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1) West Village: Italian restaurant Farina is open after some delay, according to Eater's Robert Sietsema. It specializes in piadina, a flatbread that's folded over and filled with things like ham, cheese, and arugula. It's usually a snack, but it can also be served as a light meal. Owner Alessandra Pasqualini told DNAinfo last year that she planned to import a special flour from Italy for this restaurant. Status: Certified Open; 15 Eighth Ave., 212-627-4400
2) Hell's Kitchen: Greenwich Village Italian sandwich shop La Panineria now has an outpost further uptown. The menu includes around 20 traditional panini sandwiches, plus salads, platters, and pastries. For Midtown lunchers, the shop offers free delivery. Status: Certified Open; 410 West 36th St., 917-639-3441
3) Windsor Terrace: Della, a seasonal Italian restaurant with a Mediterranean focus, features a menu that has ravioli, saffron tagliatelle with chorizo, branzino with smoky lentils, and roast chicken with couscous. Status: Certified Open; 1238 Prospect Ave., Brooklyn, 718-633-0249
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4) Brooklyn Heights: The owners of French restaurant Chez Moi debuted a Marie Antoinette-inspired cocktail subterranean speakeasy called Le Boudoir. The entrance is hidden behind a bookshelf in Chez Moi. It's decorated with lush red velvet and gilded mirrors, and the bathroom is intended to be a replica of Antoinette's own powder room. Status: Certified Open; inside Chez Moi, at 135 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, 347-227-8337
5) East Village: Tex-Mex restaurant Avenida Cantina is serving up items like frito pie enchiladas, fried stuffed avocado, breakfast tacos, and queso. Co-owner Christen Hagan, from Texas, also owns Southern bar and restaurant Double Wide. The restaurant also houses a tequila speakeasy bar called The Mockingbird Bar downstairs, accessible by a door with the Texas state bird. Status: Certified Open; 25 Avenue B, 646-882-0593
6) Lower East Side: Johann Giraud, who's worked at Laduree Soho, has opened his cocktail and tapas bar Excuse My French. The menu includes charcuterie, cheese, tartines, and crepes, along with small plates like baked portobello mushrooms, spiced Moroccan carrots, and sea scallops with yuzu. Larger plates include steak tartare and Cajun chicken. Status: Certified Open; 96 Orchard St., 646-775-1215
We are in full swing!! Come on down!!
Posted by Bonus Room on Tuesday, December 29, 2015
7) Ridgewood: Owners of popular local bars Heavy Woods and The Bodega debuted another spot in the area called Bonus Room, this time down by the Halsey L stop. Ben Warren and Gina Leone's new bar has a pool table, video games, a jukebox, and free bagels on the weekend. On Sundays, people who bring in tampons or pads to donate to a local women's shelter will get a free tomatillo Bloody Mary. Status: Soft Open; 991 Wyckoff Ave., Queens
8) Elmhurst: The owners of popular and eclectic Thai bar and restaurant Pata Paplean opened a cafe nearby called Pata Cafe, serving Thai-style bubble tea, pastries, sandwiches, and crepes, according to DNAinfo. They're still experimenting with a variety of bubble tea flavors. Status: Certified Open; 56-14 Van Horn St., Queens
9) Upper East Side: Family-owned restaurant Cousins debuted in the former East River Diner location with an American food menu, tinged with recipes like fried spinach pies and chickpea stew from the owners' Greek mothers. It also has desserts like Cap'n Crunch ice cream and lemon soaked cornmeal cake. Status: Soft Open; 1514 First Ave., 646-861-1524
10) Greenpoint: Williamsburg Mediterranean restaurant Dar 525 now has a location in Greenpoint as well. The menu features classics like hummus and chicken shawarma as well as pizzas and Mediterranean brunch. Status: Certified Open; 168 Driggs Ave., Brooklyn, 718-389-0003
11) Sunnyside: Italian restaurant Zio Luigi is back in business after the kitchen caught fire just three days after it opened in November, according to Sunnyside Post. Owner Luis Bermejo focuses on fresh pastas at the new restaurant. Status: Certified Open; 42-15 Queens Blvd., Queens, 718-937-7373
12) Upper East Side: Niko Karaiskos, who worked at Pylos in the front-of-house for many years, opened his own casual restaurant, called Greek Eats. It offers five different dips, skewers, and salads, and all of the menu items are under $15. Status: Certified Open; 1229 First Ave., 212-861-4976