs	1 Cleveland Pl.	Manhattan	212-680-5601
Mehanata	113 Ludlow St.	Manhattan	212-625-0981
Worth Lounge	83 Worth St.	Manhattan	732-718-0246

Coming Soon

Alain Ducasse

Ducasse has closed his eponymous outpost in the Jumeirah Essex House but plans to open a new, as-yet-unnamed restaurant in the St. Regis later this year, 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.

Lola

After a two-and-half-year hiatus, this raucous Southern stalwart is reopening in early March 2007 in new SoHo digs (15 Watts St.; 212-675-6700), where it will feature a Cajun-Creole menu crafted by Top Chef season one finalist Dave Martin, live jazz and R&B music and the return of its popular Sunday gospel brunch.

Nish

This month, Wayne Nish will transform March, his East Side special-occasion destination (405 E. 58th St.) that shuttered on January 1st, into this more casual New American with a greater emphasis on à la carte dining, though it will continue to offer a four-course dinner option.

Hearth

Chef Marco Canora is cooking up a new project in the Michelangelo Hotel (152 W. 51st St.) in the former Limoncello space, which has been totally gutted. The concept behind the Italian menu is old world meets new world – one section will offer fairly straightforward preparations, the other more experimental dishes merging Italian cooking techniques with seasonal, less traditional ingredients, including some reinterpretations of classics (think saltimbocca made with fish instead of veal). The restaurant will also do a snack menu for the hotel's lobby bar. An opening is planned for February or March.

Also Coming Soon

An East Village "gastrosaloon" from restaurant vets Robert Larcom (Myriad Restaurant Group) and Gregg Nelson (Dylan Prime, Devin Tavern) will debut in the old Detour space (349 E. 13th St.; 212-533-6212) this winter. Though primarily a restaurant, its American bistro fare will occasionally be supplemented by live music.

Good Deals and Other News

Big Apple Burger Binge

Gourmet burger emporiums have sprung up seemingly overnight. At Chelsea's brgr, the patties are made from "Montana Legend all-natural Angus beef" and can be topped with everything from crumbled Roquefort to radish sprouts. BLT Burger and Greenwich Village's hip new Stand further indulge diners with boozy ice-cream milkshakes. Over in Park Slope, Burger Bar recently set up shop at 444 Ninth Street (718-832-5500), where it replaces BarMinnow (look for more information on Burger Bar in next month's ZagatWire). And a Chelsea outpost (265 W. 23rd St.) of Burgers & Cupcakes is poised to open in early January, when the original Garment District location will revert to Mitchell London.

Del Posto Wins Lawsuit

Since NYC's Del Posto opened in December 2005, the Batali-Bastianich newcomer has battled its landlord, who has accused it of illegally installing equipment in the basement of its West Chelsea premises. Now, a year later, a civil suit has been settled in favor of the restaurant, ruling that it is within its rights to use the space for compressors and storage. However, Del Posto's legal woes aren't over yet – a State Supreme Court case is still pending.

NYC Trans-fat Ban

The artery-clogging trans fats found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil will soon be banished from NYC restaurants. On December 5th, the NYC Health Department voted to ban artificial trans fats in city eateries, from fast-food joints to temples of haute cuisine. Restaurants will have until July 1st, 2007, to rid trans fats from its frying oils, with total elimination due by July 1st, 2008.

Atelier

This New French oasis in the Ritz-Carlton Central Park is closing after service on Thursday, January 4th; it will be replaced by Laurent Tourondel's BLT Market in the spring.

Blue Smoke

After closing for some light renovations on New Year's Day, Danny Meyer's Gramercy smokehouse is scheduled to reopen on January 15th. While diners won't notice any changes, downstairs at the Jazz Standard there will be a bigger, more welcoming bar and a vastly increased beer, wine and bourbon selection.

