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Where to Eat on New Year’s Eve in New York City

2024-12-23T15:07:27-05:00

The spread at SEA, the sibling to Jungsik. | SEA

Whether you’re looking to have a swanky or chill night, consider these restaurants to send off the year and ring in 2025

New Year’s Eve — you either love it or hate it, and the city is filled with places to welcome both sentiments. For those who want to celebrate the quarter-century mark in full festive mode, there are restaurants with music, dancing, comedy, and more, and for the quieter celebrants who want to avoid price-fixed menus, many places are remaining lower key, serving a regular menu and providing cozier surroundings with a midnight toast of Champagne. Here are some options.

Bradley Cooper Has Opened an East Village Cheesesteak Spot

2024-12-23T09:16:39-05:00

Bradley Cooper in New York on December 17. | Photo by Aeon/GC Images

Plus, a long-shuttered Midtown favorite has reopened — and more intel

The 12-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper has teamed up with Philadelphia’s owner of Angelo’s Pizzeria, Danny DiGiampietro, to open a Philly cheesesteak shop in the East Village before an alleged 2025 opening. Over the weekend, lines snaked out the door to catch a glimpse of Cooper and to try the Philly import at Danny & Coop’s, at 151 Avenue A, at East 10th Street. During its preliminary debut, the sandwich was apparently the only thing on the menu. People reported that DiGiampietro’s family is mostly running it, making foot-long sandwiches with Cooper sharp and onions. If it’s anything like the original, “a cheesesteak at Angelo’s is a particularly beautiful thing.” Cooper and DiGiampietro teamed up in New York last year ahead of the NYC opening.

Danji is back open

After a fire shuttered his restaurant in April of 2023, Hooni Kim has reopened his acclaimed Danji (346 W. 52nd Street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues). The opening comes following the struggle to reopen; Eater reported that the management company had delayed repairs. They finally wrapped up in October, according to Kim. Danji is the city’s first Michelin-starred Korean fine-dining restaurant, having landed the star in 2012.

Hakata TonTon is closing

After reviving the tonsoku restaurant in 2021, Hakata TonTon is closing again. The restaurant announced it will shutter on December 29. “The joy of reconnecting with familiar faces after the pandemic, and the happiness of welcoming new guests, brought us immeasurable gratitude that words cannot fully capture. We are deeply grateful to every person who walked through our doors, shared a meal, and became part of our story,” they wrote.

The Best Bagels in New York City

2024-12-21T08:55:27-05:00

Luke Fortney/Eater NY

The city’s top bagels keep evolving

The bagel may or may not have been invented by Germans living in Poland in the 14th century, but here, it’s associated with Jewish American cuisine, as well as serving as one of the city’s most iconic foods.

True bagels are boiled briefly before being baked. Chewy, glutinous, and highly caloric, a lone bagel is a meal and a very satisfying one, especially when schmeared with cream cheese and layered with lox or another form of cured fish.

Even today the bagel continues to evolve, as several points on this map will demonstrate. Here are some favorites, including some stunt bagels, all good enough to eat whole without any topping at all.

In New York, Steakhouses Are Diversifying Menus to Stay Relevant

2024-12-20T13:51:25-05:00

Yellowfin tuna steak at La Tête d’Or. | Evan Sung/Tete d’Or

They’re spotlighting items like yellowfin tuna or beet steaks carved tableside

Whether it’s a rib-eye, New York strip, filet mignon, or another cut, the star attraction at a steakhouse has traditionally been beef. But newer chophouses are moving beyond steak to accommodate more diverse customers, as well as offer alternatives to those concerned about the effects of too much beef on their health and the environment.

Take Daniel Boulud’s newly open French-leaning steakhouse in Flatiron, La Tête d’Or. Named for a landmark in Boulud’s hometown of Lyon, France, the new spot is a frontrunner in luxurious new steakhouses. In addition to steak and chops, the menu features six salads — like the autumn salad with beets, chicories, red kuri squash, stracciatella, and apples ($20), as well as variations at the raw bar. Past the steaks, the menu features items like whole grilled lobster ($78) and yellowfin tuna ($46). A half dozen sides — a collection could make a meal — include the Vidalia onion flower, a fancy spin on a Bloomin’ onion ($18). And potatoes can be ordered eight different ways, with pommes frites, pomme purée, and gratin among them ($16 each).

