A Mexican Restaurant From Blue Hill Alums Worth Traveling For — and More Openings

More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants across the city continue to move forward with openings, sometimes because their concepts could be adapted for takeout and delivery, 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 their doors, including a neighborhood seafood spot in the West Village, an incubator for queer businesses in Prospect Heights, and a two-story Margaritaville Restaurant in Times Square.

Here’s a round-up of the restaurants and bars that opened in July. 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.

July 29

Bronxville: A Mexican restaurant led by Blue Hill at Stone Barns alums has found an early following in Westchester, less than a month after opening for outdoor dining. “Things have been busy,” says Emily Gonzalez, a former Cosme and Blue Hill chef who was laid off the during the pandemic. She found her way to La Casa Bronxville after owner Spencer Pingel, a regular at Blue Hill, approached former employees of the Dan Barber restaurant to launch a soon-to-open project. Gonzalez and Julio Enriquez, the former head bartender at Blue Hill, signed on board. “The idea is to serve simple Mexican food,” she says, now the executive chef of the restaurant. Her menu of tacos and tostadas changes with the seasons, sometimes showcasing suadero and lobster, but more often leaning on produce from the Bronxville and Union Square farmers markets. Plans to open the restaurant’s indoor dining room, currently under construction, are on hold until at least September. 7 Pondfield Road #27, at Sagamore Road

East Harlem: Johan Halsberghe, the Belgian chef behind Mojo Dessert Mousse Bar in East Harlem, has opened a cocktail bar next door to his dessert shop. The cocktails, tropical decor, and beef croquettes at Bar Goyana are inspired by his wife and co-owner, Jacqueline Queiroz, who hails from Brazil. 177 East 100th Street, near Lexington Avenue

East Village: After launching Noona Noodles, a stall inside Koreatown’s Food Gallery 32 food court, owner Stella Pak is expanding downtown with a Korean-American juice bar. At Hi Noona, Pak serves juices and smoothies made with ingredients like chamoe — “the standard summer snack” for her family growing up, she says — and misugaru, a powder made from roasted grains. A list of teas, including one made from strawberries muddled with blue licorice and brewed with peach blossom osmanthus, rounds out the menu. 515 East 12th Street, between avenues A and B — Emma Orlow, contributor

East Village: Marufuku Ramen, a restaurant chain with a half-dozen locations in California, arrived in New York City earlier this month. The noodle shop specializes in tonkotsu ramen, with bowls priced between $13.50 and $17.50 each. 92 Second Avenue, between East Fifth and Sixth streets

Greenwich Village: Chef Dan Barber has temporarily rebranded his Michelin-starred Greenwich Village restaurant as Family Meal, a summer pop-up where reservations are limited to groups of four to eight. There’s no set menu — “dishes include mostly vegetables, grains, and some protein,” according to the Blue Hill website — and seats at the table are priced at $115 per person before drinks, tax, and tip. 75 Washington Place, between Washington Square West and Sixth Avenue

Hell’s Kitchen: Ousia, a restaurant within the Via 57 West residential complex, has emerged from the pandemic with a new name and menu. Hudson West, as its now called, serves a more global menu of tzatziki and other Greek, along with gochujang chicken wings and miso eggplant. 629 West 57th Street, between 11th and 12th avenues

Prospect Heights: A year after Ample Hills founders Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith bowed out of their Brooklyn-based ice cream company, the duo is back with a new ice cream shop. The Social, located in the same neighborhood as the first Ample Hills, serves ice cream, doughnuts, and ice cream doughnut sundaes. 816 Washington Avenue, at Saint Johns Place

Sunnyside: Sweet Avenue opened earlier this month, serving local beer from a space with retro orange-and-white checkered floors and a record player on Sundays. The draft list boasts a steady lineup of pours, with appearances from Finback, Alewife, and Other Half. Local and hard-to-find canned beers are available from a fridge, and anything on tap can be taken home in a growler. 40-05 Queens Boulevard, near 40th Street