Café d'Alsace

Through January 9th, this Yorkville brasserie is serving the traditional French Galette des Rois or "King's Cake"; the person who finds la fève (good luck charm) in their cake is crowned King or Queen for the day.

Charles' Southern Style Kitchen

A new branch of this Harlem soul food spot has opened at 308 Lenox Avenue (212-722-7727).

Dona

Barely a year old, Donatella Arpaia's Midtown Med is losing its lease and closing after service on Saturday, January 6th; a new location is currently being sought.

Gramercy Tavern

A vintage beer and cider menu is now offered in the dining room and tavern. Since it has a higher alcohol content, a 12-ounce bottle of aged beer can be split among several people and enjoyed as an after dinner drink with a cheese course or as part of a menu pairing. According to Kevin Garry, Gramercy Tavern's assistant beverage director, not all beers are meant to be aged. Brews that benefit from cellaring feature greater alcohol and hops, which act as natural preservatives, and bitterness to let it develop, much like tannins in a wine. The vintage beer menu is divided into North American and European sections, with offerings ranging from $10–$23; aged ciders and pommeau (a blend of Calvados and unfermented apple juice) are also available.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

The weekday happy hour (4–7 PM) at this Texas import features a free daily "snack" with the order of a drink; the gratis grub includes garlic sweet fries (Wednesday) and lamb skewers (Friday).

Park Avenue Cafe

This tony Eastsider prematurely announced that it would close in the New Year – last month, it successfully renewed its lease at 100 E. 63rd Street, extending it for another 10 years. The restaurant plans to completely renovate its private events facilities in early 2007.

Sumile

The front-room bar at this French-influenced Village Japanese has been transformed into a sushi counter seating eight. To reflect the new menu additions, its name has been changed to Sumile Sushi.

Alain Ducasse
Better Burger (Second Ave. branch only)
Emack & Bolio's (Seventh Ave. branch only)
Inside
La Gorge D'Or
March
Markt
Minnow
Googie's
Gramercy 24
Sadie Mae's Cafe
Sascha
Zutto (Greenwich Ave. branch only)

ZagatWire: December 2006

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:43:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Amazing 66	66 Mott St.	Manhattan	212-334-0099
Babouche	92 Prince St.	Manhattan	212-219-8155
Biscuit BBQ	230 Fifth Ave.	Brooklyn	718-399-2161
Dennis Foy	313 Church St.	Manhattan	212-625-1007
E.U., The	235 E. Fourth St.	Manhattan	212-254-2900
Gordon Ramsay	151 W. 54th St.	Manhattan	212-468-8888
Hurapan Kitchen	29 Seventh Ave. S.	Manhattan	212-727-2678
Il Menestrello	50 E. 50th St.	Manhattan	212-421-7588
Klee Brasserie	200 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-633-8033
Mai House	186 Franklin St.	Manhattan	212-431-0606
Maze	151 W. 54th St.	Manhattan	212-468-8889
Meskel	199 E. Third St.	Manhattan	212-254-2411
Pera	303 Madison Ave.	Manhattan	212-878-6301
Sasabune	401 E. 73rd St.	Manhattan	212-249-8583
Waverly Inn and Garden	16 Bank St.	Manhattan	212-243-7900
Zenkichi	77 N. Sixth St.	Brooklyn	718-388-8985

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Columbus72	246A Columbus Ave.	Manhattan	212-769-1492
Monday Room	210 Elizabeth St.	Manhattan	212-343-7011
Myst	511 W. 28th St.	Manhattan	212-268-5105
Retox	511 W. 28th St.	Manhattan	212-268-5105
Room Service	35 E. 21st St.	Manhattan	212-254-5709
Ultra	37 W. 26th St.	Manhattan	212-725-3860
Wine & Roses	286 Columbus Ave.	Manhattan	212-579-9463
Wined Up	913 Broadway, 2nd fl.	Manhattan	212-673-6333

Coming Soon

Ecco-la

A mid-December reopening of this Upper East Side Italian standby (1660 Third Ave.), which shuttered some 18 months ago, is planned.

