If you tried to keep track of every brand new restaurant in New York City, you might go a little wild. So just read this list instead. These are the new restaurant openings that seem like they have the most potential - although keep in mind, for the ones we haven’t tried, we make no promises. Go forth and be a pioneer.
Editor’s Note: All restaurants listed below are open in some capacity. That might mean they’re offering takeout, delivery, and/or outdoor dining.
FEBRUARY

Black Seed Pizza
The love story between bagels and pizza might have started with America’s favorite freezer aisle snack, but Black Seed Bagels in the East Village is taking the doughy duo to a whole new level with Black Seed Pizza. Their new takeout operation offers Sicilian-style pan pizzas from inside the popular Manhattan bagel spot during dinner hours. Expect sourdough pies topped with things like pepperoni cups and anchovies starting at 4pm, Wednesday through Sunday.
Izzy’s Smokehouse
Whether you’re kosher or not, the new UWS location of this kosher BBQ spot should be at the top of your Manhattan takeout priority list. We have fever dreams about the lean and tender brisket from their original location in Crown Heights, which gets smoked for 15 hours before it’s served. If the brisket at the new Manhattan location tastes anything like that, we may have a new favorite BBQ place on our hands. You can also order things like a smoked pastrami sandwich or a rack of peppery ribs for dine-in, takeout, or delivery service here from 12-9:30pm daily.
Followsoshi
A new Chinese spot serving crispy-looking jian bing opened for takeout in Flushing last December. The scallion and sesame seed-covered crepes can be seen on the restaurant’s Instagram topped with things like peking duck, crawfish, and pork floss.
Smillie Pizza
This new pizza project from some of the people behind Il Buco is doing takeout and delivery every day. You can get topping options like kale and anchovy, green chorizo, and cacio e pepe with four different kinds of cheese delivered straight to your door from Il Buco Alimentari’s Noho kitchen between 12 and 10pm every day.
Gage and Tollner
The historic Gage and Tollner had planned a big reopening back in March 2020. Now, almost a whole year later, the Downtown Brooklyn spot is back again with at-home meal kits and cocktails from the new bar on its second floor, The Sunken Harbor Club. Dinner packages from the restaurant come with the kinds of dishes you’d probably want for a big night in, like grass-fed rib-eye steak, broccoli gratin, and onion soup. You can also order to-go cocktails and snacks like spam sliders or some homemade shrimp chips from the bar. For now, Gage and Tollner is only open for takeout and delivery.

Dagon
For Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes like duck matzah ball soup or harissa BBQ chicken head to Dagon on the Upper West Side. They’ve got an outdoor patio open, plus they’ve opened their dining room for a maximum of 25 diners at a time, every day from 5pm-10pm.
El Zason
Bacchus in Boerum Hill, which has been temporarily closed for months, has been revived by its kitchen staff as El Zason - a takeout spot specializing in Oaxacan and Pueblan food. You can stop by for dishes like chiles en nogada and enchiladas de mole weekdays from 11am-10pm, and weekends from 12pm-9pm.
Cafe Calaca
While we’re sad that Bed-Stuy’s Calaca has closed, we’re comforted by the fact that the same team almost immediately opened a new spot on Franklin Avenue. Right now, they’re offering coffee and empanadas on weekdays from 7am-2pm and on weekends from 8am-2pm. And starting February 27th, they’ll begin serving brunch.
Meat & Bread
The LES has a new takeout spot serving burgers topped with onion rings, fried chicken sandwiches, chicken wings, and more on Allen Street. And if you ever get the unshakable desire to admire a mural on a snow day, Meat & Bread has a huge, colorful, wall piece inside its restaurant. They’re open for takeout and delivery from 12-9pm daily.
Cento Percento
Put down the dry baloney sandwich ingredients, and try out Cento Percento this weekend. It’s a new food truck bringing panini sandwiches on homemade focaccia to locations across NYC. The truck will be parked outside of Alewife Brewing in Sunnyside from 12pm-10pm on Saturday 2/20 and Sunday 2/21. Expect things like a prosciutto panini with fig spread and whipped parmigiano or a ham panini truffle cream and arugula.
Tortilleria La Malinche
Sunset Park has a new Mexican spot that’s serving fresh tortillas by the pound. And on the Saturday it opened, the line reportedly wrapped around the block. Tortilleria La Malinche is painted bright blue with yellow and red trimmings, so it’s hard to miss this wholesale tortilla spot on 5th Avenue.
Native Noodles
Native Noodles is a Singaporean restaurant that just opened on Amsterdam Avenue at West 166th Street in Washington Heights. It first opened as a food stall at Queens Night Market, and in the new location serves dishes like laksa, satay noodles, and toasted baguette sandwiches for takeout and delivery.
Tartinery
The fifth NYC location of this French mini-chain just opened on the third floor of the huge mall at Columbus Circle. If you want to spot for a quick ham and cheese croissant, a matcha latte, or a cup of butternut squash soup, you can stop by from 10am-7pm every day.
Hachi Maki
This new Upper West Side sushi and ramen restaurant might have something to help distract you from the inclement weather conditions in the city. From open-faced temaki rolls and furikake waffle fries to kimchi ramen and uni ice cream, this two-story spot is like a whole Japanese food court under one roof on Columbus Avenue.