West Village: Korean corn dog and egg toast chain Oh K-Dog expands with a second New York location. Additional stores in Flushing, Forest Hills, and the East Village are listed as “coming soon” on the company’s website. 70 Seventh Avenue South, at Commerce Street

July 22

East Village: After launching as a pop-up out of Pretty Ricky’s on the Lower East Side, Evil Katsu is bringing its popular breaded sandwiches to the East Village. The restaurant from co-owners Christopher Wagenlander, Asher Sendyk, and Hai Oliveria opened last December, serving “perfect” crustless katsu sandwiches made with pork, chicken, and mushroom. Following up on a successful half-year run, the team has relocated to this permanent brick-and-mortar space on East Ninth Street, where dishes like silken tofu and chilled udon join the menu. 435 East Ninth Street, between Avenue A and First Avenue

East Village: When Sushi by M first opened in 2018, fans of the shoebox-sized restaurant lined up for its well-priced omakases. The restaurant has since relocated to this larger space in the neighborhood, serving its regular menu of pristine seafood along with whimsical dishes like a “cheeseburger” made from wagyu, sea urchin, and caviar. 300 East Fifth Street, at Second Avenue

Flatiron: More than two years after announcing plans to expand to New York City, one of Tokyo’s oldest soba makers makes its debut in Flatiron this week. Sarashina Horii specializes in sarashina soba, white noodles made from the core of buckwheat seeds that are rarely served outside of Japan. 45 East 20th Street, near Park Avenue South

Lower East Side: The acclaimed Japanese chef Chikara Sono is back with two restaurants opening in the same space. BBF, a Japanese-style tavern, offers dishes ranging from fried chicken to “sushi bombs” (a take on nigiri where the rice is shaped into a sphere before adding raw fish). Kappo Sono, a more formal, eight-seat kappo-style omakase restaurant is slated to open in the fall. 177 Ludlow Street, between Stanton and East Houston streets

Lower East Side: The third location of Rice and Miso, a Japanese shop specializing in onigri and miso soup, has taken over the former home of Bep Ga, the popular Vietnamese spot known for its pho ga. In addition to rice balls, owner Mika Hatsushima is making bento boxes with deep-fried tofu, grilled chicken, and sweet miso-marinated sockeye salmon. A variety of teas from Kettl are also sold here. 70 Forsyth Street, near Hester Street

Midtown: Two years after restaurateur Gabriel Aiello closed Gabriel’s Bar and Restaurant near Columbus Circle, he’s reopened the nearly 30-year-old celebrity hot spot a few blocks over. The space, previously home to Mickey Mantle’s and then Bobby Van’s, is roughly 30 percent larger, with outdoor seating and a 20-seat bar set aside for walk-ins. 40 Central Park South, near Sixth Avenue

Noho: Pasta, seafood, and wood-fired pizzas round out the menu at Gia, a newly opened restaurant from owners Samantha and William Fung. Justin Slojkowski, formerly of Roberta’s, is the executive chef. 334 Bowery, near Bond Street

Nomad: Tuna tartare, grilled octopus, and a truffle burger are all on the menu at this contemporary American restaurant. But this second location of L’Adresse Nomad, which a Russian restaurant group originally opened across the street from Bryant Park as Coffeemania a few years back, also serves Russian borscht and pelmeni, dumplings filled with veal. 1184 Broadway, between West 28th and West 29th streets

Soho: From the team behind popular Manhattan restaurants Wayla and Kimika comes Bronson’s Burgers, a neighborhood restaurant with burgers, fries, milkshakes, and “cheeseburger hash browns.” 250 Mulberry Street, at Prince Street

Sutton Place: Five months after opening Coco Pazzeria in Soho, owner Pino Luongo and pizzaiolo Ciro Verdi have expanded with this second location uptown. Similar to the original, Coco Pazzeria Sutton offers oysters, thin-crust pizza, and focaccia robiola, a cheese-stuffed pie made with an unleavened crust. 1078 First Avenue, near 59th Street

