Empire Pizza, Piccolo Cafe Now Open; Elsewhere and Graffit Later This Week

1) Hell's Kitchen: Elsewhere, a seasonal small-plates restaurant from Brian Keyser, owner of Casellula Cheese & Wine Café, will be serving up an Eclectic American menu of farm-driven, shareable plates that includes braised rabbit with a green olive demi-glace, and baby beets with horseradish cream and chestnuts. Status: Opens tomorrow; 403 W 43rd St., 212-315-2121.

2) East Village: EV Grieve reports that a second location of midtown pizza joint Empire Pizza is now open in the former Village Restaurant and Pizza space. Status: Certified open; 35 1st Ave.

3) Upper West Side: Diner's Journal has a detailed look at Graffit, a restaurant from Madrid chef Jesús Núñez offering up modern Spanish cuisine in a stylized setting. How stylized? Well, as indicated by the name, graffiti is a large part of the decor with griffiti artist Dasic Fernandez covering the walls with his own work. The menu is certainly interesting, one item being a deconstructed tortilla layered in a martini glass while another on that looks like a poached egg but is made from cauliflower and served on a bed of vegetables - a fine showcase for the chef's take on molecular gastronomy. Status: Opens Wednesday; 141 W. 69th St., 646-692-8762.

4) Times Square: Grub Street brings word that a second location of Piccolo Café, an ecofriendly joint serving coffee as well as pasta, panini, and sandwiches, is now open in the Times Square area. Status: Certified open; 274 W. 40th St., 212-302-0143.

5) Hell's Kitchen: Zagat Buzz has an early look at Industry Bar, a "nightlife one-stop-shop." What does that mean? Well, it's got a pool table, a stage, a lounge area, and flat-screen televisions above the bar, if that helps. The happy hour special runs from 4-9 pm where all drinks are two-for-one. Status: Certified open; 355 W. 52nd St., 646-476-2747.