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The Manhattan Heatmap: Where to Eat Right Now

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2013_january_heatmap12.jpgMore often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? Restaurant obsessives want to know what's new, what's hot, which favorite chef just launched a sophomore effort, what Michael White is up to these days. And while the Eater 38 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the "it" places of the moment. Thus, we offer the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to always highlight where the foodie crowds are flocking to at the moment.

Check out the map of Manhattan's hottest restaurants below, and stay tuned for the Brooklyn map tomorrow.


06/07/12: Added: Mission Chinese Food, Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya, Neta
07/05/12: Added: Nicoletta, Rosemary's, Hillside, Extra Fancy, Rocket Pig
08/02/12: Added: Murray's Cheese Bar, Governor, Lake Trout, Swine
09/06/12: Added: Blanca, Pork Slope, Pok Pok Phat Thai, Porsena Extra Bar, Dassara, All Good Things
10/04/12: Added: Ichimura at Brushstroke, Salumeria Rosi Il Ristorante, Barraca, Pig and Khao, Calliope, The Leadbelly
11/20/12: Added: El Toro Blanco, Gaonnuri, L'Apicio, Bill's, The Butcher's Daughter, The Library
12/06/12: Added: Chez Sardine, Willow Road, Tribeca Canvas, Sen
01/03/13: Added: The Marrow, Salvation Taco, Hanjan, Mighty Quinn's, Louro, Le Philosophe

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

The Marrow

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The menu at Harold Dieterle's new West Village restaurant is inspired by the chef's German and Italian heritage. Dishes include grilled baby chicken with fried salami and Brussels sprouts, braised duck and pretzel dumpling soup, and a wagyu culotte steak. The space is stylish and comfortable, and co-owner Alicia Nosenzo created a wine list that includes over 300 selections, with a special focus on Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Salvation Taco

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The Spotted Pig's Ken Frideman and April Bloomfield recently opened this quirky taqueria inside the Pod 39 hotel. Fonda chef Roberto Santibanez collaborated on the menu, which includes traditional Mexican tacos, tortas, and snacks, as well as things like Moroccan lamb breast on toasted naan, and a roasted cauliflower and broccoli taco with curried crema. Hotel Delmano's Sam Anderson is in charge of the cocktails.

Chef Hooni Kim's follow-up to Danji is a casual bar and restaurant offering a mix of modern and traditional Korean food. The menu includes things like a spicy octopus stir-fry, braised pig trotters with shrimp sauce, and a salmon sashimi salad with chojang. One section of the menu is devoted to skewers and fried chicken. The cocktail list features many Soju-based drinks, and the bar is stocked with over 40 wines and several Korean rice beers. After 10 p.m., Hanjan also serves ramyun (Japanese Ramen's Korean counterpart) made with a 12 hour stock.

Chez Sardine

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Gabe Stulman and Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly's handsome new restaurant offers sushi and traditional Japanese dishes, as well as things like Brussels sprouts with apples, crispy chicken with kimchi, and a grilled cheese sandwich made with smoked cheddar and foie gras. From day one, Stulman has pitched this as an inauthentic version of a Japanese izakaya, and that's still a good way to describe what's going on here. The early word suggests that the miso-maple salmon head is the must-order dish.

Mighty Quinn's BBQ

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Mighty Quinn's is the new Texas and Carolinas-inspired barbecue restaurant from Hugh Mangum and restaurateur Micha Magid. Might Quinn's was a hit at Smorgasburg, and the early word suggests that the East Village outpost is a strong addition to the New York barbecue scene. Magnum smokes his meat in a pit the size of most people's living rooms, and the individual portions of the meat are all priced under $9.

David Santos, a chef that is beloved by the Chowhound set, recently struck it out on his own with this restaurant in the space that formerly housed Lowcountry and Bar Blanc. The food here skews New American, but there are some sharp international influences — the menu includes things like piri piri shrimp, boar sausage with spaetzle, and salmon tartare in a yuzu broth. The regular menu is served Tuesday through Sunday, and on Monday nights, the chef is offering a version of the meals that he cooked for the Um Segredo supper club.

Le Philosophe

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Le Philosophe is the new Bond Street French bistro from East Village restaurateur Amadeus Bogner and chef Matthew Aita, formerly of Jean Georges. So far, the early responders love what Aita is doing in the kitchen. Most of the entrees are in the mid '20s, and the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe during lunch for $24. (Photo)

El Toro Blanco

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John McDonald and Josh Capon, the boys behind Lure and B & B, recently opened this stylish new Mexican restaurant. Capon developed the menu with Scott Linquist, a California chef who has worked in some of the country's best modern Mexican restaurants. The early word suggests that El Toro Blanco is both a crowd-pleaser, and a restaurant that Mexican food snobs will dig.

