A Standout Burmese Pop-Up at the Queens Night Market Finds a Permanent Home — and More Openings

More than a year and a half into the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants across the city continue to open their doors, sometimes because their concepts could be adapted to the new normal, but more often because their owners saw no other choice but to forge ahead. Since March 16, 2020, when the state first temporarily closed indoor dining, hundreds of new restaurants have opened, including a new breakfast taco destination, an anticipated bakery, and a buzzy new food court.

Here’s a round-up of the restaurants and bars that opened in November. This list will be updated weekly. If there’s an opening in your neighborhood that we’ve missed, let us know at tips@eater.com.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

November 24

Astoria: A new, halal-friendly Mexican spot called Hot Peppers Mexican Grill has landed on bustling Steinway Street. Expect burritos, rice bowls, tacos, quesadillas, tacos, and more. 28-21 Steinway Street, near 28th Avenue

Brooklyn Navy Yard: An “anti-ghost-kitchen” ghost kitchen called Hungry House is now welcoming orders in Brooklyn. The food delivery platform also functions as a walk-up window at the Navy Yard. Customers can order dishes from chefs such as Rawlston Williams of the celebrated Food Sermon, which recently closed its own Caribbean lunch counter at the complex. 141 Flushing Avenue, at Building 77

Chelsea: A second New York location for Australian spot Bourke Street Bakery has landed in Chelsea. Still on the menu are its standout sausage rolls, sourdough bread, pastries, and more. 162 Eighth Avenue, at the corner of West 18th Street

East Village: Rapidly-growing coffee chain Blank Street Coffee debuts its third East Village location, all of which have opened in the area since last October. 149 Avenue A, between Ninth and 10th streets

Elmhurst: Queens Night Market favorite Burmese Bites has found a permanent home. According to Chopsticks and Marrow, Myo Lin Thway and his family are now bringing hard-to-find Southeast Asian dishes like palata and tea leaf salad to the Queens Center Mall food court. 90-15 Queens Boulevard, near 59th Avenue

Fort Greene: Oh! Dumpling, a spot specializing in Chinese dumplings and bings, opened on Bergen Street back in 2018. Now, the team is expanding deeper into Brooklyn with a second location that’s now open to the public. 108 South Oxford Street, near Fulton Street

Greenpoint: A new vegan cafe with a juice bar has opened in North Brooklyn. Cuffie Ridge has acai bowls, mushroom barley soup, banana bread, carrot ginger cookies, and more. 154 Huron Street, near Manhattan Avenue

Lower East Side: Coffee company La Colombe has opened its first New York roastery. The new venture is located inside of the Bowery Whole Foods and a special coffee blend will be available to commemorate the launch. The roastery is the brand’s ninth location across the city. Pastries from Clinton Hill’s the Good Batch will also be available. 95 East Houston Street, near Bowery

Meatpacking District: The Seoul-based Michelin-starred restaurant Onjium has opened a New York outpost located on the second floor of the luxury car company Genesis’s showroom. This is the team’s first-ever restaurant outside of Korea, but unlike the Seoul location, the Manhattan restaurant offers both a la carte and tasting menu options. A separate menu for the teahouse zone of the space will roll out in the coming months. 40A 10th Avenue, near West 13th Street

Midtown East: Sutton Place has a new bakery called Crumbly Cafe and Bakery, specializing in gooey cookies. Flavors range from a red velvet version to a cookie with Nutella, as well as classic chocolate chip. 997 First Avenue, near East 55th Street

Times Square: A new 24/7 dim sum spot has landed in Midtown, a unique option for the city where most dim sum spots operate at brunch time only. Awesum Dimsum has a location in Gramercy, but the new Times Square adjacent spot is its first to stay open at all-hours of the day. 612 Eighth Avenue, near West 40th Street

Union Square: A vegan fast casual burger chain hailing from Philly throws its hat in the ring for New York City’s competitive veggie burger scene. HipCityVeg first launched in 2012 by Latinx business owner Nicole Marquis. Currently, the team has seven locations split between Philly and Washington D.C. 28 East 12th Street, at University Place

