Fall Dining Preview '07: Downtown East

Mercadito's Patricio Sandoval expands his empire with Mercadito Cantina

Allen & Delancey
115 Allen St. at Delancey St.
File this one under “Are We There Yet?”: Originally set to debut last year, Richard H. Friedberg’s much-delayed Lower East Side restaurant screeched to a halt when an investor reportedly backed out two weeks before opening, leaving it $200,000 short. Then, Friedberg jettisoned A&D’s original chef, Akhtar Nawab, telling the New York Times that “he had problems with Nawab's management decisions.” (Nawab, who had planned a Mediterranean menu at A&D, ended up moving on to E.U., in the East Village.) This fall, the restaurant is back on track, this time with a modern American menu from Neil Ferguson, the original chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay at The London. The space, which features a 70-seat dining room as well as a bar and lounge area, meshes old and new with swank decor (beveled mirrors, darkwood paneling) and artwork that references the Lower East Side’s past. (September)

Graffiti
224 E. 10th St. between First and Second Aves.
Arguably one of the country’s most celebrated pastry provocateurs, Bombay-born Jehangir Mehta won admirers—and pushed palates—with his deliriously avant-garde creations at Jean Georges and Aix, where he wielded ingredients like star anise, licorice and candied celery. Now, he branches out with this sweet-and-savory spot in the East Village, an eclectic shoebox-size boite with only 18 seats. While the Indian-influenced space, which he designed himself, may be tiny, expect flavors that are mammoth: Mehta will be serving up equally eclectic, international small plates that, natch, will feature his trademark affinity for bold flavors and spices: chiles, sambhar, tumeric and, yes, star anise. (September)

BUN
143 Grand St. at Lafayette St.
You gotta give it to Michael Bao Huynh, who wins this year’s Multitasking Chef Award: In between overseeing Tribeca’s Mai House and two other restaurants in California, he’s found the time to open this Vietnamese noodles-and-tapas parlor in Soho. How he ended up with ex-Duran Duran member Warren Cuccurullo as a business partner at BUN (it’s pronounced “boon”) is a bit of a puzzler, but you can bet the the food here won’t be: Huynh and his wife, Thao Nguyen, were the creative duo behind the well-received Bao Noodles and Bao 111 (they’re no longer affiliated with both), and they’ll be whipping up curious-sounding bites like foie gras with nem of duck, their variation on traditional Vietnamese meatball street food. (September)

Yolato
180 Lafayette St. between Broome and Grand Sts.
Because there’s such an obvious—obvious—shortage of fro-yo joints in the city, Yolato is easing the pain by opening a branch in Soho, in case you happen to crave toffee-topped Yoggi in between shopping bouts at Uniqlo. Two other locations are planned in Midtown: the Empire State Building and 125 Park Ave., at 42nd Street. (September)

Huckleberry Bar
588 Grand St. at Lorimer St., Williamsburg
Well…OK, it’s not really located in downtown East, but that’s pretty much what Williamsburg is these days, right? Co-owners Stephanie Schneider and Andrew Boggs have both logged plenty of time at outposts of the Danny Meyer empire—they met at Blue Smoke, and Schneider also worked at Gramery Tavern. So they come by their description of Huckleberry Bar as “the bar at your favorite Danny Meyer restaurant” honestly. It’ll offer wines by the glass, seasonal cocktails and an array of imported and domestic beers. Chef Seth Johnson, whose resume includes 5 Ninth, Eleven Madison Park and Resto, will be on hand to prepare a menu of British and Southern-inspired small plates. Service will run late into the night, much to the delight of patrons taking in the last gasps of summer in the restaurant’s back garden. (September)

