New York Restaurants - Restaurant News
March 2009 Archive

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Keep abreast of what's going on in New York here at Gayot. You can learn all you need to know about new restaurant openings, special events, and more. The information you need on restaurants in New York is here.

RESTAURANT NEWS

Openings

Paradiso specializes in tiramisu---serving several varieties, including traditional and banana-chocolate iterations---paired with cookies and coffee, all in a quaint Alphabet City storefront. Paradiso, 105 Ave. B, New York, NY 10009, 212-777-0234.

At Shojin-style Japanese restauant Kajitsu, the emphasis is on seasonal vegetables served in an austere, Buddhist environment. Look for dishes to incorporate soba noodles and fu, made from rice flour with gluten, both of which are created on the premises. Kajitsu, 414 E 9th St., New York, NY 10009, 212-228-4873.

Pinche Taqueria is opening a third location, within the club Mantra. Though the owners say they're going for a "Senor Frog's" vibe, Pinche's selection of tacos and tortas will still be available here, no matter how tacky the décor is. Pinche Taqueria, 986 Second Ave., New York, NY 10022, 212-813-1595.

The E.U. has been dissolved, and now Tonda takes over the space. The focus has shifted to wood-oven-fired pizzas as well as Neapolitan nibbles like roasted eggplant and fried artichokes. Tonda, 235 E 4th St., New York, NY 10009, 212-254-2900.

Michael Hyunh’s second Baoguette Cafe location, on St Marks, opens the last week of March in the space vacated by pink automat Bamn. Look for similar items on the menu here as with the Lexington Avenue location, as well as some dishes with noodles and rice. Baoguette Cafe, 37 St. Marks, New York, NY 10009, 212-380-1487.

Joe Isidori, last seen cooking at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas, is the chef behind Harbour, a nautically themed restaurant in Soho. As you'd expect from the yacht-style décor, seafood is the catch of the day, including pickled gulf shrimp with tamarind and arctic char with miso and grapefruit. Harbour, 290 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013, 212-989-6410.

Da Silvano's younger, hipper sibling, Scuderia, is just across Sixth Avenue from that august restaurant. Here you'll find Northern Italian fare like seafood stew and skirt steak with three dipping sauces. Scuderia, 10 Downing St., New York, NY 10014, 212-206-9111.

BXL East is the sister restaurant to BXL, Midtown’s Belgian café and restaurant. Slated for the East Side: almost fifty beers in bottles and on draft and Monday night all-you-can-eat mussels for $20. BXL East, 210 E. 51st St., New York, NY 10022, 212-888-7782.

Zak Pelaccio has taken Fatty Crab uptown. This Upper West Side Fatty has all your favorite dishes from the downtown branch, including pickled watermelon and pork belly salad and chili crab, but boasts double the number of seats and takes reservations. Fatty Crab, 2170 Broadway, New York, NY 10024, 212-496-2722.

Ramen Setagaya has opened their third outpost in the city, on University Street. Here, you'll have a bit more elbow room as well as broths made from salt and soy sauce stocks. Ramen Setagaya, 90 University Pl., New York, NY 10003, no phone.

Keith McNally's latest venture is a re-imagining of the Minetta Tavern. To that end, the restaurant now serves French classics like a terrine of foie gras and a hefty veal chop. The old-school, 1950s interior was also restored to its former glory, complete with red banquettes and dark wood. Minetta Tavern, 113 MacDougal St., New York, NY 10012, 212-475-3850.

Ali Baba's Terrace serves up sophisticated Turkish fare near the United Nations. Grilled meats and creative flat breads are menu standouts. Ali Baba's Terrace, 862 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017, 212-888-8622.

From the same owners as the Good World Bar, the White Slab Palace brings Swedish style to the Lower East Side. The burger is beef, not reindeer, but drinks are garnished with anchovies and they plan to offer bags of frozen meatballs to go. White Slab Palace, 77 Delancey St., New York, NY 10002, 212-334-0913.

Touting itself as a discount Nobu, Ritz Asia is one of the best-kept secrets in the West Village. Yes, there's black cod with miso glaze as well as Chinese and Southeast Asian fare like orange beef and pink lady sushi. Ritz Asia, 189 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012, 212-228-3366.

Midtown's newest Japanese yakitori mecca is named Inakaya. Look for deep-sea snapper flown in fresh daily from Tokyo, soybean-marinated squid and salmon roe with daikon radish in the 3,000-square-foot space. Inakaya, 231 W 40 St., New York, NY 10018, 212-354-2195.

News Bytes

James Beard Best NYC Chef Nominees
The nominees for this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards are out, and New York City’s best chef nominees include Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern), Terrance Brennan (Picholine), Wylie Dufresne (wd-50), Gabrielle Hamilton (Prune) and Gabriel Kreuther (The Modern).