Upper East Side: A new location for Breads Bakery, replacing a former Maison Kayser bakery, has opened its doors. Gadi Paleg’s acclaimed sweets spot will bring its babkas and reimagined black and white cookies, among other treats, uptown. Another location is set to open in 2022 at Rockefeller Center. 1294 Third Avenue, between 74th and 75th streets

Williamsburg: A new neighborhood beer spot, The Clonard, has opened in Williamsburg. There’s a small but comforting snack menu with options like onion rings, jalapeño poppers with ranch, and french fries with chipotle mayo, as well as a burger and grilled cheese. 506 Grand Street, near Union Avenue

November 18

Chelsea: Opening a restaurant during a global pandemic apparently wasn’t enough of a challenge for Madeline Sperling, a former Gramercy Tavern chef who turned to wood-fire cooking to get Zou Zou’s off the ground. “I’ve always found wood-fire to be an incredibly challenging cooking medium,” she says, given that the method of cooking is about as tough to predict as the city’s shifting COVID-19 regulations. Here, like at Gramercy Tavern, white oak logs keep the flames going, imparting a gentle smoky flavor on dishes that nod to Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and other countries of the Levant, according to the chef. Sous chef Juliana Latif, who Sperling met while working at the one-Michelin-starred NoMad, rounds out the kitchen at this 75-seat restaurant. 385 Ninth Avenue, Suite 85 at 33rd Street

Chelsea: Pastificio G. Di Martino, a dry pasta company hailing from Campania, Italy, has opened a new venture inside the Chelsea Market. La Devozione by Pastificio G. Di Martino will have a retail area and a zone called A Tavolla, where pasta is being served in a casual setting. Later, in early December, a 30-seat bar will also open on site, with an expanded pasta tasting menu. 75 Ninth Avenue, at 15th Street

Chinatown: A new food court has landed in Chinatown. Mott Street Eatery takes over the former Joy Luck Palace, a top Cantonese dim sum banquet hall that closed four years ago. The new food court features 10 different stalls. 98 Mott Street, near Hester Street

Downtown Brooklyn: What began as an ongoing cocktail pop-up of sorts at Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Sunken Harbor Club has now blossomed into its own permanent bar hidden upstairs inside the team’s reborn Gage & Tollner restaurant. The menu and nautical-themed interior design is distinct from what’s available downstairs, with an extensive tropical-leaning cocktail menu as well as dishes like beef pho from chef and partner Sohui Kim, and a miso butterscotch pudding from pastry chef Caroline Schiff. As the name suggests, interested parties can also join as members that gets them a passport with stamps for every time they try a spirit from a different country. 372 Fulton Street, near Smith Street

East Village: Breakfast hangout Wild Son relocated one door over earlier this month, and in its place a cocktail bar from the same team has opened its doors. Beverage director Julio Xoxocotla has turned to his native Mexico City for the lengthy drinks list at Bar Lula, which includes a cachaça espresso martini and loads of mezcal. Braised lamb neck, chocolate tres leches cake, and other dishes stand-in for a traditional bar menu. 132 First Avenue, at Saint Marks Place

East Village: The team behind former East Village regional Chinese spot Jiang Diner has resurfaced a few blocks away with Jiang’s Kitchen. EV Grieve reports that the new restaurant has carried over some of the past menu’s stars, including its superior big-plate chicken. 65 St. Marks Place, near First Avenue

East Village: Via Della Pace, an Italian restaurant that burnt down in the neighborhood in February of 2020, still hasn’t reopened. But this month, the team has turned its sights onto a grocery store they’re calling Via Della Scrofa. The speciality shop offers sandwiches, coffee, Christmas-time panettone, and more Italian-leaning treats. 60 East Fourth Street, between Second Avenue and the Bowery

Harlem: Chef Jappy Afzelius behind the LES Filipino spot Tsismis is now headed to Harlem. His new bev spot Juicery Harlem features drinks such as his “orange ‘n cream” version with orange and sweet potatoes. Also on the menu are a tuna melt, avocado toast, and an acai bowl. 370 Malcolm X Boulevard, at West 129th Street

