Alloro
It’s all about la famiglia at this chic family-owned, family-run Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side cheffed by Bocca’s Salvatore Corea and co-owned with his wife, Gina, who calls the cuisine “creative Italian.” “We were interested in bringing back the idea of a family-run business,” Gina says. “We live in the neighborhood, we raise our kids here.” Even their little daughter is onboard: She gave her stamp of approval to Papa Corea’s fried spaghetti, a bird’s nest of a dish suffused with candied-tomato-and-basil sauce. Other twists on classics: Buffalo mozzarella with tomato tartar and basil sorbet, and “chitarra” pasta with langoustine and fava bean pesto. The restaurant’s decor upends any musty trattoria stereotypes: An emerald-hued lacquered floor sets the stage for bold color blocks of green, white and black, accented by black chandeliers and sconces. (307 E. 77th St. at Second Ave., 212-535-2866)
Mercadito Cantina
It’s been three years in the making, but Patricio Sandoval’s shoebox-size mod taqueria, a spinoff of his nearby Mercadito, is finally ready to move past those community-board dustups over the joint’s liquor license (it’s now got a license—“tequila!”). It was worth the wait, Sandoval tells us, to “open Mercadito Cantina the way we wanted it”: an updated take on the traditional taqueria with salsas, guacamoles and tacos made with high-end ingredients (think grass-fed carne asada and Berkshire pork carnitas) and a DIY attitude (think make-your-own tacos, with meats available by the kilo). Sandoval was also heavily influenced by Oaxaca, where he recently spent two months: Aside from bringing home Oaxacan chiles, which he uses at Cantina, he also cooks his meats barbacoa-style—wrapped in maguey leaves and baked inside an oven instead of a traditional underground pit. Try pitching that to the community board. Mercadito Cantina opens on June 30. (172 Avenue B between 10th and 11th Sts., 212-388-1750)
Parlor Steakhouse
Call it a steakhouse stakeout: When an ill-advised Mexican joint called Geronimo opened on Third Avenue and 90th Street in 2006, restaurateur Michael Glick predicted its imminent closure and patiently waited for the space to open up. Flash-forward to 2008—and to Parlor Steakhouse, a downtown-goes-uptown chophouse with a strong New American focus. Yep, you’ll find cuts like porterhouse and filet mignon, but Glick and co-owner/wife Susy (both also own nearby bar BB&R) recruited chef Lucas Billheimer (Lure Fishbar) to ramp-up the menu with decidedly non-steakhouse fare like yellowfin tuna with yuzu–white soy dressing and short-rib pappardelle. The bi-level space reflects Glick’s desire for, as he puts it, “precision and refinement”: dark wood, rich ivory walls, geometric detailing and a glass-enclosed café area. (1600 Third Ave. at 90th St., 212-423-5888)
Bar Olivino
Fans of Clinton Hill wine shop Olivino will no doubt rush to fill the seats at this neighboring spin-off wine bar, a small-ish 15-seater filled with neighborhood regulars sipping alongside wine-shop staff enjoying a glass post-shift. Each of the 24 available wines (more to come in following weeks) are available by the glass—from affordable $5 options to a higher-end Tempo Nio at $19—and rotating small plates of charcuterie and cheese offer something to nibble on. (899 Fulton St. between Clinton and Vanderbilt Aves., 718-857-7952)
Also open:
Former Asiate and South Gate chef Eton Chan serves pot stickers and Hawaiian shave ice at Carroll Gardens spot Eton. (205 Sackett St. at Henry St., no phone yet)
Caterers Deborah Williamson and Bryan Calvert have opened James, a modern American café in Prospect Heights, with menu items like rosemary-crusted rack of lamb and fava ravioli. (605 Carlton Ave. at St. Marks Ave., 718-942-4255)
Nope, not déjà vu: Chelsea Italian spot Lasagna opens a new location at the old old Xing space in Hell's Kitchen—and keeps the old joint's original decor! (785 Ninth Ave. at 52nd St., 212-956-1608)
Popular West Village chocolate shop Alison Nelson's Choco Bar treks crosstown to the East Village. (127 E. Seventh S. between First Ave. and Ave. A, 212-366-1541)
A David Chang underling opens his own prix-fixe-only spot in the East Village, Persimmon Kimchi, which leans Korean. Expect a shorter wait than Ko, for now. (277 E. 10th St., between First Ave. and Ave. A, 212-260-9080)
La Taq, the new bar from Slope burrito-slingers La Taqueria and Rachel's Taqueria, offers 90 tequila varieties plus a full menu of giant San Fran Mission-style burritos and other cantina mainstays. (72 Seventh Ave. between Berkeley and Lincoln Places
718-398-4300)
Upper East Side sports-themed creamery Last Licks scoops up 16 flavors (Free Throw Cookie Dough, anyone?) plus six low-fat frozen yogurt varieties. (245 E. 93rd St.between Second and Third Aves., 646-596-8566)
Husband-and-wife team Kevin and Amy Miceli expand their Ciao for Now coffee/pastry empire to the West Side. (107 W. 10th St., between Sixth and Greenwich Aves., 212-929-8363)
Closings:
Savarona (Midtown East)
Rosario's (Financial District)
Southside Café (Midtown West)
Café Gray (Midtown West)
Additional reporting by Jeremy Cesarec