Dhamaka
Given that Adda is one of the best Indian restaurants in NYC, it’s likely that this new LES Indian spot from the same team will be at the top of your new restaurant bucket list in 2021. Dhamaka officially opens on Sunday, February 14th at Essex Market, and you can expect to eat things like eggplant bites, goat neck biryani, and chicken kofta stuffed with an entire soft-cooked egg on their outdoor patio, or in their limited capacity indoor dining room very soon.
Vanessa’s Dumpling House
You probably already know about Vanessa’s in Chinatown, but you might now know that their Madonna-level-famous dumplings and soups are now being sold at a fifth NYC location on the Upper West Side. For now, the Amsterdam Avenue shop is offering a limited menu of dumplings while in its soft opening phase, but you can still stop by between 12pm to 10pm daily.
If you spend any time near Times Square and need a spot to pick up Japanese food for less than $20, stop by Ootoya’s new Midtown pop-up for an onigiri set. The global sushi chain is selling these triangular rice balls filled with things like pork tonkatsu, tuna with mayonnaise, and fried chicken with spicy black vinegar sauce out of a takeout window on West 41st Street, from 11:30am to 2pm daily, through March 7th.
Marezzata
At J-Spec, a East Village Japanese restaurant that opened in November, wagyu beef is both the opening act and the featured headliner. But at Marezzata in Midtown, a new restaurant from the same owners, wagyu is the backup vocalist to a wide range of Italian and Japanese mashup dishes taking center stage. For now, dishes like mentaiko spaghetti, eggplant dengaku fritters, and American Wagyu Pound Steak are only available for takeout and delivery.
Ace's Perfect Pizza
There’s an old-school poker machine inside this new Williamsburg restaurant on Driggs Avenue. And according to its website, the Detroit-style pizza place is open from 12pm to 12am, and sometimes even later. So if you want to try Brooklyn’s newest rectangular pie with thick crust and crispy edges, or pretend you’re at a slice shop on the Las Vegas strip, try Ace’s Perfect Pizza.
Fieldtrip
This is the third NYC location of this counter-service rice bowl spot, which also has storefronts in Harlem and Long Island City. If this new one in Rockefeller Center is anything like their other spots, it’s an excellent place to build your own lunch or dinner with comforting options like brown rice, beef, and turmeric yogurt, or crispy breaded chicken over long-grain rice with edamame and barbecue sauce. They’re open weekdays from 11am to 5pm for takeout and delivery only.
Brooklyn Hero Shop
Clinton Hill has a new deli that’s serving things like Nashville hot chicken, porchetta, and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches just up the street from the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Vanderbilt Avenue. And if you’ve been barricaded inside your apartment all week like us, your kitchen could probably use more fresh bread, cheese, and olives from Brooklyn Hero Shop’s retail market. This Brooklyn spot sells all of its sandwiches and groceries online and in person, for takeout and delivery every day.
Blank Street Coffee
After months of running an outdoor coffee pop-up on Wythe Avenue, Black Street Coffee has opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Williamsburg on Bedford Avenue. Their goal is to keep things sustainable by sourcing beans from Brooklyn-based Parlor Coffee Roasters. In addition to caffeinated beverages, this new cafe serves breakfast tacos from King David’s Tacos, cider bundts from King Street Baking Co., and kouign amann from Pain D’Avignon.
Aunts et Uncles is a vegan cafe and shop in Flatbush that has the soothing pastel color scheme of an upscale yarn studio. They sell everything from veggie burgers and mofongo to books and magazines, so if you’re looking for a gift to send to your cousin who hosts virtual ceramic coating classes in LA, stop by their store on Nostrand Avenue between 10am and 10pm.
JANUARY

Up In Smoke at Estela
Attending a BBQ in the middle of winter might sound like a dream you once had about retiring in Daytona Beach. But you can actually make it happen at Estela starting January 30th. This Nolita spot is hosting a weekend pop-up on Houston Street with a menu of yakitori options like grilled chicken wings, head-on shrimp, and steak. Everything will be available for takeout and delivery, but outdoor seating will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you can’t make it on opening day, you can also try Up In Smoke every weekend in February from 12 to 4pm.
For years, Peppa’s has been one of our absolute favorite jerk chicken spots in Brooklyn. And now that they’ve opened their first Manhattan location on the Lower East Side, this chicken spot might just become our favorite place to pick up smoky grilled meat in all of NYC.
Debajo
Debajo is a new outdoor tapas spot at the Made Hotel in Nomad. If you’d like to sit at a covered patio table and pretend you’ve moved to Sevilla for the year, stop by their heated garden area just behind the old Ferris space. Order the patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, and a crispy chicken sandwich with romesco sauce, and let the fantasy play out.
Falansai Vietnamese Kitchen
Since November, an ex-Blue Hill at Stone Barns chef has been making Vietnamese dishes like grilled pork belly hand rolls, red curry seafood soup, and confit duck necks at this Bushwick spot. You can stop by Falansai from 5 to 10pm, Wednesday through Sunday to try them all for takeout or heated outdoor dining around the koi pond in the restaurant’s backyard. But if you’d rather not risk the potentially disturbing consequences of seeing your reflection in a calm pool of water, you can also just order delivery online.
Saigon Spice
A new Vietnamese spot just opened on Church Avenue in Flatbush, and if you live in the neighborhood or plan to take a gloomy stroll around the south side of Prospect Park anytime soon, try one of their five different bánh mì options. Saison Spice offers their sandwiches filled with everything from lemongrass pork chop to beer-battered fish, plus dishes like phở and vermicelli noodles for takeout, delivery, and limited outdoor dining every day. Call (347) 972-2714 to place your order.
Tamam Falafel
For falafel platters, cauliflower pita, and eggplant salad in the East Village, order takeout from this new vegan spot. This is the second location of Tamam Falafel, and like the Upper West Side original, this fast-casual place will probably serve you best when you need a salad or shawarma for lunch or dinner. It’s open for takeout and delivery from 11am to 8pm, everyday except Sunday.
Pie Shop at The Beatrice Inn
After closing its popular West Village restaurant space earlier this month, The Beatrice Inn has launched a new pie delivery service. The team releases a weekly-rotating pie menu every Thursday via Instagram, which has ready-to-bake flavor options like steak and Guinness or chicken and vegetable. If you want one, call the restaurant at (212) 675-2808 between 10am and 5pm and place an order while supplies last.
The bio on Seven Elephant’s Instagram says “Less worry more curry.” And that’s just one of the things we appreciate about this new Thai spot on the Lower East Side. Others include their build-your-own rice boxes involving options like salmon and stewed beef for less than $15 and the availability of extra massaman curry sauce which we’d like to store in our fridge with the rest of our favorite condiments. Chances are, we’ll be craving all of the above very soon, so catch us picking up our takeout order here between 11am and 8:30pm, Tuesday-Sunday.