Where once beef was the steakhouse draw, to stay relevant and nimble, New York chophouses have had to transform the menu to offer more for everyone.

Evan Sung/Tête d’Or

Dishes from La Tête d’Or.

At Charlie Palmer IV, which has been open since April at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square, the buttermilk fried chicken ($39) and dry martini are the items to get. Palmer, who first made his mark with the Michelin-starred Aureole in 1988 — currently with eight restaurants around the country — says he’s trying to be innovative with IV, a nod to his four sons and the restaurant’s fourth-floor location overlooking Times Square. “The steakhouse, as most people think of it, is outdated,” he says. “I want to be a great American restaurant where you can eat the best steak and other great dishes.” Beyond-steak dishes include the warm seafood salad prepared tableside ($35), Faroe Island salmon ($42), and barbecue Montauk fluke ($39).

Over in Soho, Lucky’s Steakhouse opened in July, an outpost of the nearly quarter-century-old Montecito, California location, with another in Malibu. The New York spot is an intimate 50-seat space commandeered by a 1950s Cuban dance hall mural. The menu features starters and salads, along with a reasonably priced daily special, steaks, chops, and a long list of sides. Front and center on mains there’s the seasonal mushroom steak ($28), such as the oyster variety on a bed of a flavorful sauce made with ginger, tahini, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. “We want Lucky’s to be a place where you can come every night and not eat a steak,“ says partner Sarah Simon.

Down in the Financial District, the city’s oldest steakhouse, Delmonico’s features its take on plant-based eating: the “chicken” a la Keene ($46), a riff on the poultry dish that was a frequent special at the restaurant from the 1940s through 2020 when it temporarily closed. This hearty interpretation, developed by vegan chef Natalie Prhat, plays up a meat-like lion’s mane mushroom served with lentils and a coconut milk miso beurre blanc.

Slightly uptown near the Seaport, Andrew Carmellini’s vegan steak at Carne Mare is inspired by his wife, Gwen Hyman. “She used to be a vegetarian, and I wanted to create something for her and everyone else who doesn’t eat beef,” he says. The dish showcases an extra-large beet ($36) that’s cured in smoked salt, herbs, and garlic. Then it’s roasted and finished on the grill. The dish is carved tableside — the only steak on the menu to get this treatment — and topped with beet juice and served with a side of goat butter. (For lunch there’s the fun mozzarella sticks and caviar for $14 each).

Further uptown, opposite Central Park, Michael Mina’s fancy 300-seat Bourbon Steak may be the brand’s tenth location, but, according to Mina, it’s an updated spin. “We’ve evolved to reflect the tastes of today’s diners,” he says. The salt-crusted sea bream ($67) is one of Mina’s top non-steak picks. The two-pound fish is deboned, wrapped in fig leaves, and encrusted in salt and egg whites. It comes out on a trolley; it’s then filleted tableside, spooned onto plates, and topped with lemon, fruity olive oil, and caper citronette. The lobster pot pie for two ($130) with vegetables and fingerlings is also a highlight.

Over at Major Food Group’s the Grill in Midtown, the throwback music, the doting service, and the dramatic dining room with soaring ceilings make a visit here a theatrical experience. The menu includes Dover sole (MP) available in three styles, such as the Riviera, filleted tableside, and served in a light broth studded with cherry tomatoes. It’s also served with a horseradish meunière or the Neptune’s crown, topped with crab and shrimp.

Co-owner Jeff Zalanick says the restaurant isn’t just a chophouse. “We celebrate all the best dishes from the mid-century,” and “there’s something for everyone” who’s in the market for a dressed-up night out.

A Sadelle’s Founder, Melissa Weller, Is Opening a Bakery

2024-12-20T10:46:52-05:00

Eater

Plus, a Dallas restaurateur heads to Grand Central — and more intel

An unusual pairing is headed to Noho in the spring, with Sadelle’s co-founder baker Melissa Weller joining the Thai team behind Fish Cheeks and Bangkok Supper Club. Bub’s Bakery headed for Lafayette Street, Bloomberg reports, will roll out vegan chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free scones — “American-style baked foods for people with dietary restrictions.” Weller was last on the scene in NYC at Gertie in Williamsburg, and before that, High Street on Hudson, where she made bagels and baked goods like a cinnamon cardamom roll. She also had stints baking at Per Se and Roberta’s. In November, she came out with her follow-up book to A Good Bake, Very Good Bread. Eater has reached out for more details on the bakery and location.

