Written and reported by Alexis L. Loinaz, Matt Rodbard, Kelly Dobkin, Rebecca Marx and Edith Zimmerman
The Libertine
Gild Hall, 15 Gold St. at Platt St.
Mega-restaurateur Todd English (Olives, Beso) dives into the gastropub biz with The Libertine, opening in Thompson Hotels' Gild Hall. While the Financial District has been seriously hurting for quality restaurants of late, English is optimistic, in a tourist bureau sorta way: "It's such a dynamic, exciting area," he says, "and I hope that The Libertine will be both a hot destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike, as well as be a welcome addition to the neighborhood restaurant scene for downtown locals." The menu, from exec chef Eben Leonard, will feature hearty fare like caviar sliders, Berkshire pork chop schnitzel and crispy oyster and avocado Caesar salad. (September)
Hea
145 13th St. at Third Ave.
Pronounced "HEE," this bi-level eatery, located amid scads of drunken NYU kids, is owned by Joe Ngai (Friendhouse/Friendhouse II) and features Southeast Asian and Japanese fare from chef Heng Meng Kong. The aesthetic aims for straight-up Zen, with carved wood, stone fixtures and a first-floor bar serving beer, wine, sake and cocktails. It certainly promises to be another hit for the cuisine-starved area. (September)
Arcane
111 Avenue C at Seventh St.
Amid a glut of tapas dens and sushi joints, first-time restaurateurs and longtime New Yorkers Ben Alter and his sister Christine bring their West Indian heritage to the far East Village. Arcane's menu, Alter says, will combine both French and Caribbean styles. "I don't want the food to be too one or the other," he notes. "It's a real fusion between the two." He also singles out the "grilled and plancha" menu, which will have four varieties of meat and fish plus various sides, allowing diners to create their own combinations. (September)
Apothéke
9 Doyers St. at Pell St.
From Austrian master mixologist Albert Trummer (and partner Heather Tierney, of Wall Street Burger Shoppe) comes Apothéke, a bar dedicated to the art of the "culinary cocktail." Expect a mini chemistry lab (apothecary) of booze-related beakers and Bunsen burners, plus small plates and plush digs. (September)
Mr. Jones
243 E. 14th St. between Second and Third Aves.
Nightlife honcho Lesly Bernard (Tillman's) is clocking in some major overtime this fall: He's opening five spots—three of them with Colin Alevras (see La Otra et al, below), one with pastry chef Patti Jackson—plus Mr. Jones, a retro-inspired Japanese joint specializing in yakitori. This time, he's tapped Jean-Georges and Gray Kunz vet Bryan Emperor, who'll be grilling his meats on a special grill using imported Japanese charcoal. Rounding out Bernard's mod squad: B Flat's Shin Ikeda, who'll be pouring the cocktails. Let's hope they keep Counting Crows off the speakers. (September)
La Otra and Nightcap
95 Avenue A at Sixth St
Permanent Brunch
95 First Ave. at Sixth St.
After leaving die-hard diners with PTED (post-traumatic eating disorder) following the abrupt shuttering of The Tasting Room, Colin Alevras returns with a lusty threesome this fall. First up: La Otra, which will serve family-style Cuban fare that tips its hat to the cuisine's Spanish, Caribbean and African roots. The restaurant's name, Spanish for "the other," has an intentionally illicit ring to it—perfect for secret dalliances at the late-night lounge located on the eatery's second floor, called Nightcap, which will feature Alevras' selection of small plates. If the boom-boom shenanigans keep you up late, you can always refuel the next day at Permanent Brunch down the block, where—true to its name—Alevras will be serving you-know-what all day long. It'll also feature its own "artisanal bacon bar." Screw porking the mistress, we want bacon! (La Otra: September; Nightcap and Permanent Brunch: October)
Village Tart
86 Kenmare St. at Mulberry St.
Fro-yo mania goes high-end at this dessert and cocktail bar from consulting pastry chef Patti Jackson (Centovini, I Trulli), which press materials are hyping as a cross between Pegu Club, Magnolia Bakery and El Bulli (o-kaaaay—we're listening, we're listening). The centerpiece: 10 Pacojet food processors, which allow frozen goodies to be puréed without thawing them out, supposedly resulting in the ideal fro-yo texture. We're still getting over the whole El Bulli thing. (October)
Porchetta
110 E. Seventh St. between First Ave. and Avenue A
Sara Jenkins, who built her reputation cooking at places like I Coppi and the late 50 Carmine, unveils her heavily anticipated pork mecca, where she’ll be roasting pigs and serving them up in the shop, which will also have a small sandwich counter. (A reprieve for vegetarians: Jenkins also plans to offer a mozzarella sandwich.) The shop, which occupies the space formerly occupied by a women’s clothing boutique, is still—literally—under wraps, though a black-and-white tile floor is visible between the sheets of brown paper taped to the windows. (Early fall)
Table 8
Cooper Square Hotel, 25 Cooper Square
The Disneyfication of the Bowery continues apace with the opening of the Cooper Square Hotel and with it the New York outpost of Table 8, a spin-off of Govind Armstrong's swanky California-cuisine eatery in L.A. (there's also a Miami location). Expect the same market-driven ethos, with an emphasis on artisanal ingredients and products sourced from independent farmers (November)
SHO Shaun Hergatt
40 Broad St. at Exchange Place
Gabriel Kreuther's former deputy at Atelier Shaun Hergatt will make his NYC debut as the man behind SHO—literally: The restaurant's name contains both his initials and his full name. A seasonal menu will be driven by fresh ingredients, he says, including some international products from his native Australia: "One of the signature appetizers will be salt-pressed Tasmanian ocean trout, which is a cross between salmon and rainbow trout, arriving from some of the cleanest waters on the planet." Now that's some national ecological pride. (November)
Bovindo
30 Irving Place at 16th St.
Some New Yorkers really, really don't like leaving their own neighborhood—after Irving Mill received lukewarm reviews and underwent a recent chef shakeup, the Riva family (wife-and-hubby Suzanne and Mario, plus brother Sergio) are taking their chances on this second restaurant a few blocks down, whose names translates to "bay window." In a major conceptual departure from Irving Mill, Bovindo will forgo the cheesy cornucopia displays and will instead roll with a Neapolitan-style pizzeria/trattoria theme. (November)
Photo by Michael Harlan Turkell