Coco Pazzeria
Coco Pazzeria is a new Italian spot in Soho from the team behind Coco Pazzo that should make you happy if you’re interested in eating mini calzones filled with ’nduja, panozzi meatball sandwiches, or personal pizzas topped with things like sausage and broccolini on your couch at home. The restaurant is only open for takeout and delivery right now, but has plans to open an outdoor patio area in the spring.
Bánh Vietnamese Shop House
After almost three months of running a Manhattan pop-up, the team behind Cơm Tấm Ninh Kiều - one of the best Vietnamese spots in the Bronx - has officially opened a restaurant on the Upper West Side. The menu at Bánh Vietnamese Shop House includes three different kinds of bánh cuốn, six different kinds of bánh mì (including one vegan option with pesto), plus a bunch of the other dishes that consistently sold out during the restaurant’s pop-up era. Everything’s available for takeout, delivery, and limited outdoor dining from 4 to 9pm, Tuesday through Thursday, and 12 to 9pm, Friday through Saturday.
Willow
The team that runs vegan mini-chain Beyond Sushi has opened this new vegan spot in Chelsea where you can get plant-based versions of steak frites, cacio e pepe, or tuna melt without having to scour the aisles of a gourmet market. For now, the restaurant is only doing takeout and delivery from 11:30am to 10pm daily, but they plan to set up outdoor seating in the spring.
Noi Due Café
We’re told breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And yet, many restaurants reserve their sunny side up eggs for the weekend. But that’s not the case at Noi Due Cafe on the Upper West Side. This new kosher, vegetarian spot serves brunch dishes like shakshuka and challah french toast from 11am to 4pm, plus lunch and dinner options like arancini, margherita pizza, and baked ziti until 10pm. You can try their Italian and Mediterannean dishes everyday on their outdoor patio, or for takeout and delivery.
Penny Bridge
Remember JACX, the food hall that opened on the first floor of a skyscraper in Long Island City last November? Well, a new spot from the team behind Loring Place opens there on January 22nd. Penny Bridge will serve a bunch of dishes that riff on American diner classics, like delicata squash rings, a tuna crudo melt with lardo, and chicken wings with Tabasco-butter.
Fandi Mata
Fandi Mata is a two-story Mediterranean restaurant on Bayard Street in Williamsburg, right across the way from the south entrance of McCarren Park. Its heated outdoor patio will open on January 23rd, but in the meantime, they’ve got everything from grilled octopus and croquetas to roasted lamb flatbreads and lobster tortellini available for takeout and delivery every day except Monday.

This Japanese pop-up at the kitchen in Pretty Ricky’s on the Lower East Side doesn’t just serve katsu sandwiches made with pork, chicken, and portobello mushroom, they also offer katsu sets that include garlic rice, egg or potato salad, and coleslaw. Get all your panko-breaded needs met using their takeout and delivery menu, which you can check out here.

Maman
This is the ninth NYC location of this French cafe and bakery (which is also currently open for takeout in Soho, Nomad, Tribeca, and Greenpoint). At their new West Village spot, Maman is serving pistachio chocolate croissants, dulce de leche beignets, chocolate chip peppermint cookies, and several gift boxes you might want to send your Aunt Vicky for Valentine’s Day.
Noodle Edition
Sometimes all we want to do is avoid other humans and enjoy some excellent company in the form of noodles. The next time you feel this way, try this new Chinese spot in Midtown. Noodle Edition serves everything from dan dan noodles to stir fried udon and beef offal noodles for takeout and delivery on weekdays from 11am to 9pm, and weekends from 12 to 9pm.
Wagyu Social
Whether you’re planning a date night at home or need a celebratory excuse to get your roommate’s turtle tank off your kitchen table, Wagyu Social in Midtown has a bunch of takeout options that are perfect for a special occasion. That includes $85 wagyu burger topped with foie gras, wagyu niku sushi with uni, or several bottles of high-quality sake. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed on the restaurant’s website or by calling 212-888-8003.
Qahwah House
If you’re looking for a massive jug of Yemeni coffee to inject into your veins this week, stop by Qahwdah House. In addition to imported coffee beans and hot espresso drinks infused with cardamom, this Williamsburg spot also has pastries like khaliat nahal, buttery bread rolls stuffed with cheese and topped with honey, and sabaya, a multi-layered honey cake sprinkled with black cumin.