Grand Central is getting a new steakhouse

On the heels of the opening of the giant Grand Brasserie, another new spot is slated to open in Grand Central in the spring: Palladino’s Steak & Seafood from Dallas restaurateur Joseph Palladino. The Bronx-born former NYPD police officer was injured in the line of duty decades ago; he pivoted, managing a restaurant at Yonkers Raceway, then owned by the sports family the Rooneys, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His next stop was Vegas, followed by Dallas, where he became a well-known restaurateur opening businesses like Dos Jefes and Nick and Sam’s Steakhouse. The steakhouse, open since 1999, has been a celebrity hotspot, with sightings of the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Matthew McConaughey, and Jaime Foxx. Now, he’s headed back to New York, taking over the space that had been home to Michael Jordan Steakhouse which closed in 2018. The chef is Sam Hazen, formerly at Tao for over a decade. Rockwell Group is behind the design.

Figure Eight is closing

The sibling to wine bar Cora (previously Silver Apricot until August 2024), Figure Eight is closing on December 22, according to a spokesperson. The Chinese-meets-Southern restaurant from Emmeline Zhao opened just last fall. It was located at 18 Cornelia Street, between Bleecker and West Fourth Street.

The Best Coffee and Tea in Queens

2024-12-19T14:41:49-05:00

Freshly roasted coffee beans, pour-overs, cardamom-spiced milk teas, and aged pomelo peel oolongs

Queens is home to a slew of watering holes for coffees and teas. They include Greek mom-and-pop neighborhood nooks, airy roasteries, Yemeni cafes, Colombian bakeries, Taiwanese tea houses, and matcha lattes with waterfront views. Here’s a guide to getting your caffeine fix in Queens.

COFFEE

An excellent espresso: Balancero

At Balancero’s espresso is pulled through the Slayer espresso machine and channeled into nicely textured cortados, lattes, and cappuccinos. The all-around kindness of the staff — who will sometimes throw in a complimentary mini donut — is a bonus. Balancero is a tiny nook with only three standing tables so stay to chat with the owners or take your Joe to go. 30-95 37th Street, at 31st Avenue, Astoria

The best freddo espresso: Coffee Pot on 23rd avenue

Freddo espresso (cold espresso) is relatively rare this side of the Atlantic, but Coffee Pot, an unassuming corner deli in Astoria’s Greek community, churns out some of the best around. It’s a double shot of espresso shaken until frothy and served over ice with a dash of cinnamon for layers of flavors and textures. Try the freddo cappuccino for an added cap of milk cream. Either drink will get you flying up the subway stairs with just one minute left to catch the arriving train. 28-19 23rd Avenue, at 29th Street, Astoria

A superb pour-over: Mokafe

Coffee culture in Astoria is strong so anything will be a contentious pick, but Mokafe stands out for its flavors: bright and fruity with a roast that’s light enough that a pour-over produces a dark reddish hue. The growing chain is a partnership between a Yemeni American family — Astoria locals for decades — and a Guatemalan American coffee guru, who’s worked at roasteries and cafes in his native country for over a decade. Together, they source directly from small farms in Guatemala and Yemen, where the fruits of the coffee plants are hand-picked and air-dried with the beans then removed, producing those fruit-forward notes. The Yemeni beans, imported green, get roasted in Long Island and shuttled into the Astoria storefront to brew into a number of drinks like maple oat lattes. The space is modern with sage green, light wood, and golden accents that extend into the quiet room behind the shop. Multiple locations

A great roastery: Bean and Bean

In Little Neck, on the city’s eastern border with Long Island, Bean and Bean runs a splendid roasting operation in a big, bright, and airy space with free WiFi. The shop roasts small batches everyday. No beans are out for more than 72 hours after roasting. And they’re working with about 20 coffee beans including Hawaii Kona, Guatemala Gesha, and Costa Rica black honey to varying degrees of light and dark roasts. These beans then power different brews — pour-over, espresso, cold brew — which then pour into drinks like lavender lattes. Pair them with sandwiches and snacks like cheddar chive scones. The cafe also sells a lot of coffee equipment to process any freshly roasted beans you want to take home. Multiple locations

