NYC 2 LONDON

Boasting “seasonal, market driven” French fare, this new ‘burg concern features an extended bar backed by a handcrafted mirror and connected to the open kitchen (plus an elevated, leather-couched waiting area and wood-fenced back garden) that’s kicking off brunch only with a lineup including a selection of Herve Katz charcuterie, French Toast “creme brulee”, bacon-cheeseburger sausages from Meat Hook, and smoked salmon w/ hard boiled egg, for those who don’t mind putting on a little (Chow Yun) fat.

251 Grand Street (between Roebling and Driggs), Williamsburg, NY 11211 +1 (718) 486-3300 LeComptoirNY.com

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An industry vet (Daniel, Buddha Bar…) who always wanted a place of his own finally gets one at this high ceilinged, red accented, fountain & lantern deco’d Franco-Moroccan bistro, where the chef’s hooking up goodness like moules frites du jour, phyllo stuffed with braised chicken & feta, and Lamb Mitonnee w/ olives, coriander, artichokes and nugget potatoes, a nickname Earl Boykins much preferred to Small Fry.

4 W 19th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.), New York, NY 10011 +1 (212) 929-4444

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Yes, we know. You’re going to say “This is not a restaurant.”

You are sooo mistaken…

Stop by the recently opened East Village corridor for owner JoAnna Troccoli’s addictive vegan treats (must-put-down banana cacao macaroons) and iced Counter Culture java.

On a personal note; sliced banana, with apple butter and walnut crumbles, or sea salted cucumber, avocado, and lemon on multigrain is yum.

182 Ave. B (between 11th & 12th Sts.), New York, NY 10009 +1 (212) 677-4460

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Pushing their much-loved specially-sauced fried chicken wings and fueling pitchers from 10 taps, the Korean giant’s new locale’s arrived with a mod-sports bar vibe just in time for football, with numerous projectors and TVs filling out a space decked with memory foam banquettes, black lacquer tables, and wooden accents reclaimed from the Brooklyn Bridge, which unlike accents reclaimed from the Boston Bridge don’t think they sound wicked smaht.

325 5th Avenue (between 32nd and 33rd St.), New York, NY 10016 +1 (212) 686-8282 BonChon.com

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Go outerborough to get the full Dominuevo experience at this tropically flavored, neon lit, bi-level 120-seater, which’s pairing 50+ rums with bites like Cazuelitas (deep fried tortilla bowls) filled with ham-wrapped shrimp, rock shrimp & avocado-chardonnay cream tamales, traditional paellas and churrasco, and langosta pasta w/ truffle cream, asparagus, morels, and a poached egg, who was easily tempted away as he was down on his muffins.

107-11 Northern Blvd. (btw 107th and 108th St), Queens, NY +1 (718) 565-5479 GabbanaNY.com

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Unmarked doors are dangerous propositions, best often avoided.

But from time to time, an unremarkable-looking door opens onto a world of untold riches, barely legal soirees and the kind of company that just doesn’t congregate in known locations.

And sometimes, they just lead you… up.

Introducing the Silkstone Rooftop, a secret rooftop garden open now for the stream of open-air dates and anything-goes private parties you usually refer to as August.

To access the roof, you’ll have to look for a single light burning above a black metal door. Identify yourself, and a kindly butler will show you into a dark hallway, through a bustling kitchen and into an elevator bound for the sky. And then…

Arriving on the seventh floor is like stepping into a postcard of unobstructed views and flickering candlelight, where you’ll host the kind of date that will likely crack your all-time top five (right after the great Niagara Falls sashimi incident of ’08), or else entertain friends around a communal table with an herb garden growing in the center. (Should your pasta require more basil, just grab some.)

And if you’re less interested in dining at altitude and more interested in alfresco fetes, the roof can also accommodate movie screenings, Arabian rug-festooned hookah parties, co-ed naked Twister tournaments, karaoke marathons and the kind of photo shoots that will get your account blacklisted by Facebook.

At the very least, Ms. Klum will have to de-tag herself.

17 Orchard St (at Canal St), New York, NY +1-646-861-1545 silkstonenyc.com

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Reopening in the East Village after shuttering their Chinatown location only months ago, this yellow, mirrored sleeve’s pumping out their signature greasy Bing’s: your choice of meat (beef/pork patty, sausage, ham, bacon…) and optional fried egg, all wrapped up in a dense Asian pancake, aka William Hung.

189 E Houston (between Orchard and Ludlow St.), New York, NY +1-212-777-3188  KungFuBing.net

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Bouncing Bounce Deuce and creating a sparse, white brick walled space outfitted with park bench-style booths, large U-shaped leather banquettes, and Calder-esque hanging fixtures, Van’s specializing in Northern Euro beers, infused akvavit, and Genever-aided cocktails like the lemon/bitters/roobis-infused vermouth B Side Sling. The kitchen’s also prepping a Dutch-heavy menu that’s stocked with open-faced “smorrebrods” including a shaved turnip-topped chilled leg of lamb, and a pot of crisp fingerlings, bacon, apple, and “stroop syrup “called Hot Lightning, which is hotter than greased lightning, though likely as greasy.

103 2nd Avenue(at 6th Street), New York, NY +1-212-253-0470 VandaagNYC.com

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A family-style brunch dish from the Austrian specialists, each nest-to-plate ostrich egg’s the equivalent of two dozen regulars and gets its contents baked in an open-flame oven with a rotating selection of simple greenmarket ingredients (this weekend: escarole & romano tomatoes) to complement the egg’s “clean, pure, smooth” flavors, previously the culinary promise of Michael McDonald’s.

200 9th Avenue (between 22nd and 23rd Street), New York, NY +1 (212) 633-8033 KleeBrasserie.com

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Not every nation deserves a massive shrine to its culinary greatness.

But not every nation is Italy.

So we’re going to bend a few rules and give Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich a little rope as they get set to unveil their 37,000 square-foot Flatiron tabernacle of Italian delicacies.
 
Its name: Eataly, and with 20 food departments, restaurants, bars, gourmet grocers and butchers, it’s the glorious sprawl of pasta, olive oil, cheese and fiery Italian women (that last one may just be us projecting) that you can always use in your life, opening a week from today.

Considering the sheer immensity here, you might need a plan of attack. At least to start. To that end we’ve enlisted Mario’s partner-in-pasta, Joe Bastianich, to share his favorite spots for mastering this Italian job.

Breakfast: Set along an alleyway of 14 food and drink stands, the Lavazza espresso bar is where you’ll order a double and an olive oil croissant. Consider stuffing an entire Bodrato milk chocolate bar inside. (A little chocolate manual labor can go a long way.)

Lunch: Just to prove it can be done, Joe goes vegan for lunch at Verdure—one of five sit-down restaurants spread around the central rotunda—with a massive bowl of Pappa al Pomodoro with dollops of peppery olive oil floating in the middle.

Dinner: The meat-inspired Manzo is your white tablecloth, dapper-waiter, carnivorous cavern. Joe suggests the Carne Crudo dipped in olive oil, salt and quail egg.

And that’s just the appetizer.

200 Fifth Avenue (Entrance on 23rd St), New York, NY 10003

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