Rolo's
Ridgewood has a new restaurant and neighborhood market, opened by four friends who met while working together at Gramercy Tavern. At the moment, the restaurant side of Rolo’s is offering dinner packages for takeout and delivery that include a rotating menu of things like porchetta, roasted chicken, and cauliflower salad. On the market side, Rolo’s is offering a la carte items like olive-topped focaccia, cookies, and pies made in-house. Additionally, this corner shop with green awnings also offers fresh pantry items you can use to stock your kitchen cabinets, like pastas, sauces, seasonings, and wine. The whole operation is open from 11am to 9pm, Wednesday-Sunday.
King Wang’s
Since November, King Wang’s in Bushwick has served a short menu of sandwiches stacked high with Korean, Japanese, or Chinese influences in Brooklyn. But now that the restaurant has opened a second location on the Upper West Side, offering dishes like a spicy chicken sandwich with Sichuan slaw and loaded ramen fries topped with bacon bits and housemade instant ramen powder, everything is available for takeout and delivery in Manhattan.
Prospect Butcher Co.
There’s a new butcher shop in Prospect Heights that sells a variety of meats and poultry, along with rotisserie chicken, charcuterie, and sandwiches to-go from 11am to 5pm daily. Before opening its bright red brick and mortar in early January, Prospect Butcher Co. managed a meat pop-up, selling premium cuts at Faun which happens to be right around the corner.
Restaurant row on W 46th St in Midtown has a new Caribbean restaurant that serves dishes like shrimp rasta pasta, oxtails with rice and peas, and jerk wings. Jasmine’s has a heated outdoor patio that looks like the perfect place to drink soursop mojitos and listen to calypso near Times Square. But the restaurant is also open for takeout and delivery from 4-10pm, Tuesday-Sunday.
Austin Street Pizza
The roni cups at this new slice shop in Forest Hills look perfectly charred, and the crust looks thicker than that stack of dishes piling up in your sink. So if you’re looking for a new place to pick up margherita, pepperoni, or artichoke and spinach pies in the area, you might want to give this spot a try. Whenever you’re ready, Austin Street Pizza is open from 11am-10pm daily.
Fjord Fish Market
If you like seafood, you might as well stop what you’re doing and head to Fjord Fish Market right now. This specialty seafood market, with several locations across Connecticut and New York, is now offering lobster dinners, crab cake baskets, fish tacos, and sushi platters in Park Slope. While you’re there, you can also pick up fresh fish, shrimp, and scallops.
Sullivan Street Bakery
After leaving its original Soho location over 20 years ago, this popular New York bakery has returned to Sullivan Street with a new pop-up shop. Naturally, you can expect fresh bread at the new Sullivan Street Bakery location, but you’ll also find cookbooks, pizza slices, and pastries from 11am to 6pm, Wednesday-Sunday.
Crown Heights Pizza
Since December, this Brooklyn spot has been serving everything from Sicilian pies and calzones to grandma slices and spinach rolls from a small shop on Lincoln Place. And since Crown Heights Pizza doesn’t have an outdoor set-up just yet, your best bet is to stop by and pick-up your order in person or place a delivery order by phone.
Taqueria El Patron
The original location of this Mexican restaurant, just one block from southeastern entrance to Prospect Park, has been one of our favorite outdoor spots in Prospect Lefferts Gardens for years. Now, the new Park Slope location of Taqueria El Patron is bringing the same giant menu of burritos, fajitas, and excellent al pastor tacos over to the north side. For now, Taqueria El Patron is only offering its dishes for takeout and delivery from 12-10pm daily.

This new vegan and vegetarian restaurant from the people behind Oxomoco is serious about serving NYC diners high-quality tortillas straight from corn farmers in Mexico who grow and preserve heritage corn. Right now, this Greenpoint spot is only open for breakfast and lunch, making masa pancakes, carrot tostadas, purple potato tacos, and churros you can try on their covered sidewalk patio. Xilonen’s menu is available for takeout and delivery from 9am to 3pm, Tuesday through Sunday.

