It's almost Memorial Day, so plenty of people will be headed out of New York City this weekend, which means you might actually be able to eat at Lafayette without having to endure an interminable wait (no promises, though). In any event,...
It's almost Memorial Day, so plenty of people will be headed out of New York City this weekend, which means you might actually be able to eat at Lafayette without having to endure an interminable wait (no promises, though). In any event, after a string of big openings, things finally settled down a bit this week. But even if there's no single spot you must hit ASAP, there are still a bunch of solid new options worth checking out. See it all, straight ahead.
1. Lafayette (Last week: 5)
Reviews are coming in for Andrew Carmellini's Noho blockbuster (including one from New York's Adam Platt), and they are overwhelmingly positive. Printed praise certainly isn't going to make the place any easier to get into.
2. ABC Cocina (1)
It seems Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Dan Kluger, and chef Ian Coogan have another full-blown hit on their hands with this sorta-Spanish, sorta-Mexican ABC Kitchen.
3. Carbone (2)
Not everyone is so smitten with the theatrics at Team Torrisi's new restaurant, but it's hard to argue with praise from an authority like Alain Ducasse, who revealed in last week's Grub Street Diet that he's a big fan.
4. Dominique Ansel Bakery (4)
Here we go: Demand for cronuts continues to rouse people from bed bright and early just so they can stand in line on Spring Street hoping — praying — this bakery won't run out before it's their turn. The cronut craze might die down one of these days, but that day is not today.
5. Costata (6)
It's not like Manhattan needs another steakhouse, but when that steakhouse is from Michael White, that's a different story.
6. Montmartre (7)
Good news: Ryan Sutton this week echoes Platt's review from a week prior and discovers that, despite the opening-month hiccups that plagued this place, Tien Ho and Gabe Stulman appear to have permanently righted the ship.
7. Alder (3)
The lines have died down outside Wylie Dufresne's modernist pub, but that might change as more reviews get filed — the general consensus is that the place is a winner.
8. Uncle Boons (14)
It opened several weeks ago, but only in the last couple of weeks has this Thai spot from two Per Se vets become the place to talk about. Even Danny Bowien is a fan.
9. Pearl and Ash (11)
Richard Kuo's small-plates place on the Bowery continues to win fans thanks to its novel food (Kuo's a wd~50 vet, and it shows) and a wine list that Pete Wells loved.
10. Betony (9)
It only opened last week, but reports back from this Brasserie Pushkin replacement have been few and far between. Even still, the space is plush, and the menu is full of upscale takes on people-pleasing dishes, so expect to hear more about this spot very soon.
11.The Pines (8)
Good word of mouth continues to surround Angelo Romano's ambitious Gowanus spot, and last week Time Out complemented the buzz with a full-out rave of a review.
12. Le Philosophe (13)
The Noho bistro opened quietly but has become a bona fide hit, with a crowded dining room every night. Chef Matthew Aita's menu is a textbook example of how to properly take French classics and update them for current-day New York diners.
13. Pok Pok Ny (Off last week)
It was a long, line-free winter over on Columbia Street, but things are really starting to pick back up now that the weather's warm: Andy Ricker's got a new cookbook coming out very soon, he's ever-closer to opening a Whiskey Soda Lounge down the street, and, yes, the lines are back.
14. Franny's (10)
The threat of long lines at the newer, bigger Franny's doesn't seem to deter people from checking it out. And, speaking of cookbooks, expect the crowds to grow as the PR for this spot's new cookbook, out in a couple of weeks, kicks into gear.
15. Fatty 'Cue Brooklyn (12)
Even if Zak Pelaccio is busy upstate with his own new restaurant, the Fatty Crew appears to have a handle on things in the city with the recently reopened Fatty 'Cue in Williamsburg.
16. The Fourth (15)
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