Frank Prisinzano Is Opening A Grocery Store & More NYC Restaurant News

NYC restaurant news you can use for the week of March 8th.

March 12, 2021

Openings to Get Excited About

Frank Prisinzano, of East Village restaurants Lil Frankie’s, Frank, and Supper, is opening a new grocery store on 1st Avenue between 1st Street and 2nd Street, next door to Lil Frankie’s. The new Frankie’s Grocery will sell all of Frank’s favorite ingredients to cook with, including a lot of the prep items used in the restaurants, deli products, sandwich options, gelato, and meal kit bundles. In addition to the store, Frank is also plotting a new pizza-focused restaurant with an undisclosed name that’s set to open sometime during the spring of 2021. Follow this dedicated Instagram page to stay tuned for more details on when the store is set to open.
Priyanka Chopra announced she’s involved in opening a new Indian restaurant on 20th Street in Flatiron called Sona later this month. The kitchen will be run by Hari Nayak, a cookbook author and chef who has worked in Indian restaurants in Dubai, Bangkok, and Hoboken.

Bernie’s in Greenpoint, a favorite neighborhood spot of ours that’s been closed since the beginning of the pandemic, reopens for takeout and delivery on Friday, March 12th. While they adjust to starting back up again, they’ll only be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 5pm-9:30pm. You can stop by their location right next to McCarren park or preorder online ahead of time here. Word to the wise, get mozzarella sticks and a takeout dirty martini for two.
Starting Wednesday, March 17th, Ruffian will be available to fulfill all of your East Village wine bar needs. They’ve built out a new outdoor space with a full bar seating arrangement and windows. You can book a reservation ahead of time for dinner or drinks and a snack here.
Superiority Burger is back for weekend service beginning Friday, March 12th. In addition to classics like their “Sloppy Dave” and burnt broccoli salad, they’ll be selling gelato and sorbet by the scoop, as well as wine and beer (which they weren’t offering this past summer and fall). You can stop by for walk-up orders or order ahead online here.

There’s an outdoor drag BBQ happening at Icon in Astoria on Saturday, March 13th. Performances start at 2pm, and all the funds benefit the Ali Forney Center, a non-profit that provides shelter and healthcare to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in NYC.
In case you’re looking for weekend activities that extend beyond watching a reality show about the shenanigans of a crew on a private yacht, the chef of Veeray da Dhaba in the East Village is hosting chaat and chai cooking classes in the restaurant’s dining room every other weekend for $35 per person. You can make a reservation for an in-person, hour-long session by calling 212-777-1420.

After just eight short-but-sweet months (and time on our Hit List), L’itos in Chinatown is closing down after service on Sunday, March 14th. They’re still hosting a collaborative takeout dinner with Sorella on March 21st. Otherwise, you can stop by on Sunday for one last sandwich hurrah and some fresh pizza.

NYC Guide