Summerlong Supper Club
A group of NYC restaurants including Atoboy, Llama Inn, Cafe Paulette, Rahi, Contra, Glasserie, and more have joined forces to create a weekly delivery-only supper club, and you can join if you sign up by January 18th. The dining program comes with 16 different three-course chef tasting menus, that you can purchase for $65 per week or a total of $800 for the year. The goal is to help restaurants survive the winter months by bringing amazing food straight to your apartment, and you can read more about it all here.
Min Sushi
If you’re near the East Village, keep Min Sushi in mind for rice bowls, udon, and several different types of rolls. And since it’s from the people behind one of our favorite Japanese curry spots in the area, Suki, we’re pretty confident it’ll become a new staple in our takeout and delivery rotation.
Sobre Masa
Sobre Masa is another Brooklyn restaurant that serves high-quality tortillas made from multi-colored heirloom corn. In fact, after a brief period of dine-in service, the chef and owner decided to temporarily close the restaurant and transform into a wholesale tortilla business. To order some of their fresh tortillas, just DM the restaurant on Instagram.
Bellucci Pizza
A chef who used to work at Rubirosa has opened his own pizza place in Astoria serving a similar kind of thin crust pie. Bellucci has a few slices, but you can also build-you-own 12” or 18” pie with toppings like pancetta, sausage, and broccoli rabe. There are also a bunch of vegan and gluten-free options that involve plant-based cheese and meat-free meatballs.
Oh K-Dog & Egg Toast
Deep-fried and cheese-filled Korean hot dogs are the specialty at Oh K-Dog on the Lower East Side. Like lots of other great street food, each hot dog is served on a stick and can be topped with things like honey butter, parmesan cheese, or sweet chili sauce. Pick one up with a side of egg toast from this takeout spot on Ludlow Street, any time between 10am and 10pm daily.
Peter’s Crunchy Red Tacos
New birria-focused Mexican restaurants have been popping up all over Brooklyn in the last few months, and Peter’s Crunchy Red Tacos is the latest to arrive in Bushwick. The truck is on Wyckoff Avenue right next to the Jefferson L stop, which makes things convenient. And it’s also the only food truck we know that accepts pre-orders via Instagram DM. If you’d rather stop by in-person, you might have to wait in line, but thankfully they’ve got a few patio tables where you can eat everything hot.
If you’re vegan and living in central Brooklyn, there’s a good chance you’ve had brunch at Clementine Bakery. Well, that popular plant-based spot just opened this new vegan bakery on Washington Ave, just one block from the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Clinton Hill. Open 9am to 6pm, Friday through Sunday, Le Petit Monstre specializes in things like kouign amann, cinnamon rolls, and danishes.
Non La
Non La is a new Vietnamese spot in the East Village with a huge menu, including warm bowls of phở, clay pot salmon, and bún bò Huế. For now, the restaurant is just doing takeout and delivery from 11am to 10pm every day.
Sweet Pickle Books
Used bookstores are known for bringing the world comfort in the form of discounted self-help manuals and stories about fictional frogs that do ballet. But this new LES spot has decided to provide comfort in the form of pickle jars. So, naturally, you should come here to satisfy your pickle fix any weekday (besides Monday) from 1pm to 7pm and weekend from 11am to 8pm.
The next time you’re in the mood for some piping hot nasi lemak or laksa noodle soup in the East Village, try Medan Pasar. It’s a new Malaysian spot on 7th Street, and it’s open from 12pm to 12am every single day.
Chick Inn
Chicken seems like more than just the “safe choice” at this new Harlem spot from the people behind Fumo. Each whole rotisserie chicken is spit roasted and the fried chicken sandwiches look plump and crispy enough to compete with some of the best in the city. For now, Chick Inn is open from 4pm to 10pm daily, and offers delivery and takeout only.
Alewife Brewing
Alewife used to be one of our favorite breweries in Long Island City, but now this Queens spot has moved to a new space in Sunnyside. They’ve got a large, covered, patio set-up with a mix of picnic tables and bar stools, and occasionally, they host pop-ups with local food trucks. So far, they’ve had momos, grilled cheese sandwiches, and birria tacos, but you should check out their Instagram for the latest.
DECEMBER
Nili Cafe
The people behind one of our all-time favorite Middle Eastern restaurants, Miss Ada, just opened a new cafe in Carroll Gardens. Nili is a wood-covered coffee shop and cafe where you can pick up sabich and whitefish sandwiches for breakfast or chicken shawarma and short rib for lunch. Takeout options like pre-packed sweet potato hummus sit in a refrigerator inside, but there’s also a takeout window right next to the entrance of the Carroll Street subway station where you can grab pastries like chocolate babka and rugelach to-go.
Over the last decade, Roberta’s has gone from cool Bushwick pizza place to bi-coastal restaurant empire selling frozen pies in select grocery stores. Now, the team behind it is branching out into the burger business with Burgies in East Williamsburg. They’re selling the classic “burgie” for $10 and the double “burgie” for $14, but both dishes are served on a potato roll with cheese, onions, pickles, and thousand island dressing. There’s also a veggie burger on the menu for $12, and all three are available for takeout and delivery from 12 to 7pm daily.
Tacombi
This Mexican mini-chain just opened a new location on the Upper East Side with the same pastel color scheme and backyard-party-near-a-beach atmosphere you’ll find at all their other restaurants in NYC. While it doesn’t look like this new spot has much of a weatherproof outdoor dining set-up yet, you can still order some tacos, quesadillas, or ceviche for takeout and delivery online, or by using the restaurant’s mobile app.

