La Cave des Fondus
It literally sucks to be at this Soho fondue spot: Instead of sipping their wines from glasses, diners suck—suck!—them from baby bottles, rubber nipple and all. (Boys and girls, a Metromix first: "wine" and "nipple" in the same sentence.) Talk about bottle service. Chalk it up to owner Jacques Ouari's gonzo sense of humor: The baby bottles pay homage to a French restaurant trick to avoid paying taxes for wines in glasses. Three fondues are available, from a Swiss-Gruyere-Comté combo to a Valrhona choco version served with pastries or fruit. Charcuterie, paté and sides (mushrooms, fries) round out the menu, and large wooden communal tables keep the vibe oh so family-style—you know, Dad, Mom, baby...with bottle. (20 Prince St. between Elizabeth and Mott Sts., 212-966-5073)
Bar Breton
Chef-owner Cyril Renaud can't get enough of his native Brittany: The Frenchman behind Fleur de Sel once again mines his hometown for culinary inspiration at this brasserie-style restaurant, which he tells us will be "on the casual side, with a much faster pace" than Fleur de Sel. Aside from grilled dishes (bone-marrow-crusted stripe steak) and small plates (baked potato with oxtail and escargot Bourguignon), Renaud will be serving traditional Brittany galettes—buckwheat crepes prepared with either pork fat or butter. (He flew to France for four days this summer for a jam-packed refresher course on galette-making.) In a desire to "go against the trend of doing everything slick," he's giving the place rustic touches by using wood from an old barn in Vermont and mismatched chairs found in yard sales. (254 Fifth Ave. between 28th and 29th Sts., 212-213-4999)
Kefi
For power gastro-duo Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia, 2008 was all about second acts. After (re)opening Italian sensation Mia Dona—a sequel of sorts to their prematurely shuttered Dona—they've now rebooted Kefi, their well-loved UWS Greek taverna inspired by dishes from Psilakis' childhood. Only these days, it's looking more like a sprawling villa: The duo have moved Kefi a few blocks up to waaaay bigger digs, with a bi-level space divided into cozy dining areas strewn with wooden beams and other vacation-y touches. Another plus: a credit-card machine! And lunch! Which means more chances to enjoy Psilakis faves like grilled octopus with bean salad and baked pasta with rabbit ragout and béchamel—all of which can be ordered for takeout. Haute Hellenic on the go? Hell, yeah. (505 Columbus Ave. between 84th and 85th Sts., 212-873-0200)
Seäsonal
You don't need to sträin the bräin to figure out the concept behind this sleek and elegänt newcomer in Midtown, which puts an Austrian-German spin (not to mention an umlaut—letters älways looks so much prettier with them, no?) on seäsonal, färm-fresh ingredients. Helmed by the chef-teäm that älso cooks for German U.N. diplomäts, the menu includes items like pork belly confit in Riesling-cäraway jus änd Viennese boiled beef with poäched bone märrow. (132 W. 58th St.,between Sixth and Seventh Aves., 212-957-5550)
Also open:
Harlem ups the swank factor at 67 Orange Street, serving up high-end cocktails from an in-house mixologist, plus small plates and a raw bar. (2082 Frederick Douglass Blvd. at 113th St., 212-662-2030)
More Harlem action: Central and South American brews waft through East Harlem Café, which offers a Latino take on coffee break with Latin-inflected soups, sandwiches and pastries. (153 E. 104th St. at Lexington Ave., 646-387-7207)
Frat boys, waaaa! Murray Hill escapes the bro-mantic mob at all-grown-up wine bar Vino 313. (201-203 E. 31st St. between Second and Third Aves., 212-275-8466)
It's all about classic, multi-regional Italian fare at upscale UWS Italian joint Ducale, which also serves a range of thin-crust pizzas (Margherita, etc.). (392 Columbus Ave. at 79th St., 212-787-7150)
Continental Italian cuisine (think rabbit pappardelle) is the specialty at Park Slope's Alta Voce, sister spot to nearby Sotto Voce. (18 5th Ave. at Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, 718-369-4899)
Emma Heart unveils the fruits of her recent tour of Piedmont at Sorella on the LES, with dishes like grilled quail with Benton bacon and kuri squash risotto. (95 Allen St., between Broome and Delancey Sts., 212-274-9595)
Maybe the Financial District isn't such a dead dining zone after all, now that Korean spot Seh Ja Meh is serving spicy kimchi pancakes at bigger space on Greenwich Street. (114 Greenwich St. between Albany St. and Carlisle Sts., 212-766-5825)
Forest Hills gets a new Japanese spot, Katsuno, from the same owners behind Midtown's Seo Restaurant and with a greatest-hits menu of Japanese faves. (103-01 Metropolitan Ave. at 71st Road, 718-575-4033)
Venerable Austrian chocolatier Demel opens an international location—its first—at the Plaza Hotel's retail section, peddling hand-crafted cakes and confections made according to Vienna's imperial tradition. (1 W. 58th St. at Fifth Ave., 212-572-0989)
Recession-friendly prices keep those bibimbaps coming at fast-food joint Seoul Station. (81 St. Marks Place at First Ave., 212-979-9300)
Photo by Jori Klein