The best vibe: Elm Roastery

Coffee and community are the hallmarks of this locally owned roastery and cocktail bar. The beverage menu runs the gamut from coffee drinks to cocktails and non-coffee concoctions like apple crumb lattes sprinkled with graham cracker crumble; foam-topped espresso martinis; matchas with strawberry puree; and well balanced ube lattes with just a hint of vanilla. You can really feel the sense of community here; it fills up with friends, families, exhausted moms with newborn babies. Look for events like Paint and Sip, Elm Friendsgiving, and art produced by locals. 83-30a Broadway, at Dongan Street, Elmhurst

Good no-frills coffee: Pecoshitas

Maybe you’re not into the price of coffees associated with the words, “artisanal,” “organic,” or “single-source.” We got you: Pecoshitas, a popular Colombian bakery in Jackson Heights, serves a solid cup of Joe for $1.75. People line up all morning long so no pot of coffee sits. Plus, this coffee goes fantastically with the rows of Colombian pastries like their round and flaky pastel de pollo; corn flour empanadas de carne; and cheesy pan de bono. They all sell like hot cakes for around $2. 80-03 Roosevelt Avenue, at 80th Street, Flushing

TEA

Good no-frills tea: Aladdin

You can find rich, milky spiced teas at any South Asian snack shop, but Aladdin’s is a notch above the rest with a smooth blend of black tea, spices, and milk. Tell the cashier how many spoonfuls of sugar you want in your cha (tea in Bangla). And if you can, take a moment to sit and pair it with any of the snacks at this casual counter spot. Tea balances the spicy samosas with a sweet milkiness. And it makes the nuttiness of either the coconut or peanut cookies pop. 29-06 36th Avenue, at 29th Street, Astoria

The best bubble tea: Teazzi

Bubble tea places are a dime a dozen these days, but Taiwan-based Teazzi is the rarity that priorities the tea. Each location carries five signature base brews. The Tieguanyin or Iron Goddess is a heavily roasted oolong with a strong, slightly charred flavor. The amber oolong, grown in Taiwan’s middle-altitude mountains and roasted at low heat, delivers a rich but milder taste. From that base, mix it up as you would with coffee: tea lattes, milk foam (like a cappuccino), flavor infusions like honey or peach, and toppings that range from Teazzi’s signature oats (this can be filling) or aloe. Teazzi is the best bet for getting your chewy boba fix without sacrificing tea quality. Multiple locations

Great Hong Kong-style tea: Cuppa Tea at Tangram

Anyone who argues that tea doesn’t kick you into high gear the way coffee does hasn’t had Hong Kong-style milk tea. At Cuppa Tea, it’s a proprietary blend of different tea leaves, condensed or evaporated milk, and sugar. At the perennially packed outpost at the Tangram mall in Flushing, you’ll witness the drama of the tea making in action: pouring the brew from several feet above and through a tea sock and finally into a glass bottle. It’s strong, slightly bitter, slightly sweetened with a velvety texture. Pair it with the pineapple buns served with a slab of butter. 37-12 Prince Street, at 37th Avenue, Flushing

A good vibe: DAGNY

DAGNY New York offers waterfront views, loose leaf teas, free WiFi, and lots of space. There are about 20 tables — doubles and communal — outfitted with comfortable cushioned chairs for working on laptops, plus a couple lounge-y sofas for hanging with friends. Eight loose leaf teas include Chamellia-brand sencha green and earl grey, and the staff makes a decent matcha latte that’s not watered down. The food menu spans sandwiches and flatbreads. The pumpkin soup features rectangular chunks of pumpkin, herbed and roasted pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon cream. Chill Brazilian pop music fills the airy venue. 11-12 30th Drive, at Vernon Boulevard, Astoria

