Trained Monk Opens New York's First Bhutanese Restaurant; Pok Pok LES Has a New Resident

Ditmas Park: Wives Shenhav Mor Yehzkel and Deborah Bagg just opened their Israeli-inspired all day restaurant Batata, reports Ditmas Park Corner. The name means sweet potato in Hebrew, and accordingly, the root appears all over the menu. There's sweet potato falafel, an Israeli salad plate, schnitzel, and breakfast fare like fried Yemenite bread called malawach. Status: Certified open. 3021 Fort Hamilton Parkway, 347-599-1260.

Woodside: Trained monk Lekay Drakpa recently opened what he claims is the city's only Bhutanese restaurant. Whether or not that's true, according to DNAinfo Ema Datsi offers loads of spicy dishes like chili dried pork, several rice dishes, and the namesake dish, which is a mix of chiles and cheese. There are also some Indian and Tibetan dishes on the men. Status: Certified open. 67-21 Woodside Avenue.

Lower East Side: Persian kebab and sandwich shop Mazeish recently opened in the old Pok Pok Phat Thai space on the Lower East Side. The menu is straightforward, with chicken, beef, and kufta kebabs. There is also falafel. Status: Certified open. 137 Rivington, 646-964-5912.

Lower East Side: Craft beer bar Stanton Street Kitchen opened last week with a large beer lineup and some small plates to go with the brews, reports the Village Voice. Status: Certified Open. 178 Stanton Street, no phone.

Courtesy of Verboten

Williamsburg: Cabaret Bar joined its sister nightclub Verboten this weekend. The menu consists of gut-bombing dishes like "carnivore sliders" (bacon infused beef, bone marrow, cheddar) and Spanish poutine (patatas bravas, ropa vieja, manchego, pepper aioli). To drink there are cocktails named after novels, like Fahrenheit 451 (mezcal, grapefruit soda, jalapeno, and lime) and A Clockwork Orange (Jameson's, orange soda, lemon, and bitters). Status: Certified open. 60 North 11st Street, 347-223-4732.

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Midtown East: After a brief delay, Atwood Kitchen & Bar Room opened last week in a bi-level space. The menu includes tuna and hamachi tartare on crispy rice, crispy polenta with mushroom ragu, and chile garlic prawns with Napa cabbage slaw. There's also a late-night menu with a burger. 986 2nd Avenue, 212-371-2233. Update: The restaurant's opening has been delayed.

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Williamsburg: Celebrity cake maker Penny Stankiewicz just opened her first brick-and-mortar bakery and cafe called Sugar Couture. Cakes like a lemon ginger cake with strawberries and passion fruit buttercream, and banana cake with caramel buttercream are sold by the slice. Status: Certified open. 386 Graham Avenue, 718-349-1440.

Bed Stuy: Charles von Herrlich and Jonn Carlson, who own Von bar in Noho and built Bed-Vyne Brew, are soft opening their remake of the Casablanca Cocktail Lounge right now. The menu isn't out yet, but a friend of Eater said the team did a nice job of fixing up the place. Status: Soft open. 302 Malcolm X Boulevard.

Tribeca: Joe Donagher, who owns Rattle n Hum and Beer Authority in Midtown, opened the enormous BarleyCorn, reports Tribeca Citizen. There's seating for 300 and space for many more to stand. The bar offers 70 beers on tap, some of which will rotate seasonally. During the day, there's a lunch buffet, which converts into a raw bar at night. There's also wood-fired pizza made with the recipe from the late Lento's of Bay Ridge. Status: Certified open. 23 Park Place, 212-933-1506.

Williamsburg: Blacksmith Kristina Kozak, who built the gates for several neighborhood spots like Bembe, Iona, and Trash Bar, opened her own place called Billet & Bellows, notes Bedford+Bowery. There's inexpensive house wine and cocktails like "heavy on metal," made with lavender petals, cranberry jelly, and hibiscus agua fresca. Status: Certified open. 177 Grand Street, 347-294-4642.