El Quinto Pino

This smaller spin-off of tiny Tía Pol will feature Spanish snacks like the ones served at Tia Pol's bar from 3 to 5 PM (think marinated olives, almonds, etc.), as well as some unique tapas dishes. Expect it to have a more casual bar atmosphere than its popular predecessor when it opens in the spring at 401 W. 24th Street.

Kobe Club

Pricey, pedigreed steaks are all the rage these days, so it's no wonder restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow is putting his stamp on the genre with this Midtown steakhouse (65 W. 58th St.; 212-644-5623) debuting the first week of December. Two thousand samurai swords will suspend from the ceiling of the dining room, which will serve designer chops hailing from America, Australia and Japan, available in "flights" or to be mixed and matched as part of surf 'n' turf combinations. Josh DeChellis will not be in charge of the kitchen, as previously reported.

Morandi

Jody Williams (formerly of Gusto) will helm this forthcoming Italian bistro from Keith McNally, opening in mid-January at 211 Waverly Place.

Tailor

Sam Mason – the young, tattooed pastry chef who honed his skills working with Wylie Dufresne at wd-50 – will open this bi-level SoHo restaurant (525 Broome St.) showcasing sweet and salty creations rooted in the avant-garde techniques of molecular gastronomy (think crème brûlée "pebbles") in early 2007. A first-floor lounge will serve cocktails crafted by mixologist Eben Freeman, who also shook things up at wd-50.

X20

Xaviar's on the Hudson: A Yonkers outpost of Xaviar's at Piermont – Peter Kelly's top-rated Westchester New American – will open in April 2007; it will occupy the second floor of the Yonkers Recreation Pier (71 Water Grant St.) and offer sweeping views of the Palisades.

Also Coming Soon

By the Way, Whatever Happened To... Restaurants originally reported in the ZagatWire as opening in 2006 and now postponed till 2007 include: Allen & Delancey (115 Allen St.), Artemis (1260 Broadway), Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill (6 Columbus Circle), Cafe Largo (3387 Broadway), Centro Vinoteca (74 Seventh Ave. S.), Harry Cipriani (781 Fifth Ave.), La Moelle (225 Varick St.), Landmarc at the Time Warner Center (10 Columbus Circle), Nizza (630 Ninth Ave.), Park Chinois (2 Lexington Ave.) and P*ONG (150 W. 10th St.).

Good Deals and Other News

Ama

This slick SoHo Southern Italian offers free antipasto at its bar weekdays from 5:30–8 PM; $10 cocktails like the Bicicletta (sparkling white wine and Campari) complement the nibbles.

Bemelmans Bar

The hotel's fanciful "Madeline High Tea" (Friday–Sunday from noon–4 PM; $35 per person) is hosting a "Toys for Tots Drive" throughout December, when children and their parents are invited to donate dolls, coloring books and other items.

Burgers & Cupcakes

A Chelsea outpost (265 W. 23rd St.) of this meats-and-sweets Garment District venue is poised to open on December 19th. After the new branch opens, the original will change its name and format.

Café Gray

Diners can tuck into a hearty new seasonal menu featuring dishes such as porcini and chestnut soup ($16) and rabbit and foie gras stew ($39).

China Grill Management

Through Christmas, Asia de Cuba, Ono and other China Grill Management restaurants are donating 25 percent of all dessert sales to City Harvest, the nonprofit food rescue organization.

Chinatown Brasserie

Over Christmas weekend (December 22–25), this stylish NoHo newcomer is trading its Peking ducks for Peking turkeys; the $48 bird feeds two, and comes with steamed Mandarin pancakes, cranberry-ginger chutney, hoisin sauce, scallions, cucumbers and fresh coriander. Available to eat in only.

Max Brenner

This wildly popular chocolatier chain and cocoa-themed bistro has opened a new East Village location (141 Second Ave.; 212-388-0030).