For pick-up: Fang Gourmet Tea

The elements of tea culture — the meditativeness, nutrition, flavors — are sometimes best enjoyed at home. And Fang Gourmet Tea is a treasury of tea for the home brewer. It deals in the finest leaves — about 50 varieties of oolong, puerh, green, black, and tisanes — hand-crafted pots and cups, and endless intel on anything tea-related from brew times to health benefits. One of Fang’s prized items is the whole pomelo tea aged since 1979. Forty five years ago, tea makers in Taiwan had hollowed out a pomelo, stuffed it with oolong leaves, dried and aged it. It’s a deeply fruity and earthy. 3660 Main Street, at 37th Avenue, Flushing

For sharing a pot: Qahwah House

A highlight of tea is the ritual of sharing a pot among friends, and at Qahwah House, a Williamsburg sensation that recently landed in Queens, you can do just that with a superb Adeni chai. Black tea is enriched with cardamom, nutmeg, and milk, and brewed to order. Flavors are particularly well-balanced and sugar levels are customizable. The coffee drinks are fantastic here, too, so you have a choice for how you want to caffeinate. Multiple locations

Lundy’s, a Sheepshead Bay Classic, Reopens in Red Hook

2024-12-19T13:49:05-05:00

Lundy’s returns to Brooklyn, now in Red Hook. | Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Plus, Wayward Fare, Entre Nous, an East Village Edith’s, and more

Consider this your guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes, that have opened recently. Here’s a roundup of the restaurants and bars that opened in December 2024. This list will be updated weekly. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at ny@eater.com.

December 19

Bed-Stuy: Isa Steyer and Billy Wright who worked together at L’Appartement 4F opened Welcome Home Bakery over the weekend. They’ll start with a slender menu of bread like a “Billy baguette” with olives and herbes de Provence, sesame loaves, a “pig in bed” (“sausage roll meets Pop Tart meets pig in blanket... should be insane,” says Steyer), plus croissants, and coffee with Stumptown beans. Eventually, the menu will expand with items like sandwiches, such as a ham-and-potato-chip one, and another with chickpea salad on ciabatta. 1047 Bedford Avenue and Greene Avenue

Chinatown: Over the past couple of years, Sunny Lee has built a name for her Banchan by Sunny pop-ups. Sunn’s is her new wine bar where she can stay put and serve the kind of nourishing food she’s known for, like her tteokbokki with tomato-gochujang brown butter sauce topped with stracciatella and mozzarella cheese, served in a glass Pyrex dish: “Sunday baked ziti-style,” as she calls it. Banchan will, of course, continue to be a focus. It’s a partnership with Grant Reynolds of Parcelle Wine located down the street. 139 Division Street, at Canal Street

Clinton Hill: Entre Nous is a new French wine bar from Fort Greene’s Fradei team. The corner spot serves oeuf mayonnaise, celery root remoulade, and more. Don’t want a full shrimp cocktail platter? They sell them individually for $4. 39 Clifton Place, at Grand Avenue

East Village: Maretta is the latest Italian restaurant to open in Manhattan — this one from an owner of Anything Bar in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. There’s clam pasta, nduja pizza, fennel salad, and head-on shrimp. 27 Avenue B, near East Third Street

East Village: When Sushi Counter opened in the West Village it received some clapback, but customers continued to show up for its affordable “Australian-style” sushi, leading to an expansion with another location on the other side of town. As EV Grieve reports, Sushi Counter is now open in the East Village. 523 E. 12th Street, between Avenue A and B

Kips Bay: It was “biryani boom times” in Hell’s Kitchen when Hyderabadi Zaiqa opened its doors in 2023. It quickly became one of Eater’s favorite new lunch spots, even landing on our 2023 awards list, for the best way to spend $20. Now, owner Mohammad Tarique Khan has opened another location on the other side of town. 184 Lexington Avenue at East 32nd Street

Nomad: Barlume Downstairs has opened, the cocktail bar sibling to the upcoming Barlume, the 235-seat spot over three levels. The two spots come from John Meadow restaurateur behind Scarpetta and American Cut. 900 Broadway at East 20th Street

Prospect Heights: Akhtar Nawab, who owns the Mexican restaurant Alta Calidad, has expanded next door taking over the former red-sauce spot Cataldo’s. With Wayward Fare Nawab is focused on the Mediterranean in dishes like oven-roasted oysters with cherry pepper butter; swordfish with stewed chickpeas; Turkish manti; grilled prawns with grape leaves; and more dishes making use of the pizza oven left from the previous tenant. 554 Vanderbilt Avenue, at Dean Street