Jamaica: Newly-opened Queens spot, Sheikh Shak offers zabiha delights that range from wings and burgers ( as well as rice platters) that nod to the restaurant’s punny name. 82-37C 164th Street, near 69th Avenue

Lower East Side: Fast-casual Chinese restaurant Tipsy Shanghai — specializing in Jiangsu fare — has relocated from Greenwich Village to the LES, according to Bowery Boogie. 189 East Broadway, near Jefferson Street

Lower East Side: A new slice shop, Grand Street Pizza, has landed in the neighborhood. 384 Grand Street, near Suffolk Street

Midtown: MáLà Project, a popular Sichuan dry pot spot that first opened in the East Village in 2016 (and, helped co-founder Amelie Kang nab a spot on a past Eater Young Guns list), has opened its third location. 245 East 53rd Street, near Second Avenue

Midtown: An outpost of salad chain Sweetgreen — this one focused primarily on takeout and delivery orders — opened its doors this week. 599 Lexington Avenue, between East 52nd and 53rd streets

Midtown: Luxury caviar importer and dining room Caviar Russe now has a downstairs sibling on Madison Avenue. The Bar at Caviar Russe will feature more small plates options than that of its companion upstairs restaurant, with dishes like mini lobster rolls in addition to all the caviar trappings and Champagne. 538 Madison Avenue, between East 54th and 55th streets

Midtown: David Morton, whose family is behind the national chain Morton’s the Steakhouse, has opened a new grab ‘n go venture called Office Hours located inside of the skyscraper Penn 1. Later this year, Morton’s Chicago-based hospitality team DMK will open a spot called the Landing at the same location. The menu at Office Hours includes options like a tomato bisque, poke bowls, and chicken Caesar salads from chef Brian Huston. 1 Pennsylvania Plaza, near Pearson Park

Midtown: Coastal Italian cooking takes center stage with the opening of Osteria La Baia, the first NYC opening from hospitality company Bulldozer, which also operates establishments in Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Eastern Europe, and Miami. Executive chef Brian VanderGast (most recently of Soho House in New York and Malibu) serves a dinner menu with plates of crudo, pizzas, and pastas — all from an open kitchen anchored by a wood-burning oven. 129 West 52nd Street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues — Beth Landman, contributor

Oyster Bay: Acclaimed chef Jesse Schenker, known for his former tasting menu spot Recette in Manhattan, is branching out in Long Island with a new fine dining restaurant. Four is a 10-seat chef’s counter where Schenker serves a 12-15 course, $245 per person tasting menu focused in part on raw and cooked seafood. 4 Spring Street, near Shore Street

Prospect Heights: A new Australian “brekkie” spot has opened in Brooklyn. The Villager serves coffee as well as highlighting ceramics made by one of the founders on sale. 841 Classon Avenue, near Lincoln Place

Soho: Brooklyn hit Drip Coffee has made the move to Manhattan. Opening hours for now are 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., seven days a week. 75 Varick Street, between Watts and Canal streets

Times Square: Square, stuffed sandwiches are all the rage at this new Manhattan sandwich shop, hailing from Florence. All’Antico Vinaio came to NYC as a brief pop-up back in 2019, and now has a permanent home to much fanfare. 729 Eighth Avenue, near West 46th Street

Tribeca: A new bar claiming, per a representative, to be “genuinely sexy,” opens its doors downtown inside of the Walker Hotel. Saint Tuesday is led by Christopher Covey, an alum of the acclaimed former Milk & Honey cocktail destination. The dimly-lit bar will host jazz and calypso nights as well. 24 Cortlandt Alley, near Walker Street

Upper East Side: A tavern modeled off the “eccentric feeling and vibe” of the LES opens on the UES. Who’s Jac W.?, from former Tao Group chef Joel Reiss and father-and-son restaurateurs Frank and Pietro Pecora, brings pasta, burgers, and Nashville hot frog legs to the neighborhood. 1626 Second Avenue, near East 84th Street

