The New York restaurant world is notoriously hard on transplants, whether from foreign countries or rival cities. Chefs who made big names for themselves in the kitchens of San Francisco (Nate Appleman perhaps) or Texas (remember Tim Love?) are chewed up and spit out, and concepts from major players including Gordon Ramsay, Susur Lee, and Alain Ducasse are pooh-poohed or taken down.

But that's not always the case. Some cheesemongers, coffee roasters, cupcakeries, pizzerias, ramen shops, and even a mediocre but flashy restaurant by the name of Mr. Chow have been able to take a concept that worked elsewhere and bring it to the finicky food scene and succeed. Look ahead for stories of 10 transplant survivors and one greatly anticipated import.

—Maite Alvarez