Red Hook: Lundy’s, which first opened in 1920, had been a seafood icon of Sheepshead Bay until it closed in 1979, then reopened and shuttered in 2007. Now it has been reborn in Red Hook. The project is spearheaded by Sandra Snyder (wife of Red Hook Winery’s Mark Snyder). The Infatuation reported that the new iteration of Lundy’s “already feels like it’s been operating for decades,” with a “soundtrack of ’50s hits, an old wood bar, and crumbly biscuits made from the original recipe.” The menu features items like “the Shore Dinner,” a prix fixe with a choice of seafood starter, fish, chicken, or lobster main, and pie for dessert. A patio will open for summer with waterfront views. 44 Beard Street, at Dwight Street

Rockefeller Center: Danny Meyer has opened the latest outpost of his all-day cafe Daily Provisions, one of several in a cluster of Rock Center openings. Concourse level

West Village: Jody Williams and Rita Sodi’s Bar Pisellino, has expanded to not two, but three storefronts starting at the original. The space in between the original corner location is a retail shop while the address on the far end offers the same polished aesthetic, with a bit more privacy and elbow room — for now, anyway. “It is just a little more of the same, a place to indulge in drinking all things Italian from morning coffee, afternoon apertivi to evening cocktails,” says Williams. “Plus all the good stuff … salatini, panini, tremezzini, bomboloni etc.” The expansion follows the relocated, bigger I Sodi in 2023, and the 2022 pop-up and provisions space, Spazio Creativo. Bar Pisellino starts at 52 Grove Street, and curling around the corner on Seventh Avenue South

West Village: Edith’s Sandwich Counter in Williamsburg has opened in Manhattan, a corner space serving the sandwiches, bagels, and the tahini slushies it’s known for. 64 Charles Street, at West Fourth Street

Williamsburg: Four Horsemen wine alum, Ava Trilling opened a wine bar called Rude Mouth this week. It’s the former home of longtime craft beer bar Spuyten Duyvil, which closed in April. Trilling previously had hosted pop-up versions of Rude Mouth at various bars. 359 Metropolitan Avenue, near Havemeyer Street

December 12

Carroll Gardens: Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, also known as the Frank’s, closed down their corner wine bar, and have flipped the space into an extended restaurant for their successful and neighboring slice shop F&F. 465 Court Street, at Luquer Street

Cobble Hill: Sal Lamboglia, behind Cafe Spaghetti and Swoony’s in Carroll Gardens, has opened Sal Tang’s, with Wilson Tang, reviver of Nom Wah, previously home to Vekslers. The menu features dim sum, appetizers like salt-and-pepper wings, crispy orange beef, shrimp lo mein, General Tso’s sesame chicken, and bok choy with garlic and sesame. The Cantonese American restaurant came together after Lamboglia said he wanted more Chinese food in the neighborhood; the Vesklers team approached him to take over their Hicks Street space, and one thing led to another, and he and Tang signed a partnership. Earlier this year, Tang teamed up to open Cha Cha Tang in Greenwich Village with Lure Fishbar’s John McDonald. 521 Hicks Street, at Degraw Street

Dumbo: L&B Spumoni Gardens has been in the works to open in Dumbo for years. Now, according to an Instagram announcement, it has finally, finally opened. The South Brooklyn pizza legend — known for its Sicilian square slice and namesake dessert — first announced plans to expand five years ago. Since then, the restaurant had long appeared ready for primetime, and a large mural of its logo taunted fans in passerby cars on the BQE. It is the second location for the family-run establishment which first opened in 1939 in Gravesend. 46 Old Fulton Street, between Elizabeth Place and Hicks Street

East Village: A Jersey City food truck and ghost kitchen now have a standalone sibling in Manhattan that opened yesterday. Fomo Momo serves fried and steamed momos like “Amazing Afghani” and “Sexy Schezwan” [sic] in six or 12 pieces for around $11 to $20. The menu also features sandwiches like butter chicken and crispy paneer, along with chaaps and snacks like masala fries. 85 First Avenue, at East Fifth Street

