Gossip Bar & Restaurant
No, they don't show "Gossip Girl" 24/7, although the show's brooding everyman, Dan Humphrey, should find himself quite at home at this laid-back, if kinda chichi, pub in Hell's Kitchen. The grub? Shock: predictably utilitarian bar food that's literally all over the map, from quesadillas to chicken satay to mini chicken cordon bleu. Larger plates bust out the fancy-schmancy—can you say duck breast with pomegranate reduction? Ooooh. Prices that top out at $18? Ooooh. Late-night hours that stretch to 4 a.m. on weekends? Ooooh. A full second-floor party area can host groups of up to 100, and it's also got a working fireplace. Yeah, yeah, not quite the stuff of gossip, but worth paying lip service to. (733 Ninth Ave. between 49th and 50th Sts., 212-265-2720)
Bati
Here's something we haven't heard before: a vegan-centric Ethiopian restaurant. Over half the menu at this Fort Greene newcomer pimps out meat- and dairy-free versions of Ethiopian classics, using ingredients like flaxseed, lentils and chickpeas. Chalk it up to first-time restaurateur (and Addis Ababa native) Hibist Legesse, who puts quirky touches on traditional recipes such as jalapeno-spiced flaxseed salad with injera bread. "We want to keep it light so you can eat them [year-round]," she says of the dishes. But hey, but what if we love meat?! Fret not, amigo: Carnivores can get their fix with a wide range of stews, or wat, prepped with either beef or chicken, and laced with a berbere, a traditional chili mixture. Legesse keeps things modern with leather banquettes and French windows, but if you wanna sign up for the real deal, make a beeline for the traditional mesob circular seating area right up front. (747 Fulton St. at S. Portland Ave., 718-797-9696)
Lusso
An Alex Ureña protégé is manning the burners at this homey Soho Italian spot, plating up contemporary spins on the same-old, same-old red-sauce formula. The no-fuss, closely edited menu—there aren't more than six items per section—showcases some interesting twists: Blackberries infuse a rabbit pappardelle, lasagna is made with lamb Bolognese, and roasted pear perks up a walnut-and-gorgonzola risotto. "I wanted to go with clean, regional, contemporary Italian," says chef Bruce Dillon, who apprenticed under Ureña, first at Marseille and then at Suba." With Aurora being around the corner with their rustic menu, I wanted to do something more straightforward so that [everything] reads very simple, on the menu and on the plate." (331 W. Broadway near Grand St., 212-431-0131)
Pizzeria Reginella
For years, the brick-oven pizza at Smith Street favorite Savoia has reminded homesick Italians and food-worshipping tourists of the pies baked steps from the Palazzo Reale in Naples. Now the owners have opened an offshoot up the block in Brooklyn Heights, serving simple slices with fresh mozzarella, basil and various cured meats. And then there’s the house slice ($2.90): an intriguing, possibly profane and much-blogged-about curiosity topped with sliced hot dogs and French fries. Really? The shop’s pizza man Gino Zamvardino swears the pie is actually pretty common in the Napoli region—mostly with young people and, we postulate, the positively wasted. “We’ve sold 20 to 30 slices, mostly to the curious,” says Zamvardino. (193 Atlantic Ave., between Court and Clinton Sts., Brooklyn, 718-522-2880)
Also open:
We love 'em acronyms: MePa, FiDi. One more to the list: SpaHa Café, a chic, Parisian-style bistro up in Spanish Harlem where toothsome prosciutto, basil and mozzarella pressed panini are made with ciabatta bread from Balthazar Bakery.(1872 Lexington Ave. between 116th St. and 117th Sts, 212-427-1767)
Israel import Aroma Espresso Bar expands its Gotham presence with a trendy, bi-level super-café on the Upper West Side. The usual suspects remain: cappuccino, espresso, lattes, as well as Mediterranean-inflected bites. Plus: free Wi-Fi! (161 W. 72nd St. between Columbus and Amsterdam Aves., 212-595-7700)
Local roaster Kitten Coffee provides the beans at caffeine depot Coyi Café, yet another addition to the East Village's bursting-at-the-seams gourmet-coffee scene. (42 Avenue B between Third and Fourth Sts., 646-602-7050)
Atlantic Avenue ups the caloric quotient even further (hello, Blue Marble ice cream! Hello, Betty Bakery!) with Nunu Chocolates, the Brooklyn Flea mainstay specializing in handmade, single-origin cocoa treats like prosecco ganache truffles. (529 Atlantic Ave. between Third and Fourth Aves., 917-776-7102)
Grandaisy Bakery will be closing its Sullivan Street flagship later this year, but help is on the way! A third outpost has opened in Tribeca, providing a new home for its cherished olive bread, panini and cookies. (There's also a location on the UWS.) You can stop crying now. (250 W. Broadway at Sixth Ave., 212-334-9435)
The folks behind Tai Thai in the East Village and Williamsburg add to their little downtown east/Brooklyn Thai kingdom with Pagoda Thailand in Greenpoint. Nothing here you haven't already seen before, although the daily lunch special is a steal: $6.95 gets you an entrée, a side of white rice and Tom Yum soup or Thai salad with peanut dressing. (333 Graham Ave. between Devoe St. & Metropolitan Ave., 718-388-8455)
Additional reporting by Matt Rodbard. Photo by Jori Klein.
