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 beverage menu features eight original creations from cocktail guru Eamon Rockey. The food and drinks are sophisticated, but the vibe here is super relaxed.

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.

Monk Pizzeria recently opened in the very strange, but very cool space that formerly housed Mercado on Kent. The menu includes over 15 Neapolitan-style pizzas (all priced around 16), plus calzones, antipasti, and salads. Soon, Monk will also open a bakery and market component during the day. The early word indicates that this is a strong addition to the Williamsburg pizza scene, and the bar is stocked with a wide selection of Italian wine and beer.

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. The menu here is simple: just brisket, homemade Pullman-style white bread, daily sides, and pie. This place is already packed.

After a long legal battle with his former partner, octogenarian pie man Patsy Grimaldi recently opened his new pizzeria Juliana's in the space that once housed the restaurant he founded, Grimaldi's. He hasn't messed with the formula too much here: thin crust pies, cooked at a high heat in a coal-burning oven, with unfussy toppings. Grimaldi enlisted pizza guru Matt Grogan to oversee the day-to-day operations.

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.

At La Vara, chefs Alex Raij and Eder Montero are serving a style of Spanish cuisine that has Moorish and Jewish influences. The food coming out of the kitchen here is unique for New York, but it's also very easy to enjoy. Make sure to order the fideúa and the chicken hearts.

The owners of Van Leeuwen ice cream recently opened an all-day Balinese restaurant near McGolrick Park, and so far, people are digging the food and the atmosphere. Selamat Pagi serves brunch every day of the week except Monday, with a menu that includes pan fried spicy chicken, savory rice porridge with vegetables, and steak & eggs.

This casual new American restaurant on Smith Street features a menu by Angelo Schifilliti, who previously worked as the executive chef of Landmarc Tribeca. The menu includes several homemade pastas, plus entrees like a mushroom pot pie, a roasted chicken with Brussels sprouts, and a pork shoulder braised in milk and honey. All of the dishes are made with locally-sourced ingredients, and many of the entrees are under $21.

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]