East Village: With two Michelin stars under their belt for Moody Tongue in Chicago, brewers and restaurateurs Jared Rouben and Jeremy Cohn opened Moody Tongue Sushi, their first New York restaurant in February; it features 16 of their beers along with sushi from chef Hiromi Iwakiri. Now, they rolled out a Tokyo-style Moody Tongue Pizza. The executive chef is Naples-born Vincenzo Santoro, formerly at Song’E Napule, who spearheads what the restaurant is saying is Tokyo Neapolitan pizza. 123 St. Marks Place, and Avenue A

Midtown: Following his split from Marea, chef Michael White is back cooking pasta in Midtown at Santi, teaming up with one of the biggest developers in Manhattan. The location is personal as it was once Alto, another former White restaurant. 520 Madison Avenue, at East 53rd Streets

Park Slope: The team behind Long Island City Sichuan restaurant Hupo has opened Fleur, a follow-up Chinese restaurant in Park Slope. 392 Fifth Avenue, at Sixth Street

Soho: Lighthouse, a Mediterranean restaurant in Williamsburg, looks to Japan for its new sibling Messy in Manhattan: ingredients like miso, wasabi, furikake, and togarashi find their way to kebabs, sandwiches, mezze, and more. In early 2025, the team will expand with a piano bar called Birds, according to a spokesperson. 149 Sullivan Street, at West Houston Street

Tribeca: Upon the Palace is a palatial 7,000 square-feet Chinese restaurant led by Uluh former chef Xueliang Yu. 317 Greenwich Street, at Reade Street

Upper East Side: From Joshua and David Foulquier, behind the two-Michelin-star Sushi Noz and single-star Noz 17, comes Chez Fifi, named for their late mother. The 40-seat downstairs restaurant offers a full bistro menu. Salon Di Fifi à l’étage is upstairs, a 28-seat space that displays the family’s art collection of works by Calder, Miró, and Picasso, along with a menu of small bites and cocktails. Zack Zeidman is the chef, formerly of Estela and Café Altro Paradiso. He’s overseeing a menu of French and Basque dishes like escargot a la Bourguignonne, deviled baked crab, and roast chicken with foie gras jus, as well as rib-eye côte de boeuf. Sommelier Tira Johnson (Sushi Noz) steers the French and Iberian wine list, while Yumi Nemoto (B-Flat, Martiny’s) oversees the cocktails. The townhouse interior features mahogany paneling, blue accents, plush banquettes, and mirrors. 140 E. 74th Street, at Lexington Avenue

West Village: Zimmi’s opened in the West Village on Saturday with a charming, small dining room serving a menu of dishes that chef Maxime Pradié knows well. But the homestyle Southern French cooking that he embraced growing up is “stuff you don’t usually find in restaurants,” he says. Leading the opening with Pradié is Jenni Guizio, a former director of wine and beverage for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. 72 Bedford Street, at Commerce Street

Williamsburg: The Residence of Mr. Moto is a sibling to the cocktail bar the East Village’s Office of Mr. Moto, named after a fictional character who has become a mascot for the restaurant (Tomo Kubo also owns Tabe Tomo, the tsukemen spot). 186 Grand Street, at Bedford Avenue

December 5

Cypress Hills: Yesenia Rodriguez, a former Port Authority worker who gained a following for her Mason Jar desserts has achieved a lifelong dream by opening her own bakery: Sweets and Things, a bakery serving 30 flavors of tres leches and Dominican coffee. 2715 Fulton Street, at Wyona Street

Noho: After a fire shuttered the restaurant last January, the same month it opened, Los Angeles-imported Gjelina is back open for breakfast and brunch, with dishes like mushroom toast and Moroccan-baked eggs. 45 Bond Street at Bowery Street

Lower East Side: The team behind Bánh Mì Cô Út has opened a second location near its Elizabeth Street original. In 2020, Eater critic Robert Sietsema called the business a “gem.” The group also owns Kitchen Cô Út, a sit-down Vietnamese restaurant. 103 Eldridge Street, at Grand Street

Upper East Side: Fashion house Giorgio Armani opened an updated version of his restaurant within his new 12-story limestone flagship called Armani/Ristorante. This is also home to the Armani boutiques and luxe eight-figure condos. 760 Madison Avenue, at East 65th Street