Primehouse New York
381 Park Ave. S. at 26th St.
The carnivorous takeover of Manhattan continues apace, with prolific restaurateur Stephen Hanson throwing his hat in the ring. Like Primehouse Chicago, which he opened with David Burke, Hanson’s New York chapter will combine classic steak-house fare with new items. Befitting the restaurant’s outsized claims, the beef will get its own spa, of sorts: Prior to being devoured, it will be dry-aged in the steak house’s custom-built Himalayan-rock-salt-tiled aging room. Executive chef Jason Miller, who made signature dishes like pretzel-crusted crab cakes with poppy-seed honey at the Chicago Primehouse, will oversee the menu for the 300-seat dining room and outdoor cafe. Hanson, whose B.R. Guest group is responsible for numerous big-ticket restaurants like Fiamma, Blue Water Grill and Ruby Foo’s, knows how to make an impact, and Primehouse will undoubtedly offer plenty of flash with its flesh. (September)

Irving Mill
116 E. 16th St. at Irving Place
If you’re opening a greenmarket-driven restaurant in Union Square, it’s a no-brainer to hire someone who’s been a culinary habitué of the area, and that’s exactly what the owners of this seasonal American restaurant have done: They’ve tapped former Gramercy Tavern executive chef John Schaefer, who’ll be crafting a farm-centric menu with French and Italian inflections. (September)

Broadway East Restaurant, Cafe and Wine Bar
171 E. Broadway at Canal St.
As executive chef at the Angelica Kitchen, Peter Berley won over vegetarians and their carnivorous companions alike with adventurous, flavorful cooking that helped to liberate vegetarian cuisine from its tofu-and-flaxseed ghetto. Now Berley is turning his attention to more local concerns: He’s opening what he bills as one of the city’s first “locavore” restaurants. Berley’s menu will use whatever produce, whole grains, meat (yes, meat), fish and dairy he can procure within a 500-mile radius. Berley describes Broadway East as a “flexitarian” restaurant where “herbivores and omnivores can come together and celebrate.” Environmentalists will also find much to celebrate: The restaurant, which also includes a wine bar and café, will will compost its waste and filter and carbonate its own water. (October)

Delicatessen
54 Prince St. at Lafayette St.
Having conquered Chelsea with 24-hour comfort food, Cafeteria co-owner Mark Thomas Amadei is heading south. His latest venture, Delicatessen, is located in the space that was home for 80 years to Buffa’s Luncheonette, and it’ll share Cafeteria’s comfort-food concept. Befitting its name, however, comfort will be served up in American and European varieties. Chef Doran Wong will be in charge of the kitchen, which, true to Amadei’s winning formula, will stay open late. Expect the restaurant, which will be a large space with outdoor seating, to share its older sibling’s sceney vibe. (October)

Mercadito Cantina
172 Avenue B  between 11th and 12th Sts.
Patricio Sandoval’s name may soon be synonymous with “taco empire.” The executive chef and owner of Mercadito, a popular East Village spot known for its Mexican food and margaritas, Sandoval hopes to replicate his success with Mercadito Cantina, the first in a planned series of taquerias. The tacos, made from 12 original recipes (all different from the ones at Mercadito), will be served in pairs and accompanied by a choice of 10 sides, such as rice and beans. The restaurant will also have a guacamole and salsa bar, as well as about a dozen varieties of Mexican beer and a sangria bar. (November)

Ko
163 First Ave. at 10th St.
It was only a matter of time before Momofuku outgrew its space, and so David Chang is carting his uber-popular noodle nirvana a few doors down—and to much roomier digs. In the old location, he’ll channel a cheaper version of Masa: A limited number of guests will dine on a fixed menu consisting of several courses, with the menu changing regularly, depending on Chang’s culinary temperament. (November)

Wildwood Bar BQ
Park Avenue South
Apparently, NYC’s resurgent ‘cue craze doesn’t end on Labor Day: Stephen Hanson stomps into the ring with this emporium to all things smoked, with an all-inclusive mantra that highlights barbecue from “every corner of the United States.” David Rockwell is on board to design the space, which will feature a 60-foot bar, over 200 seats and an open kitchen. (December)