Upper East Side: Nick Pashalis and Nick Tsoulos have run pizzerias across the city for years, but the opening of Aperitivo is their homage to the Italian obsession with the aperitivo hour, a tradition of drinking lighter cocktails paired with snacks before dinner. Drinks can flow into a full-fledged dinner, where chefs Balente Barroso and Jesus Candia serve Italian and Italian-American classics ranging from fritto misto to penne alla vodka. 14 East 60th Street, between Fifth and Madison avenues

West Village: A new Asian-inspired raw bar has opened downtown. Ama Raw Bar is a sibling to a location that opened in the East Village, 190 Avenue B, back in 2019. The restaurant serves $1 oysters from 5-7 p.m. during happy hour. 39 Downing Street, near Bedford Street

November 11

Brooklyn Heights: Just a year after opening, Palestinian hit Ayat is already expanding with a sister restaurant called Al badawi. The new, full-service spot features many of the dishes available at Ayat, including its mansaf, with new additions like bamia (a tomato stew with okra and beef) and Palestinian-style pizzas with pistachio or shawarma. In addition to the original outpost in Bay Ridge, more locations of Ayat will also open in the coming months. 151 Atlantic Avenue, near Clinton Street

Chelsea: Manhattan has gained a new dim sum spot. Opening every day at 12 p.m., Hey Yuet offers classic Cantonese dishes like rice rolls and turnip cakes. 251 West 26th Street, near Eighth Avenue

Chelsea: The former Momofuku Nishi space is now Joy Love Club. The new restaurant combines Chinese and French flavors on a menu that includes a braised duck with caviar and a truffle beef dish with asparagus and pepper sauce. According to a representative for the restaurant, managing director Jasmine Wong has worked for Han Dynasty and Spicy Moon. 232 Eighth Avenue, near West 22nd Street

Cobble Hill: From the team behind the Italian-leaning Verde on Smith Street is a new neighborhood spot called Levant on Smith. The French restaurant has frog legs, French onion soup, moules mariniere, and more. 223 Smith Street, at Butler Street

East Village: East Village breakfast spot Wild Son has moved one door down. 130 First Avenue, near St. Marks Place

Flatiron: The first indoor restaurant to open at Eataly on its first floor since 2018 is the 70-seat Bar Milano, outfitted with its own negroni cart. It takes over the former Manzo space. 200 Fifth Avenue, at West 24th Street

Flatiron: Maki Kosaka, the more casual follow-up to the Michelin-starred Kosaka, has now launched an omakase counter inside of the restaurant called Maki Omakase. The menu, led by chef Sho Boo, runs $150 for an experience that includes temari sushi and Edomae-style nigiri sushi. 55 West 19th Street, near Sixth Avenue

Greenpoint: A new restaurant from alums of Ai Fiori, Bâtard, and Marc Forgione, has landed in North Brooklyn. Leroy’s focusses on seafood with a menu that runs the gamut from scallop crudo to chicken liver pate and honeynut squash. 195 Franklin Street, at Green Street

Hell’s Kitchen: After making an impression as a month-long summer pop-up in 2019, famed Italian panini maker All’Antico Vinaio has settled into a permanent location in Manhattan. Like in Florence, Italy — where the shop is known to draw winding, hours-long lines — the New York branch specializes in stuffed, square sandwiches served on the Tuscan flatbread known as schiacciata, meaning “smashed.” 729 Eighth Avenue, at West 46th Street

Hudson Square: New York’s latest seasonal American restaurant opens in Soho’s Arlo Hotel this week. Helmed by chef Carsten Johannsen, Lindens serves a wide-reaching menu of white clam pizza, pasta pomodoro, and Captain Crunch root beer floats. An extensive raw bar advertises oysters priced between $3.50 and $4 each. 231 Hudson Street, at Renwick Street

Lower East Side: A new LES spot called Sobak has opened its doors. According to the Infatuation, the restaurant only serves four items: bibimbap, unagi don, egg bap, and wagyu bowl (with limited wagyu portions available). 51b Canal Street, near Orchard Street

Midtown: KoBa — short for Korean barbecue — is the latest entrant in Manhattan’s ever-evolving fast-casual restaurant scene. The business, located in Midtown’s Bread Factory cafe, specializes in “fast, traditional, and not overly-priced” Korean fare, says owner Albert Pae. Here, that means bulgogi bowls, bibimbap, and ssambap sets mostly priced between $10 and $15. 470 Seventh Avenue, between West 35th and 36th streets