Esca in the Outfield
Dave Pasternack of Esca will be preparing seafood sandwiches and more at the Mets' new stadium, Citi Field. Look for lobster rolls, crab fries and fried calamari at his food stand named “Catch of the Day.” Esca, 402 W. 43rd St., New York, NY 10036, 212-564-7272.

Katie Lee to NYC
Katie Lee Joel, winner of last year’s burger bash at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, plans to open a patty palace of her own later this year. The name? Logan County, named after the area in West Virginia from whence she hails.

A La Carte, Per Se
In a nod to the economic climate, Per Se is offering an a la carte menu in the salon section and bar area of the restaurant. So, now you can sample a bite-size sample of the Per Se experience for as little as $28 for some white polenta agnolotti. Per Se, Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Cir., New York, NY 10019, 212-823-9335.

Fire!
Coney Island pizza institution Totonno's will be closed for the next few months after a fire ravaged their interior over the weekend. Among the items lost: the pizzeria's brick oven, though the owners says they "rebuild it every few years anyway."

Happy Birthday, Four Seasons Restaurant
It’s the 50th Anniversary of The Four Seasons Restaurant this June. Check back soon for news on a gala event to celebrate the date, but in the meantime, the restaurant is polishing the silverware extra hard. The Four Seasons Restaurant, 99 E. 52nd St., New York, NY 10022, 212-754-9494.

Late-night at Lupa
Lupa has introduced Roma Mezzanotte, a new late-night menu that is available Sunday through Thursday after 10:30 p.m. (seating is available until midnight). For $26 per person, the three-course prix-fixe menu includes an antipasto, pasta, dessert and a glass of wine. Main course options include spaghetti alla carbonara and tagliatelle with pork ragù. For more information, please call 212-982-5089. Lupa, 170 Thompson St., New York, NY 10012, 212-982-5089.

Tasting Notes
The Tasting Room's former Elizabeth street location will return to the active rotation in the form of a new brunch spot called Josephine's. It's slated to open this May. Josephine's, 264 Elizabeth St., New York, NY 10012, no phone available yet.

Bamn Mi?
Nouveau automat Bamn may be in it's death throes, but its rumored replacement has banh mi fans salivating. If the pink burger joint bites the dust, none other than Baoguette, Michael Hyunh's Vietnamese sandwich spot, will take its place. Baoguette, 61 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10010, 212-518-4089.

Vice is Nice
Rumor has it that Michael Psilakis of Anthos (and others) will be working with the Viceroy when that hotel chain opens a branch in New York City next year. For the time being, Psilakis is designing the food program for their recently opened property in Miami. Anthos, 36 W. 52nd St., New York, NY 10019, 212-582-6900.

Hailing Governor's Island!
Water Taxi Beach is planning to open a location on Governor's Island this summer. In addition to burgers and beers, the location will boast volleyball courts and a stage for concerts. Look for it at the beginning of May.

Chef Shuffle

Gavin Portsmouth is now the co-chef at Pranna, working alongside Chai Trivedi. Pranna, 79 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, 212-696-5700.

Kevin Pomplun is now the executive chef at 5 Ninth, replacing Daniel "Chino" Perilla. He was last the chef at Thor. 5 Ninth, 5 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10014, 212-929-9460.

Matt Hamilton is leaving his position as chef of Belcourt to become executive chef at Choice Markets in Brooklyn. Belcourt, 84 E. Fourth St., New York, NY 10003, 212-979-2034.

Eric Hara has left as chef of Fishtail by David Burke and David Burke Townhouse. John Tesar will take his place, and Hara will become the chef at The Oak Room. Fishtail by David Burke, 135 E. 62nd St., New York, NY 10065, 212-754-1300.

Closings

Comfort Diner, the Flatiron's go-to spot for greasy spoon classics, has closed. Comfort Diner, 214 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017, no phone.

P*ong, the West Village’s most colorful dessert emporium, and Batch, the adjacent bakery, have both closed. Chef Pichet Ong hopes to re-open Batch in a different West Village location in August. P*ong, 150 W. 10th St., New York, NY 10014, no phone.

R&L Restaurant, the restaurant which replaced the much-loved Florent, has closed. R&L Restaurant, 69 Gansevoort St., New York, NY 10014, no phone.

Cendrillon in Soho has closed. Cendrillon, 45 Mercer St., New York, NY 10013, no phone.

East Village sushi spot Le Miu has closed. Le Miu, 107 Ave. A, New York, NY 10009, no phone.

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.

View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in New York

BEYONCE INSPIRED LIBATIONS

Try these whiskey cocktails inspired by Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album.

Check the recipes.

BOURBON IN YOUR AIOLI

This cashew aioli recipe gets a kick with bourbon.

Get the recipe.

GAYOT'S RESTAURANT AWARDS

Over the years, we have been electing restaurants to be on GAYOT's Yearly Restaurant Awards.

Check the list.

New York Restaurants - Restaurant News March 2009 Archive

New York Restaurants - Restaurant News
March 2009 Archive