West Village: Temperance Wine Bar is the latest entrant in this downtown neighborhood with no shortages of wine bars. Co-owners Jonathan Rexroat and Devin Rochford have partnered with sommelier A.J. Ojeda-Pons to open this 55-seat space that aims to be a casual-yet-lively hangout. More than 100 wines by the glass are available to pair with a snack and small plates menu, which chef Chris Jaeckle of All’onda and Ai Fiori helped consult on. 38-40 Carmine Street, between Bedford and Bleecker streets

Williamsburg: Fort Greene favorite Baba Cool has opened a second location in Williamsburg with natural wine on tap and a backyard garden with a petanque court. 47 Withers Street, between Lorimer Street and Union Avenue

July 15

Carroll Gardens: A decade after its first pop-up market, community supported agriculture organizer Local Roots branches out with a cafe. The menu highlights seasonal produce from the CSA, along with dishes like tea eggs and fan tuan that nod to founder Wen-Jay Ying’s Chinese-American heritage. 398 Court Street, between First Place and Carroll Street

Chelsea: Shukette, the long-awaited follow-up to Soho Mediterranean restaurant Shuka, is now open. The restaurant from chef Ayesha Nurdjaja is anchored by an open kitchen with a charcoal grill and in-house bread program. 230 Ninth Avenue, near West 24th Street

Downtown Brooklyn: A food vendor specializing in teppanyaki opened its doors in the subterranean Dekalb Market. Teppan Territory serves soba noodles, fried rice, and a variety of meats prepared over an iron grill. 445 Albee Square West, within Dekalb Market

East Harlem: Krispy Kreme opened its eighth doughnut shop in Manhattan earlier this week. Prior to the pandemic, the company’s only location in the borough was found within Penn Station, according to Patch. 1882 Third Avenue, at East 104th Street

East Village: Yubu, a small place with lots of Korean flavors, according to its website, opened on East Seventh Street earlier this month. The small takeout restaurant is focused on tofu pockets filled with rice and a variety of toppings, including beef bulgogi, pork jaeyook, and fish roe mayo. 86 East Seventh Street, near First Avenue

Financial District: New to the Seaport District in June is Capo Capo, a cafe making crepes filled with marshmallows, gruyere cheese, prosciutto, and scoops of ice cream. 21 Fulton Street, at Water Street

Financial District: World-renown butcher Dario Cecchini is now serving Tuscan-style panini sandwiches from Cicci Di Carne, a takeout and delivery restaurant based out of Brookfield Place food court Hudson Eats. The opening marks the first of more than 20 locations planned for the United States, a spokesperson tells Eater, including one at the forthcoming Citizens food hall in September. 230 Vesey Street, near West Street

Harlem: Sexy Taco closed in March 2019, only to return as a pop-up at nearby Ruby’s Vintage during the pandemic. The restaurant specializing in California-style tacos and burritos will now take over the Ruby’s space permanently, partners Brian Washington-Palmer and Nikoa Evans tell Patch. 2340 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, at 137th Street

Long Island City: Modern American restaurant Carla opened in June but the restaurant already has a steady following in the neighborhood for its gastropub fare — cauliflower pesto, chicken thigh sandwiches, and clam chowder — and summery drinks that include Capri Sun cocktails and watermelon frosé. 2503 40th Avenue, near 25th Street

Lower East Side: Roughly two months after the original location of Masalawala ended its decade-long run on Essex Street, an Indian restaurant called Gazab has opened for service in the same space. From 12 to 4 p.m., the restaurant serves a prix fixe menu with dishes like pulled jackfruit fritters and salli boti curry. Gazab is the first restaurant from chef-owners Vamshi Adi and Amandeep Singh Thakur, who hail from Telangana and Punjab, respectively. 179 Essex Street, near East Houston Street

Lower East Side: Longtime colleagues Samuel Clonts and Raymond Trinh, who previously worked together at the Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, have teamed up to open Sixty Three Clinton. The restaurant is focused on modern American cooking, served here in a seven-course tasting menu that includes baked Alaska — made in a wood-fire oven inherited from the building’s previous tenant, Speedy Romeo — and breakfast tacos. There’s space for 60 people indoors, including at a 10-seat chef’s counter. 63 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton streets

