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Accademia di Vino Broadway
East Side trattoria/wine hub Accademia di Vino has opened a second location—this one on the Upper West Side. Pretty fitting: Co-owners Anthony Mazzola and chef-partner Kevin Garcia are also behind nearby UWS stalwart 'Cesca. Also fitting: That whole "accademia" part—the place is a veritable master class on wine, with a 500-bottle-deep program that skews 95 percent Italian, and, Mazzola adds, "We might put more American and international [wines] in the mix eventually." (The original Accademia has 900 wines. We got drunk just writing that.) Like its East Side sibling, the food's mostly small plates and affordable—nothing tops $25—and includes new bites like a LaFrieda hanger steak with braised red cabbage, and homemade tagliatelle with veal bolognese ("The spirit of Sicily, where my parents are from," Mazzola says). In homage to the space's previous occupant, Docks Oyster Bar, Accademia will be serving a daily seafood special, from grilled prawns to shellfish stew. (2427 Broadway between 89th and 90th Sts., 212-787-3070)
Piccola Cuccina Focacceria
Focaccia sandwiches as the next panini? That's the idea here—it's the second Piccola Cucina restaurant from Sicilian chef Philip Guardione. This time, though, Guardione is focusing on a single signature item: focaccia di Recco, a sandwich-like creation reminiscent of a calzone but daintier, made with two layers of thin crust enveloping melty, oozy crescenza cheese. The dish has its roots in the Italian town of Recco (neighboring Genoa), and is served at Piccola Cucina Focacceria in six varieties—with pesto, prosciutto or gorgonzola (all under $7.50)—alongside smaller Italian bites, like traditional pizza, arancini rice balls, mozzarella in carrozza and various desserts. (120 Macdougal St. between W. Third and Bleecker Sts., 212-677-7707)
Dos Toros Taqueria
We're guessing the "dos" part refers to brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer, two San Francisco transplants who've opened this taqueria near Union Square. As for the "toros" bit, well—they're certainly bullish enough to note on their Web site that after growing up eating at their fave SF taqueria, "it was a rude awakening for us to come east and realize that the same stuff simply wasn't available." Hmmmm...fighting words! Find out for yourself: The tight menu covers all the basics—burritos, tacos, quesadillas—available with pork, chicken, steak or veggies ($3–$7). Dos Toros is shooting to open this weekend. (137 Fourth Ave. between 13th and 14th Sts., 212-677-7300)
Qi Asian Eatery
This West 14th Street storefront makes the heady claim of "blending Taoist and Hindu (ayurvedic) approaches to healthy eating." Apologies to New Age fans, but your food usually doesn't taste so great. Brown rice with tomato kefir sauce, anyone? Luckily, Qi leans more toward modern Thai cooking than anything else. Stir-fried noodles and curries (red, green, panang) work well for quick lunches, as does a nice list of Asian sandwiches (tilapia with turmeric tartar; hoisin duck with sesame and asian mayo). Pumpkin curry, ginkgo rib eye and Nobu-licious Chilean sea bass with miso glaze are creative options for dinner. A five-course "Aura Treatment" menu is $39, but available only with a day's notice. Exhale...don't let the anticipation stress you out. (31 W. 14th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., 212-929-9917)
Also open:
'Tis the week for taqeurias: In addition to Dos Toros, Cascabel has opened on the Upper East Side, with about 20 seats and taco varieties like shrimp with black beans and carne asada with oyster mushrooms. (1542 Second Ave. between 80th and 81st Sts., 212-717-7800)
Tipsy Parson brings Southern comfort to Chelsea, with down-home bites (hush puppies, chicken and dumplings) and booze (bourbon, bourbon, bourbon). Plus: mint juleps! (156 Ninth Ave. between 19th and 20th Sts., 212-620-4545)
Secrets, secrets: Pseudo-hidden nouveau raw fish spot Sushi Uo has opened at an unmarked second floor location on the Lower East Side. The goods: a $44 omakase platter of the day's best offerings. (151 Rivington St. between Between Suffolk and Clinton Sts., 2nd floor, 212-677-5470)
Meals, deals, specials:
Free wine for marathoners: As part of an ongoing tradition, on Nov. 1 Smith & Wollensky and its sister restaurants will be giving away a free bottle of wine to runners who complete this year's NYC Marathon. Just wear your spankin'-shiny medal to the restaurant and the vino is yours. At Smith & Wollensky, Quality Meats, Park Avenue Autumn, The Post House and Maloney & Porcelli.
$1 satays at Philippe Express: Par-tay with satay! To fete its first anniversary, the tiny West Village sleeve is offering its signature chicken satays for $1 a pop from Nov. 1 to 3, from noon to 5 p.m. It will also be unveiling its newly renovated digs and a new menu. (469 Sixth Avenue between 11th and 12th Sts., 212-929-8949)
Motorino $12 lunch special: The East Village location of the rave-worthy slice joint is offering a $12 lunch special that includes a choice of one of four pizzas (marinara, margherita, soppressata piccante or Brussels sprout), plus salad or soft-serve ice cream. (349 E. 12th St. near First Ave., 212-777-2644)
$25 two-course pasta dinner at Spina: Ultra-fresh pastas are the calling card of this East Village trattoria, and you can now get two of them for $25 (from a select list), along with a glass of wine and biscotti for dessert. The special is being offered all night, Tuesdays through Thursdays. (175 Avenue B at 11th St., 212-253-2250)
SushiSamba anniversary omakase menu: To celebrate its 10th anniversary, SushiSamba is serving a special $79 omakase menu on Wednesday nights until the end of November. The menu, offered at both SushiSamba 7 and SushiSamba Park, includes all-time faves like lobster tempura roll with peanut miso sauce and teriyaki braised short rib with sweet plantain.
Additional reporting by Matt Rodbard and Edith Zimmerman; photo by Sean Ellingson