Parea

Kava, Parea's new downstairs lounge, serves wine, ouzo and specialty cocktails, plus $29 flight pairings – including mezedes matched with cocktails and desserts with sparkling wines. It's open seven days a week from 5:30 PM–4 AM.

Rao's

Sure, you have to be seriously connected to nab a table at NYC's famously insular Italian – but now your consolation prize needn't be just a jar of its red sauce. A new 10,000-sq.-ft. outpost is opening December 6th in Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, boasting two replicas of the original East Harlem dining room, not to mention an outdoor bocce ball court and – mamma mia! – a reservation line: 702-731-RAOS.

Chelsea Bistro
Ida Mae
Joe's Ginger (Mott St. branch only)

ZagatWire: March 2007

BuzzEditor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:41:00 GMT

New Restaurants

Name	Address	City	Phone
Alchemy	56 Fifth Ave.	Brooklyn	718-636-4385
Amalia	204 W. 55th St.	Manhattan	212-245-1234
American, The	235 Mulberry St.	Manhattan	212-966-6616
Dieci	228 E. 10th St.	Manhattan	212-387-9545
Il Brigante	214 Front St.	Manhattan	212-285-0222
Inn LW12	7 Ninth Ave.	Manhattan	212-206-0300
Mantra 986	986 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-813-1595
Momento	29-35 Newton Ave.	Queens	718-267-2771
Morandi	211 Waverly Pl.	Manhattan	212-627-7575
Nino's Bellissima Pizza	890 Second Ave.	Manhattan	212-355-5540
Ostia	113 Seventh Ave. S.	Manhattan	212-924-2305
Parigot	155 Grand St.	Manhattan	212-274-8859
Pizzeria de Santo	173 Ludlow St.	Manhattan	212-533-3337
Régate	198 Orchard St.	Manhattan	212-228-8555
Satsko	245 Eldridge St.	Manhattan	212-358-7773
Vynl	507 Columbus Ave.	Manhattan	212-362-1107
Yozakura Kushiyaki Bar	168 Ludlow St.	Manhattan	212-260-2066
Zereoué	13 E. 37th St.	Manhattan	212-679-9355

New Nightspots

Name	Address	City	Phone
Anchor, The	310 Spring St.	Manhattan	212-463-7406
Arena	135 W. 41st St.	Manhattan	212-278-0988
Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar	34 Downing St.	Manhattan	212-691-0404
Star Lounge	222 W. 23rd St.	Manhattan	212-255-4646

Coming Soon

Ago

This Robert DeNiro–backed Tuscan hot spot, with locations in West Hollywood and South Beach, is opening an outpost in TriBeCa's forthcoming Downtown Hotel – a six-story luxury property at Greenwich and North Moore streets – in May.

Bar Boulud

Daniel Boulud's Upper West Side wine bar (1900 Broadway) now has a name, and its simplicity belies its serious food-and-wine program (even if it is casual by Boulud standards). The cellar will boast some 500 wines, and "reverse pairings" will match the Burgundy-heavy list with a New French menu showcasing homemade artisanal charcuterie. Look for a September 2007 debut.

BLT Market

Laurent Tourondel's latest NYC location is still on track for a spring opening, likely in May. Housed in the former Atelier space in the Ritz-Carlton Central Park (50 Central Park S.), it will offer a rotating seasonal menu that could change as often as once a month. The breezy, elegant setting will feature paintings of figs, heirloom tomatoes, pomegranates and other market bounty, large windows that open onto the street in classic bistro style, outdoor seating and a separate exterior entrance on Sixth Avenue.

Insieme

In other naming news, Hearth chef Marco Canora has settled on a sobriquet – it means "together" in Italian – for his forthcoming project in The Michelangelo hotel (152 W. 51st St.). It's a nod to the old-world-meets-new-world menu, in which fairly straightforward preparations will sit side by side with more experimental dishes merging Italian cooking techniques with seasonal, less traditional ingredients. The opening is now scheduled for April.