Willow Road

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Willow Road is the stylish new Chelsea American restaurant from a team of NYC nightlife vets. Former Cru chef Todd Macdonald and Top Chef alum Grayson Schmitz are in the kitchen. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel here, but the space is fun, the menu offers a little something for everyone, and the food is reasonably priced. Summit Bar's Greg Seider designed the cocktail list, and the space is open late.

L'Apicio

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L'Apicio is the new East Village restaurant from restaurateur Joe Campanale and chef Gabe Thompson, of L'Artusi, Dell'Anima, and Anfora. Order any of the polenta dishes (there are five), and make sure to try one or two of the pastas. And if you just want a cocktail or a glass of wine, L'Apicio has a bar that's big enough to accommodate you and a few of your friends.

The owners of Sag Harbor Japanese favorite Sen recently opened an outpost in the Flatiron District. The sushi chef here is Hiro Sawatari, who worked at Yasuda before doing a stint at short-lived Soho restaurant Niko, and Bryan Emperor, formerly of Kalu in Charlotte, is in charge of the rest of the menu. This is a fine choice if you want a full sushi dinner, or just cocktails and a few Japanese small plates.

Tribeca Canvas

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Tribeca Canvas is one of the stranger restaurants to open this year, but so far, early diners have good things to say about chef Masaharu Morimoto's menu of Asian-influenced American comfort food. The offerings include fried chicken with ginger scallion dressing, steamed mussels with chorizo, shrimp nachos, hamachi tacos, mac and cheese, and skirt steak with "bone marrow potato puree." Most of the appetizers are in the low teens, and most of the entrees are in the mid 20s.

The Beatrice Inn

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The Beatrice Inn is a space with a lot of history. It existed for decades as a fine West Village Italian restaurant, then, for a few years, it was the hottest nightclub on the planet. Now, in its third iteration, The Beatrice is an upscale American restaurant owned and operated by Sir Graydon Carter, with food by Per Se vet Brian Nasworthy. This is a very hard table to score right now. Pro tip: show up early, or very late.

Bill's Food & Drink

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Bill's Food & Drink is the clubby new steakhouse from John DeLucie and Crown Group Hospitality in the space that previously housed Bill's Gay Nineties. The menu here features dry-aged steaks, pastas, seafood, steakhouse sides, and salads. Jason Hall (Crown, Gotham Bar & Grill) is the executive chef. The dining room looks like a cross between Gramercy Tavern and DeLucie's The Lion, but with taxidermy and blue wallpaper. The socialites and celebrities will feel right at home here.

Arlington Club Steakhouse

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Chef Laurent Tourondel teamed up with Tao Group for this new Upper East Side bar and restaurant. This is basically a steakhouse that looks like a club in the vein of Beauty & Essex. Steve Cuozzo recently declared that Arligton Club is "the city’s finest new steakhouse since Minetta Tavern, and the best ever on the Upper East Side."

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The Marrow

The menu at Harold Dieterle's new West Village restaurant is inspired by the chef's German and Italian heritage. Dishes include grilled baby chicken with fried salami and Brussels sprouts, braised duck and pretzel dumpling soup, and a wagyu culotte steak. The space is stylish and comfortable, and co-owner Alicia Nosenzo created a wine list that includes over 300 selections, with a special focus on Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Salvation Taco

The Spotted Pig's Ken Frideman and April Bloomfield recently opened this quirky taqueria inside the Pod 39 hotel. Fonda chef Roberto Santibanez collaborated on the menu, which includes traditional Mexican tacos, tortas, and snacks, as well as things like Moroccan lamb breast on toasted naan, and a roasted cauliflower and broccoli taco with curried crema. Hotel Delmano's Sam Anderson is in charge of the cocktails.

Hanjan

Chef Hooni Kim's follow-up to Danji is a casual bar and restaurant offering a mix of modern and traditional Korean food. The menu includes things like a spicy octopus stir-fry, braised pig trotters with shrimp sauce, and a salmon sashimi salad with chojang. One section of the menu is devoted to skewers and fried chicken. The cocktail list features many Soju-based drinks, and the bar is stocked with over 40 wines and several Korean rice beers. After 10 p.m., Hanjan also serves ramyun (Japanese Ramen's Korean counterpart) made with a 12 hour stock.

Chez Sardine

Gabe Stulman and Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly's handsome new restaurant offers sushi and traditional Japanese dishes, as well as things like Brussels sprouts with apples, crispy chicken with kimchi, and a grilled cheese sandwich made with smoked cheddar and foie gras. From day one, Stulman has pitched this as an inauthentic version of a Japanese izakaya, and that's still a good way to describe what's going on here. The early word suggests that the miso-maple salmon head is the must-order dish.