Upper East Side: Bar Florine, a wine bar, has opened uptown from Julie Bramowitz. She was previously a Wine Director at the Carlyle, and, in another life, is an alum of Vogue. The name is a reference to Florine Stettheimer. 163 E. 92nd Street, near Third Avenue

Upper West Side: Leah Cohen opened Pig and Khao, on the Lower East Side, and later expanded with Piggyback by Pig and Khao in Midtown. Now, she’s opened an additional Pig and Khao further uptown. The menu will reflect Cohen’s Filipino heritage and travels through Thailand and Vietnam. 433 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 80th and 81st Streets

The Best Cake Slices in NYC, According to Food Baby

2024-12-19T10:29:29-05:00

@foodbabyny picks favorite slices, including chocolate blackout cake, birthday cake, PB&J cake, and more

Several times a week, someone asks where to get the best cake: It’s such a common and important question that I was excited to tackle this map so we can have a definitive list to link people to from now on.

Let’s make things clear though: The cake slice map is not an exhaustive list of the best slices of cake in New York. That is a whole separate undertaking, mostly consisting of composed desserts and hard-to-obtain cake at trendy and or high-end restaurants throughout the city (such as Yellow Rose, Claud, Bar Bête, and so on). This is a list of businesses that you can walk into and leave with a highly satisfying slice in a matter of minutes. I tried slices from 30 or so places over the span of a month, sometimes repeating places to try different specials, and concluded that these are the best of the best.

Gov. Hochul Signs Law Making the Restaurant Reservation Black Market Illegal

2024-12-18T19:16:45-05:00

Hochul has signed the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act into law. | The Corner Store

The Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act first passed this summer

Governor Kathy Hochul is signing the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act into law, as of tomorrow December 19. “We’re putting an end to the predatory black market for restaurant reservations — protecting consumers and businesses, and giving everyone a chance to get a seat at the dinner table,” Hochul said in a press release from her office exclusively obtained by Eater. “New York is home to some of the best restaurants in the world, and whether you’re returning to your favorite local spot or trying out the latest in fine-dining, you deserve a fair system.” The bill first passed this summer in New York, a first-of-its-kind in the nation.

Legislation S.9365A/A.10215A is a reaction to the reservation wars in New York. With the rise of platforms like Resy, Opentable, Tock, and SevenRooms, digitization has gamified dining out in the city.

Headlines like “I made $70K selling NYC restaurant reservations — and I don’t even live in New York” have become all the more common as the savvy implement bots to (or manually work to) book up several reservations at a time, only to be sold in what’s being referred to as a “black market.” The bill intends to go after groups like the short-lived #FreeRezy, where reservation slots were traded over a group chat on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram. Essentially, it has created a dining culture in which those with money can buy a reservation, versus logging on to book one when they're released. The reservation, which can range from hundreds to thousands, doesn’t even include the price of the meal.

The bill does not target legitimate trading platforms like the members-only Dorsia — only those that do not have authorization from the reservation platforms and the restaurants themselves. Likewise, of course, this bill is only relevant to a certain subset of restaurants in New York for which reservation mayhem continues to be an issue.

It’s worth noting, however, that there are perhaps some understandable reasons why the underground world of reservations developed in the first place. Groups like R/FoodNYC on Reddit have been spaces where people have traded reservations that we’re otherwise nonrefundable: an issue in recent years, if, let’s say, you had last-minute found out you had tested positive for COVID. (In June, a moderator for the Reddit group told Eater that anyone up charging on their non-refundable reservation trades could get banned).

But the reservation games have also allowed people to flake out on reservations as well as leave restaurants hanging when it comes to filling seats.

Assemblymember Alex Bores, who backed the bill, said this summer: “New Yorkers should not have to pay shady middlemen just for the right to a dinner reservation,” he said. “With this legislation, we are ensuring that families can celebrate a graduation, anniversary, or birthday without a $250, $500, or even $1,000 cover charge. We also protect restaurants from increased cancellations and protect workers from lost tips. A true win-win-win.”

Update: December 18, 2024, 7:15 p.m.: This article was updated to include clarification that Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the law on Thursday, December 19.