New York Restaurants - Restaurant News
August 2008 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

After long delays, the East Village's Black Iron Burger Shop has finally fired up its grill. Expect juicy burgers grilled on an expensive black-iron grill. Black Iron Burger Shop, 540 E. Fifth St., New York, NY 10003, 212-677-6067.

Taste the wines of the future at Clo. The 75-seat wine bar in the Time Warner Center boasts a motion-activated wine list, automatic pours from an Enomatic system that keeps wine fresh, and a team of real humans from Aureole in Las Vegas to oversee the whole thing. Small plates of olives, cheese and salumi round out the experience. Clo, Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019, 212-823-9898.

Home, a popular West Village eatery that changed hands last year, is open again after renovations and edits to the menu. Look for seasonal American fare along with an East Coast wine list---but nothing necessarily from Long Island's Shinn Estate Vineyards, who were Home's previous owners. Home, 20 Cornelia St., New York, NY 10014, 212-243-9579.

The Treviso, Italy-based Zorzi family has opened an eatery in Midtown focusing on the cuisine of Venice. The 130-seat restaurant is helmed by chef Marco Berto. Zorzi, 1 E. 35th St., New York, NY 10016, 212-213-9167.

The dogs have arrived at The Landing! This new Brooklyn joint is designed to meet all your fancy hot dog needs. Collect all the breeds, from Berlin currywurst and Chicago garden-style.

Sasha Petraske returns to bartending (after years of consulting) at White Star. This cozy, clubby room takes a global approach liquor-wise by selling everything from absinthe to Scotch with special presentations for all of them. Expect small nibbles on the menu for blotter. White Star, 21 Essex St, New York, NY 10002, 212-995-5464.

Get your South African barbecue fix at Braai in Hell's Kitchen. Replete with thatched straw roof and African game such as antelope and zebra on the menu, the restaurant also features a "brandy room", with house-made infused varieties of the spirit available for sampling. Braai, 329 W. 51st St, New York, NY 10019, 212-315-3315.

Falafel and schnitzel? That's the idea behind Pita Joe, a healthy-living inspired joint just off Fifth Avenue. Beyond combining the two (with schnitzel and hummus sandwiches), look for Middle-Eastern bites like date brownies and falafel salads. Pita Joe, 2 W. 14th St., New York, NY 10011, 212-627-7877.

Vintage Irving serves up wines and craft beers just off Irving Place, hence the name. The food is mainly smaller apps and scaled down entrees to pair with suds and grape juice, like chorizo and white bean salad or hearts of romaine wrapped with ham. The wine and beer lists will rotate seasonally. Vintage Irving, 118A E 15th St., New York, NY 10003, 212-677-6300.

Linge Rosset sponsored the design of Apiary, a sleek addition to the East Village. Neil Manacle (Bar Bolo, Bar Americain) is in the kitchen, cooking eclectic food including spice-encrusted lamb with fried hummus and smoked paprika-rubbed duck in a space that presumably does not look like a furniture store. Thirty of the wines are from New York State. Apiary, 60 Third Ave., New York, NY 10003, 212-254-0888.

Alain Allegretti is back in the saddle here in New York with Allegretti, his eponymous restaurant in the Flatiron district. Chock full of designer details like a teak bar and ocean blue accents throughout the space, the menu is "inspired" by the French Riviera. To whit, look for salad nicoise with egg and whole fish grilled in a wood-burning oven. No word on whether there's a swimsuits-only dress code. Allegretti, 46 W. 22nd St., New York, NY 10010, 212-206-0555.

Opus, a sleek new Upper East Side boite, isn't gunning for an open-minded clientle, but one that fears gluten instead. Their menu's focus is gluten-free pasta; beyond that, Opus also boasts a raw bar, dairy-free desserts and gluten-free pizza. The blissfully unallergic will be able to sample fresh fish and snazzy cocktails. Opus, 1574 Second Ave., New York, NY 10028, 212-772-2220.

