20 new NY restaurants you need to go to IMMEDIATELY

Published on 11/19/2013

New York

Kingside

It's 100% possible you spent the entire Fall so engrossed in football (and sweaters!) that you totally forgot to pay attention to some of the season's most dope openings. Well, no more. Here are TWENTY brand new spots where you can make up for lost time with everything from oyster pairings, to fried alligator, to a really solid taco stand.

Apt 13

Apartment 13
Alphabet City
This seasonally driven, seafood-centric spot from Chef John Keller specializes in Caribbean- and Asian-influenced (Asibbean?) seafood, as well as "intuitive" beverage pairings with each dish, including their afternoon oyster tastings (which, depending on the oyster, they'll pair with everything from sake to tequila), and a Colorado lamb porterhouse that they say goes great with ~~being crushed by you~~ a nice Amontillado.

American Cut
Tribeca
Marc Forgione brings his splashy AC steakhouse to the city and -- along with it -- his signature tomahawk steak, chili lobster, and tons of out-of-the-box options like latkes, candy bar cake (!), and an artichoke sour cocktail.

Bo's
Flatiron
Crispy, fried alligator is just one of the Nawlins specialties you can grab at this bayou bistro, and fried chicken with chicken gravy, Sazeracs, and pumpkin beignets are... just three other ones.

Cafe Standard
East Village
The Standard East Village is finally starting to roll out its food and drink options in earnest with this East Village addition overseen by Michelin-starred Chef John Fraser. Expect menu bunk-ness like a pork belly sandwich with pineapple and cilantro, The Standard Burger with bacon and cheese, and fries with stout beer mustard.

Yelp/Scrumphsus B.

Contra
Lower East Side
Despite the fact that they only do daily tasting menus, and none of those are EVER the same, this place might literally be the best new restaurant in the city. Best way to get there from Seward Park? Just walk up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-b-a-select-start Essex.

Enduro
Midtown East
From the owner of Junior's Cheesecake, this decidedly more pinkies-up spot is hooking up modern-American eats like rotisserie chicken, veal meatballs, and pretzel bread at an indoor-outdoor space.

Glasserie

Glasserie
Greenpoint
Already a worthy drinking destination, Greenpoint could add "worthy dining destination" to its resume with Glasserie. Set up in an old glass factory, Chef Sarah Kramer's doing hearty dishes like a whole rabbit-for-two with "the works", and a flat iron steak with kabocha squash, almond, and trout roe.

Grace
Murray Hill
This classy Irish bar in Murray Hill features a cocktail list designed entirely by big-time lady mixologists like Ivy Mix, Jane Danger (it's her last name), and Lucinda Sterling, and includes the likes of the Clare Island, which's made with aged rum, punt e mes, pear liqueur, and Mission fig bitters. Things you can put in your mouth come courtesy of a Lure Fishbar and River Cafe vet, and include a whole steamed lobster with crab succotash, crispy smoked wings with agave mustard, and sausage-stuffed razor clams.

Kingside
Midtown
A collaboration between Chef Marc Murphy (Ditch Plains, Landmarc) and The Gerber Group, this next-level hotelstaurant is serving some seriously stepped-up American bistro fare, including bone marrow slowly topped with roasted snails & garlic butter, and a grilled skirt steak with chimichurri.

La Cenita
Meatpacking
King crab crunchy tacos, black salmon ceviche, and duck enchiladas from a La Esquina vet will all be things you order at this glitzy new offering from EMM Group (The General, Catch) that's officially the newest spot for legit, delicious party dinners in the Meatpacking.

Marco's

Marco's
Prospect Heights
After conquering 'za, the team from Franny's is now trying out a proper trattoria with this rustic add, featuring wood-fired oysters, spit-roasted pork loin, and tagliatelle with prosciutto di(licious, amirite??) Parma.

Minton's

Minton's
Harlem
Attached to next-door-hot-spot The Cecil, this rebirth of the club that... birthed bebop, has been brought back in all of its glory, along with a next-level house band and lobster and shrimp casseroles w/ Creole crawfish gravy and pimento cheese grits.

Norman's Cay
Lower East Side
From the team behind Northeast fish shack hot-spot The Grey Lady, this venture leans in on Caribbean steez with taxidermied fish, a small plane (?) crashed into blue walls, and tropical cocktails & eats like the mothersexing king of the sea (shut up sharks!): the lion fish.

Melissa Murphy Photography/Facebook

Otto's Tacos
East Village
Aiming to serve up deliciously simple tacos affordably and totally delivering...ly, Otto's let's you grab-and-go carne asada, chicken, carnets, shrimp, or 'shroom tacos. Also: churros!!

Pagani
West Village
Setting up shop in -- and taking its name from -- the former O. Pagani & Bros music store, this "multi-regional" Italian spot's doing belt-busters like a slow-roasted veal shoulder, drunk chicken liver crostini, and braised rabbit rigatoni -- all from a chef whose resume includes Babbo and Tabla.

Andrew Zimmer

RedFarm
Upper West Side
The popular and consistently mobbed West Village Chinese spot has opened an outpost Uptown. Bring on the Katz's pastrami egg rolls.

Andrew Zimmer

Rotisserie Georgette
Upper East Side
Daniel Boulud's longtime PR maven has teamed up with Chef David Malbequi (who also worked in the Boulud empire) to create this buzzy take on bistro-esque comfort food, which's pretty obviously heavy on the rotisseries, including legs of lamb, Pekin duck breast with huckleberry glaze, and a "Poule De Luxe": a wild mushroom-stuffed, whole-roasted chicken with seared foie gras.

Route 66 Smokehouse
Downtown
What do you get when you combine allllllll the whiskey with twists on Southern cuisine, like fried quail and waffles with truffle honey, brisket, and fried oyster po' boys from a Blue Smoke veteran chef? A fun ass night. Oh, and this roadhouse steezed Fidi destination.

Yelp/Han C.

Sushi Nakazawa
West Village
Trained by probably the best sushi chef in the world (Jiro Dreams of Sushi), Daisuke Nakazawa holds court (they slice up fish in court, right?) over his small sushi bar and dining room plating up some of the best cuts you can get stateside.

Villard Michel Richard

Villard Michel Richard
Midtown
This ultra snazzy (ultazzy?) spot from a big deal DC chef brings fancy French fare to an even-fancier dining room, like foie gras brûlée and 72hr short rib. But don't worry, not-rich people, there's also a less-fancy area that's still got next-level French-ness with a little more of a bar-y touch (think lobster burgers and fried chicken).