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Danny Meyer's Maialino checks into The Gramercy Park Hotel

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Maialino
Newly minted four-starer Danny Meyer is booked at the Gramercy Park Hotel with this highly anticipated Roman trattoria, which takes over the old Wakiya space. It's Meyer's first foray into Italian cuisine, and a particularly personal project: He once worked as a tour guide in Rome for his father's travel company. (Check out the quaint backstory on the restaurant's name. Awww.) At the helm is Gramercy Tavern vet Nick Anderer,  who describes Maialino as "very seasonal and heavily pasta-driven," with most of the pastas made in-house: spaghetti alla carbonara; malfatti with suckling-pig ragu. The overall feel of the menu is classic—think fritto misto. The elegant space (wood paneling, murals) was designed by starchitect David Rockwell (Adour) and features a private dining room that can seat up to 22 people. Maialino is also the first Danny Meyer restaurant to serve breakfast, starting in December. Just in case that coveted dinner reservation is weeee bit hard to come by. (Gramercy Park Hotel, 2 Lexington Ave. at 21st St.; 212-777-2410) 

Mermaid Oyster Bar
Not quite two years have passed since the original Mermaid Inn in the East Village expanded to the Upper West Side. Now, they're swimming back downtown for the latest addition, Mermaid Oyster Bar, which partners Danny Abrams and Cindy Smith have opened at their old Smith's space on Macdougal. Laurence Edelman, who oversees Mermaid uptown, has created a different menu here, plating up dishes like rock shrimp pasta; a raw bar will feature 16 types of oysters daily. Unlike big sis, this one's got a more industrial look, with exposed pipes and white brick playing off of shiny surfaces. And instead of maritime prints and ephemera, the walls are filled with photographs of beach landscapes and seashore motels. "You'll know you're in a Mermaid Inn, but it'll be different," Edelman says. "Where Mermaid Inn is New England, Massachusetts and Maine, Oyster Bar is the Hamptons and the Jersey Shore." (79 Macdougal St. near Houston St., 212-260-0100)

Bar Henry
Oh, Henry! This wine-centric bistro, from the folks behind Café Henri, has a lotta history going for it: It's located in the cellar of a 19th-century townhouse, some of its chairs were from the old Plaza Hotel and its bar is made out of 100-year old salvaged mahogany from Cold Spring Harbor. Vino pro John Slover (Cru) has curated a 200-bottle wine program, which is split into a diverse "market list" of vintages from South Africa to Spain (also available as half-bottles), as well as a "reserve list" of more mature wines from France, Germany, the U.S. and Italy (including a 1969 Barbaresco). As befits a New York bistro, the influences skew global: caviar-accented blinis, short rib corn tacos, boquerones (marinated anchovies) for starters; LaFreida strip steak and Niman Ranch pork chop for mains. (90 W. Houston St. between Thompson St. and LaGuardia Place, 646-448-4559)

Roman's
“We’re going for a more Italian-style eating experience,” says chef Dave Gould, formerly of Marlow & Sons (see our interview). The project is yet another Brooklyn venture from the team of Andrew Tarlow and Mark Firth (Diner, Marlow & Daughters). A meal at Roman’s—named for Tarlow's son—starts with something small that is salty and fried or sweet or sour. Potato croquettes with fontina, marinated beets and Pennsylvania goat cheese are early additions, with seasonal rotations expected. Mid-course will include soups, pastas and rice—all with minimal proteins and adornments. Pastas are mostly dried; an early spaghetti dish is topped with house-made ricotta, sheep cheese and lots of pepper, which Gould describes as Sicilian comfort food. House-made tortellini with chicory and pork will also be served. A simple salad with lemon and olive oil closes. “We’re looking for people to have a three-course eating experience without them feeling like they stuffed themselves,” Gould says. (243 Dekalb Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Aves., 718-622-5300)

Le P'Tit Paris
Windsor Terrace can now get its Francophilic fix at this by-the-numbers bistro from Frenchman Olivier Jouannard, returning to NYC after a stint at Louis 16 in Patchogue. It's a homecoming of sorts: Jouannard lived in the nabe 10 years ago, and now he's back cooking the food of his home country. Expect the usual suspects, like steak tartare and coq au vin (made with rooster marinated for 72 hours), along with not-so-Frenchy stuff like pan-seared tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and a burger on brioche (from next-door Regina Bakery). Nothing tops $20, and Jouannard hopes to open sidewalk seating in the spring. (256 Prospect Park West near Prospect Ave., 718-369-3590)

Patty & Bun
Sure, the name's pretty straightforward at this Greenwich Village burger joint. But the patties in between those buns are anything but: They come in ooh-la-la varieties like pastured lamb, monkfish and salmon. Purists looking to stick with the good ol' beef kind can choose from three varieties, including a three-meat blend. Grilled meats (rib eye, lamb chops) fill out the carnivore carnival, while starters (crab cakes, mac 'n' cheese, tempura) are sorta American, sorta not, and fairly seafood-y. (61 W. Eighth St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., 212-477-1850)
 

Also open:

"Modern-style Korean" is the focus at 8st Kitchen, like a bo ssam of pork belly with pickled cabbage, daikon salad and oyster sauce—32nd Street Korean cooking with a downtown twist. (22 W. Eighth St. between Fifth Ave. and Macdougal St., 212-477-7755)

Twisted treats get a gourmet twist at Sigmund Pretzel Shop, owned by a former Jean Georges pastry chef who also offers pretzel sandwiches (with pretzels in place of bread, natch), plus homemade, German-inflected pastries. (29 Avenue B between Second and Third Sts., 646-410-0333)

Comfort food gets a calorie-conscious redo at Northern Spy Food Co., with an emphasis on vegetable-centric cooking. The shop is also stocked with a wide range of local, artisanal and sustainable pantry items. (511 E. 12th St. between Ave. A and B., 212-228-5100)

Warm mahogany paneling, distressed flooring and a long list of handsome rye-based cocktails could only mean one thing: speakeasy! That's the pitch at pre-Prohibition-leaning Stecchino, also serving food with an Italian spin. (765 Ninth Ave. betweem 51st and 52nd Sts., 212-397-2377)
 

Meals, deals, specials:

All-you-can-eat goat Mondays at Cabrito: $39 gets you endless helpings of the restaurants' namesake dish (slow-roasted, chile-rubbed goat), along with unlimited chips, rice, beans and churros. Diners also get either a free pint of Dos Equis, or a glass of wine. Available for lunch or dinner until the end of the year. (50 Carmine St. at Bedford St., 212-929-5050)

Scarpetta truffle menu: Scott Conant's Meatpacking District spot gets into the white truffle spirit with a $225 prix fixe featuring shaved white Alba truffles. An additional $75 gets you wine pairings. (355 W. 14th St. between Hudson St. and Eighth Ave., 212-691-0555)

Rum & Blackbird Tasting Tours : This new company from a former food-PR pro kicks off its maiden tour with a survey of Hell's Kitchen, with stops at Xie Xie and Gazala Place, among others. Thursday through Sunday; $49 per person for a three-hour tour, which includes all food. Check out rumandblackbird.com for details.

November pre-theater menu at Telepan: Hey, it's a few blocks from Lincoln Center, so why not load up on some luxe bites from one of the city's most acclaimed chefs? $39 for three courses, available Monday through Thursday until 6:30 p.m. (72 W. 69th St. between Columbus Ave. and Central Park West, 212-580-4300)
 

Additional reporting by Matt Rodbard and Krista Garcia; photo by Sam Horine