Galioto’s
The team behind Jajaja just opened this new vegan spot in Little Italy, serving dishes like a meatball parm made with Impossible beef, a Tuscan-style panzanella salad made with dairy-free mozzarella, and more. The food looks filling and good enough to scratch anyone’s itch for loaded deli classics. Galioto’s also has pantry items like tomato sauce and pesto available for pick-up from 9am to 6pm daily.
The Blue Light Speak Cheesy
This new pop-up inside Greenpoint’s Getaway proves that not all brunch dishes are created equal. Every Sunday, The Blue Light Speak Cheesy serves a rotating breakfast sandwich option, which recently included things like pepper jelly, crispy onions, and a pretzel bun from Orwasher’s Bakery. Diners must pre-order online, pay using Venmo, and pick up orders at a scheduled time to maintain social-distancing. If you can’t make it on a given Sunday, The Blue Light pop-up also serves double-decker breakfast tacos on Tuesdays and breakfast burritos on Thursdays.
Crown Alley
There’s a new beer bar in Chelsea from some of the people who run The Jeffrey, and it should make the beer nerds in your life very happy. They have 16 rotating craft beers available from tons of local breweries, plus bar snacks like pretzels, quail eggs, and charcuterie. Crown Alley also has a large heated sidewalk patio along W 19th Street where you can sip hot toddies till 10pm every night.
Chip City
If a rotating daily menu of cookie flavors like red velvet hot chocolate and chocolate peppermint sounds like a dream you once had, check out Chip City in Sunnyside. This cookie shop has several locations across NYC, and its newest spot will have new menu items like a gingerbread latte and more holiday specials available from 9am to 7pm daily.
The Migrant Kitchen
After a successful run at its Williamsburg pop-up, Migrant Kitchen has opened a new pop-up in FiDi, serving Latin and Middle Eastern mash-up dishes like carnitas shawarma and lamb empanadas on Stone Street. For every $12 you spend, this restaurant donates a meal to a family in need for the holidays. Check out their Instagram for more information on their new menu.
Vineapple Cafe
Rather than let this Brooklyn Heights spot close for good, a Brooklyn couple decided to reopen Vineapple Cafe with a new all-day menu of Italian and Puerto Rican food. The outdoor heated garden here is covered by a tent and surrounded by a hand-painted wall mural that’ll make you feel like the sun isn’t hibernating.
Pecking House
A chef who used to cook at Eleven Madison Park has opened his own hot chili fried chicken restaurant, which requires diners to join a waitlist before placing an online order. For $35, Pecking House offers three large pieces of fried chicken with sides like smashed cucumbers, dirty fried rice, or tomato-tofu salad. The chef delivers most of the food himself in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, so if you want him to drop some food on your doorstep soon, check out the restaurant’s Instagram for more information.

Virgil’s Real BBQ
The Upper West Side has a new Texas-style BBQ spot serving huge portions of beef brisket, spare ribs, baked beans, and po’boys. The restaurant is only doing takeout and delivery right now, so the next time you want a platter of saucy meat that’s about the size of your kitchen table, check out Virgil’s Real BBQ.
Two Birds Pantry
Two Birds Pantry is a new, delivery-only, Upper East Side spot that serves dishes like mac & cheese, meatball heroes, and chicken soup. They’re open weekdays from 12 to 8:30pm, which means that if you’re in Manhattan, you can finally let go of all those weeknight recipes you bookmarked back in February.
Converso
Converso is another new, delivery-only, Upper East Side spot that just opened. Everything from the tacos and burritos to the enchiladas and guacamole at this Mexican restaurant are kosher. They also serve vegan burrito and taco options with beets and pineapple salsa. Converso is open from 11am to 10:30pm daily, and you can place your order directly on the restaurant’s website.
Bentos
Bentos is a new sushi spot in Koreatown that looks like it could be one of the best new Japanese restaurants in the area. They’ve got everything from a la carte onigiri to huge platters of uni and toro available for takeout and delivery right now.
Lagos
You might not be able to eat under the pink neon lights inside this new restaurant and lounge in Midtown East, but you can still order Nigerian dishes like jollof rice, goat pepper soup, and suya wings from Lagos right now. Their 24K gold-dusted wings seem especially fitting for a big night in this winter.

Washington Squares
The chef behind Loring Place has opened this new delivery-only pizza spot in Greenwich Village, which specializes in mostly vegetarian pan pies. Washington Squares serves loaded pizzas with toppings like spinach, feta, pickled jalapenos, and mushrooms, but there’s also a meat lover’s option with sausage and soppressata. All of their pizzas are available with whole wheat or gluten free dough, and they also offer salads, soups, wine, and beer when you place an order online.
Ayat NYC
Bay Ridge has a casual new Palestinian spot serving chicken, beef, and lamb shawarma sliced directly from the spinning spit. They also have mixed grill platters and plenty of side dishes to complete the spread, like stuffed grape leaves and muhammara. If you stop by in-person, you’ll see a retractable glass wall that opens the restaurant’s small dining room to the sidewalk patio area, and a hand-painted mural that takes up a whole wall.

Teranga
This fast-casual Senegalese spot just opened its second location at Brooklyn’s Dekalb Market. So if you’re looking for somewhere new to get your jollof, kelewele, yassa, or homemade juices, you’ve just found it. There’s no outdoor seating here, but Teranga’s menu is available for pick-up and delivery.
Bixi
Bixi is a new upscale restaurant and cocktail bar in Harlem from the people behind Lido, which happens to be right down the street. Expect to eat things like short rib fried dumplings, pork belly banh mi, and Japanese yam tempura on their outdoor patio, and if you like drinking things made with Thai chili or yuzu sake, their drink menu should make you very happy.