La Vineria's move from their West 55^th Street location is complete. The new space, last occupied by La Locanda on Ninth Avenue, has been gussied up with wood tables and exposed brick walls. La Vineria's menu survives the move intact, and still includes grilled calamari, pappardelle with duck ragout and puff pastry with grilled zucchini. La Vineria, 737 Ninth Ave., New York, NY 10019, 212- 247-3400.

Brown liquor fans are sure to flock to the Whiskey Tavern in Chinatown. In addition to a selection of boutique and artisanal bourbons and whiskies, the kitchen will turn out finger foods like jalapeno poppers and cupcakes. Whiskey Tavern, 79 Baxter St., New York, NY 10013, 212-374-9119.

Peaches is a much-needed addition to the nascent Bed-Stuy restaurant scene. Here, the focus is on Southern fare from crawfish boils to jambalaya and pulled pork sandwiches. The ownership also controls Smoke Joint. Peaches, 393 Lewis Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11233, 718-942-4162.

Street food has gained respect of late, but there's been no high-end entrant to the fray---until now. The Tabla Street Cart is parked right in front of its progenitor restaurant, Tabla. The cart's menu is limited to portable items like a chicken tikka roll and belpuri, but everything is priced under $10. Tabla Street Cart, 11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010, no phone.

News Bytes

Tony Esnault Gone from Adour?
It's being reported---but not confirmed---that Alain Ducasse's right-hand man and the chef at Adour Alain Ducasse, Tony Esnault, has left the restaurant. Adour Alain Ducasse, The St. Regis Hotel, New York, 2 E. 55th St., New York, NY 10022, 212-710-2277.

Eat Blue
JetBlue has quite the lineup for their upcoming Terminal 5 food court at JFK: Alexandra Raij (ex-Tia Pol), Mark Ladner (Del Posto) and Michael Schulson are all overseeing projects at the airport. The new terminal is scheduled to open October 1st. JetBlue Terminal 5, JFK Airport, Queens, NY 11405, no phone yet.

A Superior Space?
AvroKo-designed restaurant Superior is currently a month away from opening. Located on the corner of Bowery and Bleecker in the space last occupied by Mannahatta, not much else is known about it, though a preponderance of Edison bulbs seems likely. Superior, 316 Bowery, New York, NY 10012, no phone available yet.

Country Steak Delayed
The Dining Room at Country's metamorphosis into Country Steak has been delayed until March 2009. The reason? The opening is tied to the re-launch of The Carlton hotel which has now been delayed. Country Steak, The Carlton, 90 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, 212-889-7100.

Mo' Meals?
There are rumblings online that Momofuku Ko may be starting lunch service. No official word yet from David Chang and Co, but there does seem to be a quite a bit of activity at the restaurant during lunch hours. Stay tuned! Momofuku Ko, 163 First Ave., New York, NY 10003, No phone.

Breakin’ Up
David Burke and Donatella Arpaia split the baby with their eponymous restaurant, davidburke & donatella. Burke will continue to run the restaurant and Arapia is out. There's no word yet on a new name, which is to be announced at the end of the year. davidburke & donatella, 133 E. 61st St., New York, NY 10021, 212-813-2121.

Jean-Georges’ Pizza Hut

Jean-Georges Vongerichten will open a pizza restaurant in partnership with Sullivan Street Bakery's Jim Lahey. The 50-seat eatery will be located near W. 24^th St. and Ninth Ave.

Graydon Carter’s Monkey
Graydon Carter, Vanity Fair editor and co-owner of über-scene-y West Village eatery The Waverly Inn, is buying the Monkey Bar. After a redesign earlier this year, the restaurant faltered. It will soon close down and undergo another renovation before opening as---undoubtedly---Midtown's hippest restaurant. Monkey Bar, Hotel Elysée, 60 E. 54th St., New York, NY 10022, 212-838-2600.

Pre-Theater Forking
Knife + Fork, a hip East Village eatery, has a new prix-fixe designed just for theater-goers. From 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., diners---particularly of the pre-theater variety---can enjoy a three-course meal for $35. Knife + Fork, 108 E. Fourth St., New York, NY 10003, 212-228-4885.

BYO…Pizza Toppings?
South Brooklyn Pizza, in the spirit of Neapolitan pizza making, only serves one pie: a margherita. But in a rather unconventional move, owner-chef Jim McGown will now let hungry pizza-eaters bring their own toppings. South Brooklyn Pizza, 451 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11231, 718-852-6018.