Mercat

Like Boqueria and Casa Mono, this newcomer will marry Catalan cooking and a hip setting, to include an open kitchen and a downstairs tapas lounge; it's set to debut in Noho (45 Bond St.) in mid-March.

Southern Hospitality

Justin Timberlake is reportedly opening this BBQ restaurant on the Upper East Side.

Also Coming Soon

B.R. Guest Restaurants confirms it has taken over the former Park Avenue Country Club space (381 Park Avenue S.) a few doors up from Dos Caminos, where it plans to install a steakhouse in fall 2007.

The deal to open Park Chinois with London restaurateur Alan Yau having fallen through, Ian Schrager is now negotiating with chef Yuji Wakiya of Tokyo's Wakiya Ichiemicharo to partner on an upscale Chinese restaurant in his Gramercy Hotel (2 Lexington Ave.)

Good Deals and Other News

Boathouse

The outdoor patio of this Central Park oasis is reopening for the warm-weather season on April 15th; new additions include an outdoor grill and live music in the evenings.

Bouley

In the fall, David Bouley will move his flagship restaurant across the street to 161 Duane Street. At that time, the 120 W. Broadway space will become Bouley Bakery and, over at the current Bouley Bakery & Market space at 130 W. Broadway, his Upstairs eatery will expand to include the ground floor.

Cité & Cité Grill

Both of these Midtown eateries will permanently close on April 2nd.

15 East

Marco Moreira's Japanese restaurant in the old Tocqueville space debuted in December with just a sushi bar; now, a cooked menu is also available, including the likes of prawn tempura ($18), wild salmon three ways ($26) and sirloin of Colorado Kobe beef ($45).

Gramercy Tavern

Chef Mike Anthony's new menu includes signature dishes such as suckling pig and flat-iron steak with short-rib ravioli ($76 for three courses).

Kobe Club

In protest of his recent zero-star New York Times review, restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow took out a full-page Times ad on February 21st lambasting critic Frank Bruni; Chodorow has since launched a blog to swipe back at Gotham restaurant critics.

London Bar

A prix fixe menu is now available at Gordon Ramsay's small-plates eatery; the two- and three-course menus ($25 and $31, respectively) include choices such as chicken liver and foie gras parfait and risotto of sweet corn and basil, served from 11 AM–6:30 PM daily.

Miriam

A new Cobble Hill branch of this Park Slope Israeli-Med has opened at 229 Court Street, where it boasts a full liquor license and bar, as well as weekday breakfast and weekend brunch hours.

Patina Restaurant Group

Russian Tea Room

Star chef Gary Robins is no longer in the kitchen of this Russian revivalist, which recently began serving weekday breakfast and lunch, as well as weekend brunch.

Shorty's

The Philly cheese steak specialist formerly known as Tony Luke's now goes by this new name.

Smith & Wollensky

Smith & Wollensky Group Inc. will merge with Patina Restaurant Group (Patina, Sea Grill, etc.) as part of a $79.5 million deal that will leave the steakhouse chain's six NYC restaurants – including Park Avenue Cafe and Quality Meats – in the hands of founder Alan Stillman. Patina says it will expand the Smith & Wollensky brand outside of NYC. Earlier this year, the Texas-based Landry's Restaurants Inc. (owner of the Chart House and Rainforest Cafe chains, among others) had launched a hostile takeover bid of the steakhouse chain.

Strip House

Speaking of steakhouses – on Sundays, this voluptuous West Villager takes 20 percent off roughly a dozen bottles on its wine list.

Acqua Pazza
Amici Amore I
Baluchi's (1565 Second Ave. branch only)
Basso Est
Flor's Kitchen (First Ave. branch only)
Honmura An
I-Chin
Ollie's Brasserie
7 Square
Sipan
Table XII