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."

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.

The opening of Aska was the big Brooklyn surprise of fall 2012 . This new restaurant operates out of Kinfolk Studios at night (during the day, the space is used as a coffee shop and design studio). The chef here is Fredrik Berselius, a young gun who earned critical acclaim for Frej, his pop-up restaurant with Richard Kuo. Berselius's menu of modern Scandinavian food includes dishes like mackerel with "soured cream," pork ribs with rutabaga, and fried broccoli with oyster cream. The food and drinks are sophisticated, but the vibe here is super relaxed.

After hosting a string of successful pop-ups, pitmaster Daniel Delaney decided to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant specializing in brisket. Delaney learned how to smoke meat from Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue. Brisket is of course the specialty here, but the sides are also very good, and so are the breakfast tacos and sandwiches, which are served during the day time. A must-try for any barbecue buff.

Mayfield is the new Crown Heights hot spot from chefs Jacques Belanger (formerly of MP Taverna) and Lev Gewirtzman (formerly of Ouest). The menu features a refined take on American comfort food, with dishes like fried quail with spoonbread, a burger, a fancy BLT, and cauliflower soup with Peekytoe crab. This is a great new date night restaurant, but do show up early if you don't want to wait for a table — Mayfield is already very popular.

The Pines is the new Gowanus restaurant from chef Angelo Romano, formerly of Roberta's and dearly departed Williamsburg restaurant Masten Lake. Romano coaxes a lot of flavor out of simple proteins and fresh market vegetables, and his pastas are incredible. The dining room has a nice, worn-in feel.

This new Bushwick restaurant offers rustic English fare in a cozy, somewhat chic dining room. Make sure to order the iron skillet pork chop, which comes with a side of Brussels sprouts with bacon dressing. Almost everything on the menu is under $20.

Fletcher's is the new Gowanus barbecue joint from 'cue obsessive Billy Fletcher. The menu includes pork shoulder, hot links, brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, and char siu pork, all of which are smoked over red oak and sugar maple in a huge barbecue pit. Like BrisketTown, this place ain't cheap. [Photo]

This is not a brand new restaurant, but it recently went through a major overhaul when Dale Talde came aboard as partner and executive chef. Now, Thistle Hill Tavern is an eclectic American bistro offering things like Southern fried chicken, fish & chips, red wine braised short rib with root vegetables, and a serious pork chop with sweet and sour onions. Thistle Hill now has an energy and culinary focus that it did not have before.