Inter-Mural Activities
Veselka is growing into the space next door to their Ninth street headquarters. Alas, this means that beloved mural at the the 24-hour diner will have to go. Take note, art (or pierogi) lovers: the mural is indeed for sale and can be transported to a new location. Veselka, 144 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003, 212-228-9682.

Bye Bye Borough
Limping along for a year and never getting on its feet, Jeffrey Chodorow's Borough Food & Drink will shut down in September and eventually reopen as Almond, an outpost of the Bridgehampton eatery of the same name. Borough Food & Drink, 12 E. 22nd St., New York, NY 10010, 212-260-0103.

End of Summer Slowdown
Several restaurants are shutting down to prep for autumn. Here is a list of the most important closings: Daniel: August 4 to mid September and Masa: August 24 to September 7.

English Does… English?
Todd English revealed plans for a new restaurant called Libertine, evoking a "1970s London clubhouse," in the Gild Hall hotel. The projected start date is in November; the executive chef will be Eben Leonard.

Grimaldi’s Tax Snafu
Grimaldi's was briefly closed last week by tax authorities in the city, who claimed they owed $150,000. The owner, Frank Ciolli told the Brooklyn Record that it was all clerical error. In any case, Grimaldi's is now open and the line is as long as ever. Grimaldi's, 19 Old Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718-858-4300.

The Tide Comes In
Michael White and Chris Cannon, the team behind Alto and L'Impero, are moving into the old San Domenico space on Central Park South. Their eatery, Marea, which means "tide," will focus on Italian-inspired seafood dishes.

Chef Shuffle

The sputtering Dining Room at Country has hit another road block: chef Willis Loughhead has left the kitchen and won't be returning. The Dining Room at Country, The Carlton, 90 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, 212-889-7100.

Ryan Skeen, former chef at Resto and consulting chef at The General Greene, has been named the new chef at Irving Mill.

Ryan Grant, late of ilili, is the new chef at Elizabeth.

Jesi Solomon, the former chef at The Stanton Social, has taken over the kitchen duties at Thor, the restaurant located inside the Hotel on Rivington. Thor, Hotel on Rivington, 107 Rivington St., New York, NY 10002, 212-796-8040.

Irving Mill's founding chef, John Schaefer, has left the Gramercy restaurant.

The revolving chef door at Bobo continues: Jared Stafford-Hill is out and former executive chef at Boston's Radius, Patrick Connolly, is in. Bobo, 181 W. Tenth St., New York, NY 10014, 212-488-2626.

East Village pan-Latin eatery Yerba Buena is now the domain of Toloache's Julian Medina.

Former Rain chef, Taweewat Hurapan, is now cooking at Asiana.

Chef John Iconomou has hung up his toque after four months at Elizabeth. Ryan Grant is the replacement.

Former Café Gray chef Michael Citarella replaces Jean Adamson in the kitchen at Freemans. Freemans, 2 Freeman Alley, New York, NY 10002, 212-420-0012.

Closings

Lime, a snazzy Thai eatery in the West Village, has closed. Lime, 29 Seventh Ave. S., New York, NY 10014, no phone.

Gasparino's, an oft forgotten Italian restaurant on Curry Row in the East Village, has closed.

Marion's Continental, a scruffy spot on the Bowery, has closed.

Midtown restaurant Café Biarritz has closed after many decades of churning out French fare.

Longtime Upper East Side Italian eatery Coco Pazzo has shut down.

David Bouley's esteemed homage to all things Austrian, Danube, closed for good on Saturday, August 2. Bouley will reopen the space as Secession and serve French and Italian fare.

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

BEST SPRING BEERS

Check out GAYOT's list of Best Spring Beers to find crisp brews, wheat ales and American IPAs.

Check the list.

BEST SUPERFOODS

GAYOT's list of the Best 10 Superfoods covers the most health-promoting fruits, veggies, and more.

Read the article.

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 August 2008 Archive

New York Restaurants - Restaurant News
August 2008 Archive