Mighty Quinn's BBQ

Mighty Quinn's is the new Texas and Carolinas-inspired barbecue restaurant from Hugh Mangum and restaurateur Micha Magid. Might Quinn's was a hit at Smorgasburg, and the early word suggests that the East Village outpost is a strong addition to the New York barbecue scene. Magnum smokes his meat in a pit the size of most people's living rooms, and the individual portions of the meat are all priced under $9.

Louro

David Santos, a chef that is beloved by the Chowhound set, recently struck it out on his own with this restaurant in the space that formerly housed Lowcountry and Bar Blanc. The food here skews New American, but there are some sharp international influences — the menu includes things like piri piri shrimp, boar sausage with spaetzle, and salmon tartare in a yuzu broth. The regular menu is served Tuesday through Sunday, and on Monday nights, the chef is offering a version of the meals that he cooked for the Um Segredo supper club.

Le Philosophe

Le Philosophe is the new Bond Street French bistro from East Village restaurateur Amadeus Bogner and chef Matthew Aita, formerly of Jean Georges. So far, the early responders love what Aita is doing in the kitchen. Most of the entrees are in the mid '20s, and the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe during lunch for $24. (Photo)

El Toro Blanco

John McDonald and Josh Capon, the boys behind Lure and B & B, recently opened this stylish new Mexican restaurant. Capon developed the menu with Scott Linquist, a California chef who has worked in some of the country's best modern Mexican restaurants. The early word suggests that El Toro Blanco is both a crowd-pleaser, and a restaurant that Mexican food snobs will dig.

Willow Road

Willow Road is the stylish new Chelsea American restaurant from a team of NYC nightlife vets. Former Cru chef Todd Macdonald and Top Chef alum Grayson Schmitz are in the kitchen. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel here, but the space is fun, the menu offers a little something for everyone, and the food is reasonably priced. Summit Bar's Greg Seider designed the cocktail list, and the space is open late.

L'Apicio

L'Apicio is the new East Village restaurant from restaurateur Joe Campanale and chef Gabe Thompson, of L'Artusi, Dell'Anima, and Anfora. Order any of the polenta dishes (there are five), and make sure to try one or two of the pastas. And if you just want a cocktail or a glass of wine, L'Apicio has a bar that's big enough to accommodate you and a few of your friends.

Sen

The owners of Sag Harbor Japanese favorite Sen recently opened an outpost in the Flatiron District. The sushi chef here is Hiro Sawatari, who worked at Yasuda before doing a stint at short-lived Soho restaurant Niko, and Bryan Emperor, formerly of Kalu in Charlotte, is in charge of the rest of the menu. This is a fine choice if you want a full sushi dinner, or just cocktails and a few Japanese small plates.

Tribeca Canvas

Tribeca Canvas is one of the stranger restaurants to open this year, but so far, early diners have good things to say about chef Masaharu Morimoto's menu of Asian-influenced American comfort food. The offerings include fried chicken with ginger scallion dressing, steamed mussels with chorizo, shrimp nachos, hamachi tacos, mac and cheese, and skirt steak with "bone marrow potato puree." Most of the appetizers are in the low teens, and most of the entrees are in the mid 20s.

The Beatrice Inn

The Beatrice Inn is a space with a lot of history. It existed for decades as a fine West Village Italian restaurant, then, for a few years, it was the hottest nightclub on the planet. Now, in its third iteration, The Beatrice is an upscale American restaurant owned and operated by Sir Graydon Carter, with food by Per Se vet Brian Nasworthy. This is a very hard table to score right now. Pro tip: show up early, or very late.

Bill's Food & Drink

Bill's Food & Drink is the clubby new steakhouse from John DeLucie and Crown Group Hospitality in the space that previously housed Bill's Gay Nineties. The menu here features dry-aged steaks, pastas, seafood, steakhouse sides, and salads. Jason Hall (Crown, Gotham Bar & Grill) is the executive chef. The dining room looks like a cross between Gramercy Tavern and DeLucie's The Lion, but with taxidermy and blue wallpaper. The socialites and celebrities will feel right at home here.

Arlington Club Steakhouse

Chef Laurent Tourondel teamed up with Tao Group for this new Upper East Side bar and restaurant. This is basically a steakhouse that looks like a club in the vein of Beauty & Essex. Steve Cuozzo recently declared that Arligton Club is "the city’s finest new steakhouse since Minetta Tavern, and the best ever on the Upper East Side."

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