Socarrat Paella Bar
Take two NYC dining trends—naming everything “bar” (Bar Boulud, bar Q) and fetishizing over a single food item (S’Mac, Totally Baked)—throw in some saffron, and bueno: You’ve got this Spanish spot in Chelsea with five different types of paella and a smattering of tapas. Segovia-born owner Jesus Manso, who also runs La Nacional a few blocks down, tells us that the New York Times once reviewed his paella there so favorably, he’s now decided so give it its own restaurant. Yep, you’ll find a more classic version here (cuttlefish, chicken, mussels, shrimp, saffron rice), along with less common preparations like Arroz Negro (bathed in squid ink and caramelized onions) and Fideua (made with thin, crispy noodles instead of rice). Catalonian tapas (i.e. bacalao with potatoes) round things out. There’s only one table here—it's communal—which is exactly how Manso wanted it: “Paella is [about sharing],” he says, “so the place is calling for that.” (259 W. 19th St. between Seventh and Eighth Aves., 212-462-1000)
R&L Restaurant
It’s like Miramax without Harvey Weinstein. Journey without Steve Perry. Batman without the Bat-nipples. After downtown raconteur Florent Morellet’s much ballyhooed shuttering of his eponymous diner that defined an era, the space’s landlord has “reopened” it as this joint where nothing seems to have changed—décor, menu, hours—and yet everything is different. “Sit wherever you want,” the host tells us, pointing to a depressingly empty room with diners at only three tables. After perusing the carbon-copy menu—the old Evelyn’s Goat Cheese Salad (with Montrachet, potatoes and walnuts) is now called “Elly’s Goat Cheese Salad”—and scarfing down a charred and bitter steak frites, we were left to reminisce about the good ol’ days before a complimentary slice of cheesecake arrived at our table. By then we were the only ones left. It was 8:10 p.m. (69 Gansevoort St. between Greenwich and Washington Sts., 212-989-3863)
NYC ICY
When Jonathan and Susie Leeds quietly closed their adored East Village ice spot, NYC ICY, back in 2004 after a landlord dispute, they left many feverish fans out in the cold. Now, the duo, who first created the ices for their lactose-intolerant son, are back with two locations: on Church Street, in Brooklyn, and this latest outpost, in Hell’s Kitchen. Over 150 sorbets and “cream ices” rotate daily, with flavors like mango basil, apricot ginger, root beer and rice pudding—anywhere from $2.50 a scoop to $6 a pint. Susie is tight-lipped about their magic formula—“We never say,” she teases, although she notes that the ices are made locally in Brooklyn, with several ingredients imported from Italy. The couple has also expanded their team with in-house taste-testers: their two sons. “They have yet to fail anything—they’re excellent employees,” she says, before shouting to them, playing nearby, “You guys rock!” (628 10th Ave. between 44th and 45th Sts., no phone)
Vai
Is West 77th Street transforming into a restaurant row? Months after Dovetail opened there to raves, former Jean-Georges charge Vincent Chirico cooks down the street at Vai, a Mediterranean-focused destination for the restaurant-strapped UWS locals. “We’ve only been open two weeks and we’ve had a lot of people repeat,” says Chirico citing tagliatelle with rabbit and mascarpone cheese and a signature whole branzino as instant fan favorites. Salads, charcuterie and pizza—one with prosciutto, figs and brie—round out the sharable menu, which rotates weekly. “We try to keep the menu and wine list small so we can reinvigorate it from time to time.” (221 W. 77th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Aves., 212-362-4500)
Also open:
Branching out: a second location for sushi-conveyor-belt novelty act Sakae Sushi (135 W 3rd St., 212-228-9839), a third outpost for Hell’s Kitchen Thai staple Wondee Siam (641 10th Ave., 212-245-4601) and a sixth spot for health-food joint The Pump Energy Food (275 Madison Ave. at 40th St., 212-697-7867).
French transplant L’ybane flies first class to the Upper East Side, Mediterranean fare in tow. (1136 First Ave. between 62nd and 63rd Sts., 212-826-1111)
Ted & Honey sprouts eco-friendly eats in Cobble Hill. (264 Clinton St. at Verandah Place, no phone)
Coffee bar–slash–retail market by day, wine bar with panini and tapas by night, at Inwood’s Indian Road Café. (600 W. 218th St. at Indian Road, 212-942-7451)
Spaghetti meets General Tso’s Chicken meets quesadillas at the eclectic Zemi in Chelsea. (130 Ninth Ave. between 18th and 19th Sts., 212-924-6950)
Screw fro-yo: ices, gelato and more at Lia’s Ices in Windsor Terraces. (471 16th St. at Prospect Park West, no phone)
Good luck nabbing a seat—there are four—at this standard-issue Mexican joint Neighburrito on the LES. (127 Rivington St., between Essex and Norfolk Sts., 212-260-2277)
Nolita Ethiopian joint Ghenet spawns a Brooklyn outpost. (348 Douglass St. at Seventh Ave., 718-230-4475)
Closed:
Zoë Townhouse (Upper East Side)
Señor Swanky's (Greenwich Village)
Pio Maya (Greenwich Village)
M&G Diner (Harlem)
Additional reporting by Matt Rodbard. Photo by Mea Tefka.