Nolita: The team behind popular Manhattan restaurants Wayla and Kimika has opened a rooftop bar with fried oysters and a lengthy list of cocktails. Located atop the Nolitan Hotel, tables at Somewhere in Nolita are available by reservation only. 30 Kenmare Street, between Elizabeth and Mott streets

Nomad: The Ace Hotel restaurant that was once home to chef April Bloomfield’s gastropub, the Breslin, underwent a revamp and reopened as Breslin Burger in June. While Bloomfield is no longer an owner of the restaurant, her signature lamb burger is still on a menu along with four other burgers. The more casual reincarnation of the former restaurant is led by executive chef Ryan Jordan. 16 West 29th Street, between Broadway and Fifth Avenue

Tribeca: Buddha-Bar Restaurant, an international chain that got its start in Paris in 1996, has arrived in New York City. The pan-Asian restaurant will serve “Asian fusion dishes” that nod to Japan, China, and Thailand, according to its website. 62 Thomas Street, between West Broadway and Church Street

West Village: “This is fundamentally not our take on a red sauce Italian American joint,” co-owner Kyle Hotchkiss Carone says of Saint Theo’s, a new Italian restaurant opening in the West Village. Instead, the restaurateur — who is also behind nearby bistro American Bar — modeled the restaurant, along with developer Rob Goldman, off of the coast of Italy, outfitting it with dark green banquettes, Murano glass light fixtures, and framed Pirelli calendars. The menu, helmed by executive chef Ashley Rath — a Major Food Group veteran who previously worked at spots including the Grill and Santina — highlights seaside fare including oysters, tuna and hamachi crudos, dover sole, and a branzino topped with mint and basil and paired with salsa verde. A handful of simple pastas like pesto linguine and a ricotta gomiti are also on deck. 340 Bleecker Street, between West 10th Street and Christopher Street

Williamsburg: Carne cecina, pulpo zarandeado, tacos de marlin, and other regional Mexican dishes get their due at Aldama, a late-night restaurant from an alum of Cosme, the Nomad, and Ponyboy in nearby Greenpoint. 91 South Sixth Street, near Berry Street

Erika Adams contributed reporting

July 8

Belmont: Roosevelt Island noodle bar Zhong Zhong has opened a counter-service restaurant in the Bronx, where it’s serving mini hot pots and bowls of noodles with fish filet and beef tripe. 657 East 189th Street, between Belmont and Cambreleng avenues

East Village: This one’s a lot. The East Village’s newest restaurant comes in the form of Mocha Red, a kosher steakhouse whose menu includes churros, $100 steaks, and Americanized Asian fare (think: “Asian scallion” tacos and miso glazes). The restaurant offers a membership program, where regulars can — checks notes — rent lockers to store steak knives and unfinished bottles of wine. 127 Fourth Avenue, between East 13th and 14th streets

Greenpoint: Greenpointers has the first look on Jucy Lucy, a burger and disco fries spot that opened in May. The restaurant serves a handful of regional American dishes, including fried ravioli, a dish popular in St. Louis, and its namesake “jucy lucy” burger, named for a style of preparation in Minneapolis, where cheese is stuffed inside the burger patties rather than on top. 138 Nassau Avenue, at McGuinness Boulevard

Long Island City: Taiwanese bakery chain Bake Culture has opened its fourth storefront in New York City, joining locations in Chinatown, Flushing, and Staten Island. The company is backed by musicians and actors Chun Wu, Vanness Wu, and Calvin Chen, formerly of Taiwanese boy bands Fahrenheit and JVKV. 47-05 Center Boulevard, at 48th Avenue

Midtown: Cutlets Sandwich Co., the budding sandwich company from Richard Zaro of Zaro’s Family Bakery, expands to Midtown this week. A second outpost, at 99 Third Avenue, near Union Square, is planned for later this month. 213 West 35th Street, near Seventh Avenue

Midtown: Ellamia is now open on the ground floor of Le Méridian hotel. The cafe and coffee shop is the first of more than 20 locations planned for the United States, including one at the forthcoming Hudson Yards food hall Citizens, according to a spokesperson for the company. 120 West 57th Street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues

Soho: Midtown trattoria Bice Cucina branches out with a second location in Soho this week. The popular Italian restaurant, now a global brand, started in Milan in 1926 before opening in Midtown in 1987. 15 Watts Street, at Thompson Street

West Village: Roughly six months after the closure of her historic West Village restaurant the Beatrice Inn, chef Angie Mar has debuted Les Trois Chevaux next door. As New York City reacquaints itself with the charms of indoor dining and late-night eating, the new restaurant seem to ask, “Why not fine dining, too?” Its white tablecloth dining room is outfitted with a chandelier from the Waldorf Astoria hotel and, at least for male diners, a somewhat dated jacket requirement. The prix-fixe menu will rotate often, according to the Times, and currently includes confit frog legs, veal brain mousse, and a rack of lamb for two, available for pre-order a week ahead of time ($185). The restaurant’s name — the three horses, in French — nods to a family nickname for Mar and her two brothers. 283 West 12th Street, at West Fourth Street

July 1

Downtown Brooklyn: Dekalb Market’s newest food vendor is a vegan restaurant serving tacos, “fish” cakes, baked goods, and ice cream, all made using plantains. Kelewele is operating out of the former location of Teranga, which announced its departure from the food hall in May. 445 Albee Square West, within Dekalb Market

Flatiron District: Junoon, one of the first Indian restaurants in the United States to receive a Michelin star, mounts a comeback this week after closing during the pandemic. The trailblazing Indian restaurant has reopened with a mostly new menu a few doors down from the original location. 19 West 24th Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway

Jackson Heights: Three months after Lhasa Fast Food was destroyed in a fire, owner Sang Jien Ben has reopened the cult-favorite Tibetan restaurant at a new location in the neighborhood. The business is now operating under the name Lhasa Tibetan Restaurant and Bar after moving into an expanded space with a liquor license and room for indoor and outdoor dining. 76-03 37th Avenue, at 76th Street

Prospect Heights: From former MeMe’s Diner co-owner Libby Willis comes KIT, a neighborhood cafe and business incubator based out of the former home of the beloved Prospect Heights diner. The restaurant’s name is an acronym for “Keep In Touch,” in part because it houses multiple businesses that operate out of its storefront on temporary contracts. 657 Washington Avenue, near Saint Marks Avenue

Times Square: Jimmy Buffet’s 32-story, $370 million Times Square resort rears its head this week. The Margaritaville Resort houses five food businesses, which are apparently more than restaurants, executive chef Natalie Cohee tells Time Out. They are also “a state of mind,” she says. The full lineup includes a two-story Margaritaville Restaurant, outfitted with a 32-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty holding a margarita; three bars; and a grab-and-go coffee and merch shop. 560 Seventh Avenue, at West 40th Street

West Village: Close to a year after the closure of seasonal British restaurant the Fat Radish, co-owner Natalie Freihon is back with another neighborhood restaurant, this time in the West Village. Nat’s On Bank is the result of a “come to Jesus moment” that occurred during the pandemic, she says, while the Fat Radish was operating at “huge losses” to keep its doors open as a gathering place for its neighbors on the Lower East Side. Freihon (aka Nat) realized she was “bored of corporate restaurants” and would rather open an “elegant but fun” hangout for the neighborhood. The resulting restaurant might have a martini list and a raw bar, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. (Case in point: There’s a disco ball in its bathroom.) The words “foie gras” here refer to a parfait, made from jam, pickled celery, and brioche, while its platters of seafood are dubbed “baller shot caller towers.” Nat’s is open Wednesday to Sunday for now. 51 Bank Street, at West Fourth Street

West Village: The team behind San Carlo Osteria Piemonte in Soho have opened another Northern Italian restaurant downtown, called Osteria Carlina. Pastas cost between $20 to $26, not including the “truffle menu,” a short list of black truffle-topped noodles and risottos that range from $50 and $75 each. 455 Hudson Street, between Morton and Barrow streets