La Tiendita Taqueria
A Mexican restaurant from Miami has just opened a new location in Astoria serving birria tacos, carne asada bowls, and homemade churros. Right now, it doesn’t look like La Tiendita Taqueria has an outdoor patio set up, but you can order takeout and delivery through their website.
ACQ Bakery
Born out of the pandemic, ACQ Bakery started out by donating freshly baked bread to protesters who took to the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s killing back in June. From there, head baker Tyler Lee Steinbrenner decided to continue making sourdough boules and sandwich loaves in the kitchen of a Carroll Gardens apartment. Now, the at-home bakery is taking online pre-orders which can only be picked up from 4 to 7pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Tiger Lily Kitchen
Tiger Lily Kitchen is a new gluten-free place in Gramercy that serves vermicelli bowls, summer rolls, and skewers that should make your life a whole lot better around 12pm on a weekday. The menu at this fast-casual spot is a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Thai food, and they’re open for lunch and dinner.
Leland Eating & Drinking House
Everything from the wooden banquettes to the exterior paint job at Leland Eating & Drinking House was built by the restaurant’s owner. He fundraised on GoFundMe to help finish this Prospect Heights American spot, and now it’s officially open for takeout with limited outdoor seating. Swing by around lunch every Thursday through Sunday for dishes like anchovy toast and chicken salad, or come at dinner for heartier options like seafood stew and grilled pork chops.

The Dolar Shop
The next time you’re in the mood to eat comfort food, try this new hot pot place in the East Village. Dolar Shop is a Chinese chain from Macau that specializes in individual hot pot meals including things like wagyu cubes, peony shrimp, and raw fish you unapologetically hog to yourself. This new spot has a heated patio, but if you’d rather eat on your couch, Dolar Shop delivers anywhere south of 34th Street in Manhattan.
Fin Du Monde
Greenpoint has a new casual French spot from a couple that’s worked at places like Diner, Marlow & Sons, and Threes Brewing. Fin Du Monde sits on a quiet corner in the neighborhood serving roasted chicken, clams, and natural wine by the glass. It’s open from 5 to 10pm, Wednesday through Saturday and while their outdoor seating is limited, you can call ahead to place your takeout order.

Cutlets Sandwich Co.
When it first opened, Cutlets was a delivery-only deli that could bring you a grilled chicken pesto sandwich right when you needed it the most. Now, Cutlets has opened a huge sandwich shop in Flatiron where you can pick one up yourself. They’re still doing delivery from 9am to 9pm daily, but if you need a break from the pale white walls in your apartment, this looks like one of the best places for chicken cutlet in the area.
Criollas Baked Empanadas
Whenever you decide to break up with those frozen empanadas, check out the handmade options at this new bakery in Midtown’s Turnstyle Market. Criollas serves empanadas filled with options like caprese, chicken, and creamy corn, plus a few different kinds of soup and alfajor cookies with dulce de leche stuffed inside.
Pastrami Queen
Legendary New York deli Pastrami Queen has opened a new Upper West Side location on West 72nd Street. And while your best bet is to order one of their overstuffed pastrami sandwiches, you can’t go wrong with a side of matzo ball soup or a hand-carved turkey sandwich this winter.
Pekarna
Also new to the Upper West Side, Perkarna is a two-story restaurant serving Slovenian and American dishes like a cheese plate with plum relish and a focaccia pretzel, a chicken schnitzel burger, and truffle matzo ball soup. There’s a backyard patio at the restaurant for you to try them all, along with desserts like Slovenian apple pie and bread pudding with rum-infused caramel sauce.
Llohi
This new East Williamsburg rooftop bar has private greenhouses, heat lamps, and a clear view of the Manhattan skyline. It’s also one of the few places where you’ll find a Thursday and Friday Happy Hour from 4 to 6pm. LLoHi serves colorful cocktails made with things like butterfly pea-infused vodka, craft beer, and bar food like fried chicken sandwiches and tater tots. Head to their website for details on how to make a reservation.
NOVEMBER
Maomao Restaurant
Someone from Lamoon, one of our favorite restaurants in Elmhurst, just opened this huge new Thai spot and movie theater in Bushwick. Mao Mao has two floors filled with mismatched rocking chairs and vintage theater seats where you can order Thai drinking snacks like chicken wings, chive dumplings, and fried squid roe. The restaurant is open for socially-distant indoor and outdoor dining from 5:30-11pm daily, but it’s also a venue for comedy shows and film screenings that you can read more about on Instagram.

In more Bushwick restaurant news, a dreamy-looking taco spot that specializes in birria has opened on Irving Avenue. We’re talking birria tacos, birria pizza, birria ramen, and quesabirra tacos served between two homemade corn tortillas and smothered in cheese. Nene’s Deli Taqueria is right around the corner from Maria Hernandez Park and operates for takeout from 12-11pm daily.

CheLi 浙里
Right next to Szechuan Mountain House, home to some of The Best Mapo Tofu In NYC, the same team has opened Cheli. This new East Village Shanghainese spot has high ceilings, long wooden booths, and paper lanterns hovering over its dining room. And it’s menu involves dishes like spicy frog legs, a whole crab soaked in wine, and sea urchin egg tofu stew, all of which are available for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout.
La Grande Boucherie
Le Grande Boucherie is a big flashy French restaurant in Midtown from the team behind Boucherie, another huge French restaurant in the middle of the West Village. And if you’re favorite food group involves burgers and steak, you’ll be happy to know that a chef who used to cook at Minetta Tavern is now preparing dishes like steak frites, duck confit, and a wagyu burger here.