Nomad: There’s no reservations or menu at the newly opened Skirt Steak, its Instagram asserts. This restaurant from acclaimed chef Laurent Tourondel sells only wagyu skirt steak as its cut of meat with various sauces, endless fries, and a green salad prix fixe priced at $28, and that’s about it. Desserts and sides of seasonal vegetables cost extra. 835 Sixth Ave, at West 29th Street

Tribeca: Regional Greek cooking is the draw at the newly opened Marathi, a collaboration between chef Nicholas Poulmentis and restaurateur Andreas Koutsoudakis. The restaurant specializing in the cuisine of Crete — skillet-seared snails and pork with caramelized onions — is located in a space that formerly housed Tribeca’s Kitchen, also owned by Koutsoudakis. 200 Church Street, at Duane Street

Union Square: Fine dining institution Gotham Bar and Grill has rebooted again, after closing in March 2020, and is now simply referred to as Gotham. The kitchen is led by 10-year Gotham alum Ron Paprocki. 12 East 12th Street, near University Place

Upper West Side: Family-owned Mexican spot El Gallo Taqueria is opening its third location. At this new uptown venture, the team offers the same dishes they have at the original in Gravesend. Minerva de Torres and Herminio Torres Sr. opened the first operation over 20 years ago in Brooklyn. Now, the restaurant is helmed by their sons Alejandro and Herminio Torres. 502 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 84th and 85th streets

West Village: A new Italian spot with some Southern notes, Bird Dog comes from chef Brian Cartenuto. The menu includes mafaldine with pumpkin puree, catfish black-eyed pea gumbo, and meatloaf with broccoli and a cranberry mostarda. 525 Hudson Street, near Charles Street

West Village: Always-packed Los Angeles brunch spot Breakfast by Salt’s Cure has opened its first New York outpost. Originally, the restaurant opened in West Hollywood as a steakhouse but the breakfast program proved to be popular enough to stand on its own, leading to a second location in Santa Monica. Now, at the New York venture, you’ll find the breakfast spot’s signature griddle cakes, with flavors like banana nut and Pink Lady apple. 27 1/2 Morton Street, near Seventh Avenue South

Williamsburg: The team behind Roebling Sporting Club and the Bedford has opened a second location of Macchina (the first in Gramercy is temporarily closed), with shrimp scampi pizza, mozzarella curds, and chicken parm sliders on deck. Unique to the Brooklyn location is a cocktail menu filled with spritzes, led by Dianne Lowry, (an alum of the Aviary). The old warehouse space has plans to project Italian movies, as well. 110 Bedford Avenue, at North 11th Street

November 4

Astoria: The much-awaited brick-and-mortar from Christine Yen and Joe DeMato, who launched popular weekend pandemic-era bake sales while waiting to open, has finally fully debuted. Bench Flour Bakers will offer a rotating selection of pastries and breakfast sandwiches; bread loaves will only be available on the weekend. 43-18 25th Avenue, near 44th Street

Bay Ridge: Italian pasta spot Brooklyn Roots has popped up in a new Bay Ridge location after shuttering its Sunset Park restaurant in August. The gigantic, saucy plates of penne vodka and cheesy, crispy squares of fried mozzarella are still on the menu. 8620 Third Avenue, near 87th Street

Brooklyn Navy Yard: Small-batch Tex-Mex salsa company Jalapa Jar is opening a new production facility in the Navy Yards. In addition to selling its packaged goods, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during weekdays only, a full menu of breakfast tacos will be available. 141 Flushing Avenue, at Building 77

Chinatown: Neighborhood bakery 46 Mott launched a spinoff called 46 Mott Rookies in early October. The new spot focuses on barbecued skewers and claypot rice stuffed with fillings like dried pork and chicken, starting at $7 apiece. 42c Mott Street, near Bayard Street

