1) East Village: After a prolonged five-month hiatus (which included completely gutting and renovating the interior), the Avenue A stalwart Sidewalk Cafe has reopened. The restyling is all-over classic American - there's wood from a "deconstructed barn", and Felipe Donnelly's (of Worth Kitchen) new menu has pulled pork sandwiches, wings, and an all-day breakfast menu. The legendary Monday Open Mic night is back, too. Gothamist has pics inside. Status: Certified Open (abbreviated menu until Wed.); 94 Avenue A, 212-473-7373.
2) Harlem: Zagat Buzz reports that French bistro Cedric (from Le Bilboquet general manager Cedric Lecendre) opened today at the corner of 119th and St. Nicholas Avenue. The latest Upper East Side transplant, its menu feels very much like a French/Soul Food hybrid - you can order anything from a duck breast with cherry sauce to jerk chicken and fries. With sleek wooden tables and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, it certainly looks the part. Status: Opening Today; 185 St. Nicholas Ave., 212-866-7766.
3) Greenwich Village: The Carroll Gardens-based South Brooklyn Pizza has opened up a new Greenwich Village location, according to Fork in the Road. It's their second Manhattan location (after opening up in the East Village last year), and you can expect the same old $4 slice. Doesn't look like there's room for disco night, though. Status: Open (as per Twitter); 190 Bleecker St..
4) Midtown East: More Manhattan-via-Brooklyn pizzeria news: Midtown Lunch reports on the opening of Bensonhurst original J&V Pizzeria in a food court at 805 3rd Ave. (b/w 49th and 50th). Standard pizzeria fare, and you can also get something called a "Grandpa" slice. Status: Certified Open; 805 3rd Ave., 212-888-7755.
5) West Village: Dolce Vizio, the cafe that bills itself as "New York's first cafe that focuses only on tiramisu", opened this past Saturday. They're serving six different flavors of their own creation (including "Orange Espresso" and Nutella), and as promised, you can also create your own customized tiramisu from a variety of different flavors. Status: Certified Open; 131 Christopher St., 646-669-7432.
6) Williamsburg: Grub Street alerts us to the opening of Williams & Bailey, a Prohibition-era whiskey bar. It looks promising, though - the place is run by James Peralta and Ian Pearl (both of revered burger spot Royale), and the fifty different whiskys are complemented by the same famous burger. Prime rib, buttermilk fried chicken, and fourteen different beer options round out the menu. Status: Signs Point to Open; 507 Grand St., 718-782-3500.
7) Park Slope: Top Chef alum Mark Simmons (also of Get Fresh and Melt) is opening up his new venture Kiwiana tomorrow, in the old Lucas Fine Foods spot). The 40-seat restaurant, "built from scratch", is a homage to Simmons' New Zealand roots - dishes such as manuka and marmite braised baby back ribs with squash puree, and a Kiwi burger (lamb meat, with a fried egg and pickled beets on top) are on the menu, and the china cabinet was even built as a replica of his grandmother's. Status: Opening Tomorrow; 847 Union St., 718-230-3682.
8) Murray Hill: A tipster writes in to notify us that Highland Park a new "restaurant and sports lounge" is now open for business in the recently closed Bar XII place (coincidentally, a "sports bar and lounge"). It's billing itself as a "modern twist to classic Gastro Pub Fare", with a selection of "fine whiskeys and 22 Draught beers", but as our tipster writes, "It's not yet clear if the $8 craft beers and lack of bud light will be enough to keep the Bar XII crowd away." Status: Certified Open; 206 E. 34th St., 212-545-9912.
—Alex Ma
[photo credit]