Alameda is the new Greenpoint restaurant from design duo Evan and Oliver Haslegrave, and Brooklyn Star veterans Nick Padilla and Waine Longwell. The space is an absolute stunner and the menu is full of inexpensive crowd-pleasers, like a sausage sandwich, fried baby artichokes, and frisee salad with pork belly. Right now, Alameda feels like a fun neighborhood bar that happens to serve great food.

The new Williamsburg location of Ravi DeRossi's Latin-American restaurant offers over 20 types of ceviche, plus raw bar items. Chaim Dauermann is the beverage director, and Sother Teague and Aaron Polsky make occasional guest appearances behind the bar. The space has a lot of interesting details and great lighting — it's a good choice for date night.

Fatty 'Cue alum Dan Ross-Leutwyler recently opened this stylish Bushwick luncheonette. The eclectic menu includes sandwiches, salads, pastas, and snacks. So far, the early word is very strong, and the prices can't be beat — most dishes are around $9, and the most expensive dish is just $13.

Kerry Diamond and Robert Newton of Seersucker recently opened this hip Vietnamese restaurant on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. The menu includes noodle soups, fried chicken, salads, rice dishes, banh mi-like sandwiches, and shareable meat and fish entrees, all made with locally-sourced ingredients. Newton occasionally folds in elements of American cuisine, but all of his dishes have those big, bright flavors that you find in traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

From the team behind Post Office comes this new racetrack-themed bar and restaurant in Williamsburg. There are classic cocktails, a menu of bistro dishes from Momofuku Ssäm alum Sam Glinn (coq au vin, steak frites), and old-school payphones.

A southern-inspired gastropub in Bushwick that recently earned a rave review from the Robs at New York magazine. In that piece, the critics praised the fried chicken, tender short ribs, buttery cornbread, "soul-soothing" grits, and mac 'n' cheese with duck confit.

Runner & Stone is the all-day restaurant and bakery from two up-and-coming chefs: Peter Endriss (formerly of Per Se and Bouchon) and Chris Pizzulli (formerly of Blue Ribbon Brasserie). The restaurant serves sweet and savory pastries in the morning, sandwiches and salads for lunch, and a menu of Italian-influenced American fare at night. The dinner options include homemade spaghetti with conch ragu, pancetta-wrapped blackfish, fettuccine with duck sausage, and a grilled ribeye with roasted potatoes. It's an ambitious project, and an unusual one for the neighborhood, but so far people love what's coming out of the kitchen.

Heather Heuser and Jason Marcus have followed up their restaurant Traif with Xixa. This new project offers freewheeling, adventurous takes on items from the Mexican canon, bringing in influences from all over the world. Times critic Ligaya Mishan called it "dangerously likable."

This new Williamsburg restaurant serves vibrant and at times very quirky Mediterranean fare. Make sure to order the "Crazy Baba," which is made with feta cheese and basil, and the classic shawarma, which sits on a bed of excellent homemade hummus. The food at Zizi Limona is very affordably priced — two people can try a lot of dishes for under $40 — and the room is cool and comfortable. [Photo]