By Alexis L. Loinaz
Wildwood We got some ‘wood, and man we’re loving it: The oh-so-2007 ‘cue craze gets a second wind with this swanky Gramercy smokehouse helmed by former
Hill Country deputy pitmaster “Big Lou” Elrose. His secret? “You gotta be patient,” says Elrose, who smokes his meats for up to 18 hours and keeps his smoker shut tight. “If you’re looking, you’re not cooking,” he laughs. Pit hits include four kinds of ribs (including Memphis-style baby backs), hand-rubbed brisket and Carolina pulled pork—all of which use all-natural, hormone-free meat. Elrose, who’s cooked for Martha Stewart and President Clinton, even throws in a few surprises, like chili with smoked tofu (“It’s from Cousin Bob, a vegetarian,” he notes proudly) and “Barbeque Bolognese” made with pork brisket and rib tips. Drown the fact that you’re porking out shame- lessly with cocktails from Eben Klemm—his green-tea sour with rye and chamomile should do the trick. (
225 Park Ave. S., 212-533-2500)
Bistro Benoit It’s good to come back for seconds: Alain Ducasse follows up his rousingly received
Adour with this U.S. outpost of his charming Parisian bistro, which takes residence at the old La Côte Basque space and echoes that late Midtown spot’s joie de vivre (how’s that for a second coming?). Ducasse and executive chef Sébastien Rondier mine the original Benoit’s historic recipes (it’s been around since 1912) for classics like steak au poivre with pommes soufflées, and escargots laced with parsley butter and garlic, which you won’t have any trouble pairing with any of the 200 French and American wines. Déjà vu, mon chou? Wait’ll you get a load of the digs, which evokes the original Benoit—red-velvet banquettes, mirrors, wood paneling—while retaining touches from the old La Côte Basque, like sconces and a chandelier. (
60 W. 55th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., 646-943-7373)
Brasserie Cognac Midtown just can’t enough of the French. This traditional brasserie opened its doors within days of Benoit, and, in an interesting twist, is cheffed by Ducasse alum Florian Hugo (Alain Ducasse at the Essex House). Come on—one guess as to what’s the main ingredient in the food and cocktails here. “Cognac is a great alcohol,” Hugo says. “It has a particular personality and marries well with the food—you feel the root, you feel the down-to-earth, the old-fashioned flair.” It pops up in everything from onion soup to peppercorn sauce to fruit salad, anchoring a menu of unabashed French classics like lobster bisque, steak frites and croque monsieur. “We’re making point not to go crazy-fancy,” Hugo says about the menu’s traditional approach. “Nowadays, anybody can have great French cuisine, which used to be reserved for four-star restaurants. We try to be more democratized.” (
1740 Broadway at 55th St., 212-757-3600)
Barrio Splashes of pink on the wall, adobe-colored tiles and murals of fruit and musicians scream out "kitsch theme," but the kitchen's pedigree at this Park Slope Mexican spot ups the authenticity quotient. Chef Adrian Leon, a native of Mexico City and veteran of
Rosa Mexicano and
Zona Rosa, avoids the nacho trail to Tex-Mex and sticks with native dishes like pan-seared Guelaguetza salmon, Yucatan achiote tuna and cochinita pibil cooked in banana leaves. The Pueblan pork tenderloin with peanut mole was what sold him on the owners, a husband-and-wife team (he also runs BLT Prime and Calle Ocho; she's a photographer) who live in the 'hood. (
210 Seventh Ave. at Third St., Park Slope, 718-965-4000)
Also open:
The Lower East Side gets a new
Noodle Bar, a sibling to the West Village spot of the same name. (
172 Orchard St. at Stanton St., 212-228-9833)
Campo is Italian for “gathering place”—and it’s also now a rustic uptown eatery decked out like an old Italian farmhouse. (
2888 Broadway between 112th and 113th Sts.)
Chinese-Thai chain
Nanking drops its first Manhattan branch in Midtown. (
1634 Broadway between 50th and 51st Sts., 212-586-3100)
The old Uovo, in the East Village, makes way for Italian-American trattoria
Panificio. (
175 Avenue B at 11th St., 212-253-2250)
Eatery or summer camp?
The Habitat brings cabin-chic to Greenpoint, with small bites in tow. (
988 Manhattan Ave. at Huron St., 718-383-5615)
Recently closed:Provence (
Soho)
Jessie’s Brooklyn Kitchen (
Cobble Hill)
Russo’s (
East Village)
Massif Central (
West Village)
Quhnia (
East Village)
Cafe L'Angolo (
West Village)
Additional reporting by Yon Motskin