East Village: The cream puff kings of Beard Papa’s have landed on St. Mark’s Place. The chain, that first started back in Japan in 1999, now has 400 locations in 15 countries, according to EV Grieve. 11 St. Mark’s Place, between Second and Third avenues

Financial District: Ubiquitous lunch bowl chain Sweetgreen is now open at this new location in the 3 World Trade Center building. 175 Greenwich Street, at Cortlandt Way

Gramercy: The Freehand Hotel is undergoing changes. Last month, Comodo took over the former Simon & The Whale space. Now, the hotel has opened two new nightlife venues: the Georgia Room and Bar Calico, spaces loosely inspired by the work of artist Georgia O’Keefe in the former site of Studio at the Freehand. The Georgia Room will be bigger than Bar Calico and will stay open ‘til late for dancing. The dual projects come from Matt Kliegman, Carlos Quirarte, and Matthew Charles, who between them pull experience from the Jane Hotel Ballroom, the Smile, Black Seed Bagels, and Ray’s Bar, among others. 23 Lexington Avenue, near East 23rd Street

Hell’s Kitchen: Cookie chain Insomnia Cookies has expanded its reach with a new uptown location, it’s 14th location across NYC. Like its other locations, you can get the sweets delivered to you even at 3 a.m on most days (delivery until 1 a.m. otherwise). 796 9th Ave New York, NY 10019

Lower East Side: The Market Line, already home to vendors like Mighties and Que Chevere, has gained a new restaurant. Gouie, from Yudai Kanayama and Keisuke Kasagi of hotspots Izakaya and Dr. Clark, will focus on sake and sushi, where eight pieces will run you around $30. 115 Delancey Street, at Essex Street

Lower East Side: After closing Pado in the East Village last year, co-owners Jee Young Kim and Bong Le Jo are striking out on their own again with modern Korean neighborhood spot 8282 on the Lower East Side. This time, they’re showcasing their own takes on a lesser-seen range of Korean fare, including a slightly dried, nutty-flavored yellow crocker fish and a perilla oil pasta dish made with angel hair noodles instead of buckwheat soba. “This is not the usual Korean barbecue and bibimbap,” Kim says. “They are all great but it is time to explore further horizons in Korean food and Korean culture.” 84 Stanton Street, between Orchard and Allen streets

Prospect Heights: Basketball season is underway and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is outfitted with a number of food vendors for the occasion. Newcomers to the arena this year include Bushwick birria maker Nene’s Taqueria, a second outpost of Kelewele, and Williamsburg cheesesteak spot Fedoroff’s, among others. Major Food Group also opened the doors on an exclusive courtside lounge called Crown Club, but unlike the other vendors on this list, it’s only open to top-tier ticket holders. 620 Atlantic Avenue, at Flatbush Avenue

Upper East Side: Yet another location of Astoria-based gooey cookie chain Chip City has landed. The UES shop marks the ninth location of Chip City to open in NYC, and five more spots are in the works, according to the company’s website. 1543 Second Avenue, between 80th and 81st streets

Upper East Side: Butcher institution, Schaller & Weber has had success in recent years with its next-door restaurant Schaller’s Stube. Now Schaller’s Stube is opening a new, hidden restaurant in its backyard. The heated tent restaurant dubbed Hütte is inspired by Austrian ski lodges and will feature hearty dishes like venison goulash and cheese or chocolate fondue. 1652 Second Avenue, between 85th and 86th streets

Upper East Side: The Migrant Kitchen, known for its Middle Eastern-Latin dishes that center social good, is planting roots uptown. The new location on the Upper East Side is just the beginning of the restaurant’s expansion plan, with a larger, flagship location to open at Lincoln Center sometime in the coming months, that will focus on even more migrant cuisines from around the world. 1433 First Avenue, between East 74th and 75th streets

Williamsburg: EBBS Beer, brewed out of Queens’ Citifield, has gained its first taproom in North Brooklyn. The EBBS Taproom is also a collaboration with the team behind Fountain Hard Seltzer, so the bar also has flavored hard seltzers for sale as well. Snacks include tinned fish, bread from ACQ Bread Co., and more to nosh on. 182 North 8th Street, near Driggs Avenue