It’s fall in New York, and that statement comes with an automatic sensory overload. Art openings (check back Monday for my choice of must-see exhibit), the most perfect walks on the High-Line, the best fashion to be had in the city, and an outpouring of new restaurants to expand your tastes! This fall, I am thrilled to see the new batch of great restaurants opening their doors and feeding our bellies (and, for we foodies, our souls).
Pull out your calendars – it’s time to put together a plan for your next few evenings out.
Beurre & Sel Fellow blogger Dorie Greenspan (yes, the cookbook author and baking extraordinaire) and her son, Josh, have put their talents together again to open a pair of year-round bakeshops! They’ll showcase all of Greenspan’s more elegant confections, like blueberry jammers topped with streusel and her signature World Peace Cookies (which, on a separate note, has my vote this election season). 1590 Park Ave between 112th and 115th Sts • 120 Essex St between Delancey and Rivington Sts • (beurreandsel.com). Early September.
Krescendo I love my NY bred restaurants, but we’re definitely getting the best of the west with this pizzeria from Top Chef Masters contestant Elizabeth Falkner. Brought in by owner and fellow Californian restaurateur Nancy Puglisi (Tony’s Pizza Napoletana), the SF pastry rock star will add wood-fired pizzas and homemade pastas to her repertoire. And San Francisco transplant, bar manager Darren Crawford of Bourbon & Branch, will see to Italian-inflected cocktails behind the oak bar. 364 Atlantic Ave between Bond and Hoyt Sts, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (718-330-0888). Mid-September.
Pouring Ribbons Finally! The team that brought The Violet Hour to Chicago, Patterson House and Catbird Seat to Nashville, and Bradstreet Craftshouse to Minneapolis is opening their FIRST watering hole in New York. I have high hopes that this will be my go to place for post-work drinks, pre-event drinks, brunch drinks, and really, any time drinks. 225 Ave B between 13th and 14th Sts (917-656-6788). Mid-September.
The Butterfly Michael White has wowed us all with Italian flavored Osteria Morini and Marea, but now he’s keeping things a little more local. His native Wisconsin served as the inspiration for his latest venture, the Butterfly, named after a Midwestern restaurant where the chef worked as a Beloit youth. Feast on American-hometown revisions of classics like spaghetti and meatballs and chopped steak. Drinks come from masterly barman Eben Freeman, and the bar itself? 21-foot-long with a woodcut back wall that resembles the open wings of a butterfly. 225 West Broadway at White St. Late September.
The Library at the Public Theater Andrew Carmellini – yes, the Café Boulud alum—whose holdings include the Dutch and Locanda Verde—will offer a menu influenced by New York’s dining culture. Pair his dishes—mussels in a garlicky red sauce, seafood gumbo with andouille sausage. And as if the food wasn’t enough, take in your surroundings. Designed by David Rockwell and modeled after Gotham’s first public library, it features an elaborate Parisian rug and industrial steel-frame bookcases along the walls. 425 Lafayette St between Astor Pl and E 4th St (212-539-8777). Early October.
Manzanilla Michelin stars! Did that get your attention? Two Michelin star Spanish chef Dani Garcia joins forces with Boqueria restaurateur Yann de Rochefort to open Manzanilla. This Spanish brasserie will offer whimsical takes on traditional mains, influenced by Garcia’s native Andalusia. Anticipate traditional Spanish faire, like glazed black cod with caramelized piquillo peppers and bomba rice cooked in squid ink with monkfish, prawns and cuttlefish. 345 Park Ave South between 25th and 26th Sts. Mid-November.
The Marrow Season-one Top Chef champ Harold Dieterle, who opened the lovely Kin Shop—is giving a tip of the hat to his family heritage at this meatcentric Italian and German venture. Menu items include brisket braciola and ostrich schnitzel. And never fear if you’re hoping to quench your thirst. He’s offering a 70-plus-bottle wine program will focus on German and Austrian whites and Italian reds. 99 Bank St between Greenwich and Hudson Sts. Mid-November.
Torrisi project (name TBD) That’s right. Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, of Torrisi Italian Specialtiesand Parm fame, continue to reinvigorate stale Italian-American staples at their third venture. Branching out beyond Nolita, they’ve set up shop in the historic Rocco Restaurant space, a Greenwich Village staple since 1922. 181 Thompson St between Bleecker and W Houston Sts. Mid-November.
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