Hot Plates

Seafood's the catch at Dardanel

West Branch
More proof of how the (Upper) West was won: UWS pioneer Tom Valenti, who helped put the area on the dining map with Ouest, continues the neighborhood's culinary boom with this elegant, bistro-ish spot with an expansive, Euro-flecked American menu. And we mean expansive: The offerings range from steaks to pastas to panini to a raw bar. Hunker down with a buttermilk fried quail served with potato salad and buttermilk vinaigrette, or sop up some house-made bucatini with sopressatta and pancetta garnished with shaved hard-boiled egg. We'll do our best not to spill that red sauce on those white-linen'd tables, which—along with leather mahogany banquettes and antique mirrors—strike the right balance between fancy and chill. (2178 Broadway at 77th St., 212-777-6764)

Center Cut
More proof of how the (Upper) West was won (Part 2): Jeffrey Chodorow, who turned Japanese with his dramatic Midtown chophouse Kobe Club, now goes green with this eco-minded UWS chophouse at the Empire Hotel. Brush up on your locavore lexicon: Words like "sustainable," "hormone-free" and "naturally raised" figure prominently here, in dishes like crouton-topped Brandt Beef fillet and seared foie gras, Berkshire bacon-wrapped scallops with truffles, and a "double" double lobster bisque (which makes it...quadrupled). Or, if you're up for one of the restaurant's namesake cuts, scope out the Australian Wagyu tenderloin, available in either 4- or 8-ounce servings. (44 W. 63rd St. at Broadway, 212-956-1288)

Dardanel
Inspired by the strait that connects the Black and Mediterranean seas, this Midtown seafood spot makes a serious bid for authenticity: It imports its fish daily from the Mediterranean region—branzini from Turkey, anchovies from the Black Sea, St. Peter's fish from Israel. "There's that taste of the Mediterranean ocean," says co-owner Eddie Gundogdu about the dishes, adding that "the fish is a little saltier—you don't even have to [season] it anymore." Yes, you can get grilled whole anything, but for a more unique spin, try less predictable fare like stuffed flounder, jammed with spinach, sun-dried tomato, green pepper and mushroom. Huge plus: Most dishes clock in at under $20, in case those economic jitters might be dampening your appetite. (1071 First Ave. between 58th and 59th Sts., 212-888-0809)

John Dory
The Spotted Pig's April Bloomfield goes from turf to surf in the Meatpacking District, where her eagerly awaited, British-themed seafood "shack" washes ashore with some pretty nifty bounty: Ken Friedman (Rusty Knot), Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich are partners as well. Based on early reports, Bloomfield—who jetted to England late last summer to spiff up her research—has crafted a menu that includes whole John Dory with potatoes, as well as a smoked-haddock tart. In case the name didn't tip you off already, any doubts that this is a seafood joint should be dispelled by the space itself: It's got a fish-strewn stained-glass ceiling, fish-shaped door handles and—cannonball!—a 900-gallon fish tank. John Dory opens on Nov. 4. (85 10th Ave. between 15th and 16th Sts., 212-929-4948)


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Although the name might scream "fast food!," Tribeca tandoori train Indian Express actually runs on the local track: It's a sleek, full-service restaurant that makes many leisurely stops along the Indian culinary route: from nan to masala to vindaloo to, natch, tandoori. (18 Murray St. between Broadway and Church St., 212-608-5555)

Amanda Cohen is gonna get you to eat those veggies, and you just might love ‘em: The Pure Food & Wine alum has gone solo with veggie-intensive spot Dirt Candy, whose name is a play on what Cohen refers to as "nature's candy from the ground." (430 E. Ninth St. between First Ave. and Avenue A., 212-228-7732)

The latest entry into the "Good Luck Scoring a Table" club: The Charles, a Village Mediterranean spot from the same chef behind the Waverly Inn (make sense now?). The dining proletariat don't get access to a phone number—it's not listed—and the only way to score a reservation is to e-mail them at reservations@restaurantcharles.com. You have our prayers. (234 W. Fourth St. at 10th St.)

At Belgian import Rouge Tomate, a chef and nutritionist work hand in hand to deliver a menu in keeping with the restaurant's nutritionally sound philosophy (aka wild striped bass cooked a la plancha). (10 E. 60th St. between Fifth and Madison Aves., 646-237-8977)


Photo by Dan Peterson