Guadalupe Inn, Nickel & Diner, Modern Love, and More NYC Openings

1) Little Italy: Nickel & Diner is a new downtown restaurant paying homage to five and dime stores and old diners. The chef here is James Friedburg, who worked at restaurants like Le Cirque and Aureole before most recently serving as executive chef at Blenheim in the West Village. Friedburg is offering modern versions of diner dishes like a veal reuben, chicken soup with ricotta dumplings, and a huevos rancheros omelet. Currently, Nickel & Diner is open for breakfast and lunch only. Status: Soft Open; 1 Howard Street, 646-870-6100

2) Bushwick: The crew behind Williamsburg Mexican restaurants Mesa Coyoacan and Zona Rosa are opening the doors today to Guadalupe Inn, their latest restaurant and cocktail bar. Chef/owner Ivan Garcia is a Mexico City native, and he named the restaurant after a small neighborhood in Mexico’s capital. At the center of the 80-seat restaurant is a copper bar flanked by floral wallpaper and brass lighting fixtures. The team plans to host local bands and musicians soon. Modern Mexican dishes from Garcia include fish carnitas, roasted chicken with mango, and veal meatballs. Status: Certified Open; 1 Knickerbocker Avenue, 718-366-0500

3) Bushwick: Cape House opened last week officially taking over the former Amancay's Diner space on Knickerbocker Ave. Owner Dana Gardner grew up in Ipswich, Massachusetts and modeled the space to look like a classic New England clam shack with outdoor picnic tables, string lights, and bright white exterior. Gardner, who has lived in the Bushwick neighborhood for nearly 10 years, partnered with Ben Ward, Andy Miller, and chef Jay Berta for the project. The menu from Berta offers seafood staples like scallops, fried clams, and haddock. The Oddfellows team is serving ice cream, too. Status: Certified Open; 2 Knickerbocker Avenue, 718-821-2580

4) Williamsburg: Modern Love is a new vegan comfort food restaurant on Union Street. Owner Isa Chandra Moscowitz (a Brooklyn native) opened the original location of her vegan restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska. The dimly-lit space has a pink neon sign and an even bigger mural on the side of the building. Moscowitz, who is behind the cookbook Veganomicon, has plans to open more Modern Loves soon. The menu at Modern Love Brooklyn offers options like curried fried rice, truffled poutine, and an eggplant lasagna. Status: Certified Open; 317 Union Avenue, 929-298-0626

5) Long Island City: The Green Street is a brand new Korean BBQ restaurant, the first for LIC. The space is 74 seats, including eight at the bar, and sits on a residential street in Queens. Each table in the restaurant is outfitted with a Korean barbecue grill where guests can have a mix of meats cooked in front of them. During the day, The Green Street will serve juices and organic lunch and breakfast options. The Green Street is all paleo and organic. Status: Certified Open; 10-39 47th Road, 646-681-1109

6) Harlem: Former New York Jets player Stephen Bowen, along with his wife Tiffany, is the owner of Harlem Hookah, a one-week-old hookah lounge. After a 10-year professional football career, Bowen decided he wanted to offer a neighborhood hookah lounge. Non-hookah menu items include wings, sliders, egg rolls, and a quesadilla. Harlem Hookak is open from 4:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. Status: Certified Open; 381 Lenox Avenue, 646-912-9905

7) Flatiron: San Francisco-based mini-chain Sushirrito now has a New York outpost on 23rd Street. The operators of the chain oversee five SF locations, and are planning on opening a second New York location in Midtown later this year. The space is designed by Richard H. Lewis, who worked on the interiors of Balthazar, Pastis, Tavern on the Green, and the new UrbanSpace Market. Status: Certified Open; 12 West 23rd Street

8) Battery Park City: International bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien just opened its 38th Manhattan location. The new cafe offers an indoor dining room as well as a rather large seasonal patio. Like all other locations of the bakery, the Gateway Place location is offering a slew of options like chicken curry salad, quiches, roasted chicken, and a cheese board. Status: Certified Open; 395 South End Avenue, 646-618-8930