Gray Hawk Grill
Gray Hawk Grill is a new American restaurant on the Upper East Side that falls somewhere between the perfect place for a casual weeknight dinner and a low-key date night. It’s got white table cloths and there’s a filet mignon on its menu, but like many great neighborhood spots, Gray Hawk Grill also serves family-style portions of things like cacio e pepe, caesar salad, and other dishes we find ourselves craving on the average weeknight.
Miss Saigon
Ending a year like 2020 on a high note requires that you eat lots of top-notch noodle soup. If you live on the Upper West Side, Miss Saigon can give you that and more. This new casual Vietnamese spot on 106th Street and Amsterdam Avenue also serves a bunch of different curries, banh mi, and spring rolls from 11:30am to 10:30pm daily. And if you want more options for noodle soup, check out this guide.
Sen Udon
Bowls of udon made with ingredients like parmesan cheese, grass-fed ribeye, and uni cream are the focus at this new casual noodle shop in Bayside, Queens. Sen Udon mashes up Italian, Japanese, Indian, and Korean ingredients to create udon noodle dishes that you won’t find anywhere else in the city, and they’re all available for takeout or indoor dining from 5-9pm Monday through Thursday and 11am-9pm Friday through Sunday.
Anar
Imagine spending a rainy Monday night at home. Now imagine that same night with a few pieces of smoky tandoori chicken on your kitchen table. Did that make things better? Then you should know that Anar, a new Indian spot on the Upper West Side, specializes in tandoori meats and curries you can order for takeout delivery every day.

J-Spec Wagyu Dining
At J-Spec, the new Japanese restaurant that opened in the old Jewel Bako space, wagyu beef is both the opening act and the featured headliner. They serve cuts of this high quality steak in everything from sliders to hand rolls layered with uni and caviar. This East Village spot is BYOB for now, and open for dinner from 5-10pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

A chef who most recently led a pastry pop-up at Maison Yaki during its Black Entrepreneur Series is now serving things like miso toffee chip cookies and guava cream cheese brioche doughnuts from the back of a vintage pickup truck in front of The Musket Room every Friday and Saturday. This Nolita pop-up will also offer a few menu options from The Musket Room, like miso sausage and egg sandwiches for breakfast, pork katsu sandwiches for lunch, and to-go cocktails during Happy Hour.
Thaimee Love
In other Manhattan pop-up news, Thaimee Love just started its six month-long run in the West Village serving a rotating menu of Northern Thai dishes like pork laab and khao soi with kale noodles and honeynut squash. Each month of this pop-up corresponds with a theme, like “Mid-Winter Beach Party” or “Thai New Year” and all of the food will be available for limited indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout and online delivery. For the month of November, this casual BYOB spot on Hudson Street will be open from 11am-3:30pm and again from 5-10pm, Wednesday through Sunday.

Pulkies
Since June, Pulkies has been serving a mashup of Jewish and American BBQ at Chelsea Market. But this casual, counter-service restaurant just opened its second location in Brooklyn’s Dekalb Market Hall, which means its slabs of brisket, pulled turkey, and cinnamon babka bread pudding are all available in a new borough just in time for Thanksgiving. And you can order them all hot or ready-to-heat if you want to see what that new toaster oven can really do.
Borsalia
Chocolate and coffee are the title roles at this new Italian dessert shop on Grant Street in Williamsburg. And whether you’re looking for someplace to pick up a chocolate croissant before taking your dog on a walk in Domino Park, or sip a cappuccino on an enclosed curbside patio this winter, Brosalia looks like a great neighborhood option to know about.

Temakase
When you walk into this new hand roll bar on 2nd Avenue in the East Village, you’ll feel like you just entered the cafeteria in a cylindrical spaceship. The cave-like dining room has LED lights lining its walls and shiny, gold stools tucked underneath a reservation-only sushi counter. But if you’d rather order your raw fish to-go, they’ve got a bunch of combo box sets that include up to 24 pieces available for takeout and delivery. And no matter what you order, you should take some time to appreciate that this spot has created sushi Tik Toks to the tune of Ariana Grande’s new album, Positions.

Over the last several months, this Texas-style Mexican restaurant has hosted weekend pop-ups at places like Doris in Bed-Stuy, Dame in the West Village, and Trans Pecos in Ridgewood. But now, Yellow Rose has its own brick and mortar space on 3rd Avenue in the East Village. Expect a menu of spicy hominy soup with long fideo noodles, micheladas, and delicious tacos that might temporarily make you angry to be an East Coaster.
Amor y Amargo
Amor y Amargo just opened a cocktail store right next door to their bar in the East Village, and it’s stocked with bottled Negronis, premade Manhattans, bitters, and a bunch of cocktail-making tools for your bar cart at home. Behind the store, they’ve hidden a new reservation-only cocktail bar that has a menu of upscale vegan small plates you can try on Wednesday-Sunday nights.

Jacx&Co
This huge food hall just opened on the first floor of a skyscraper in Long Island City, and it’s home to new locations of some spots you’ve probably heard of, like Fieldtrip, Taim, Crif Dogs, Beebe’s, and Kissaki. But there’s also a new counter-service Chinese restaurant called Lotus + Cleaver from the people behind Wayla and Kimika. They specialize in build-your-own noodle bowls topped with meat options like BBQ pork, crispy fish, and ginger chicken.
Double Chicken Please
This new LES cocktail bar and restaurant started out as a traveling pop-up in a yellow mystery machine van. Now, Double Chicken Please serves batched cocktails on tap in a dark bar with dim neon lighting, along with a few different kinds of fried chicken sandwiches topped with things like honey, Thai basil, and salted duck egg. They’re open for limited indoor dining from 12-10pm Tuesday-Sunday, and just in case you and meat are on a break right now, they have a fried tofu sandwich with peanut butter sauce that looks promising.
Winona's
Winona’s looks like the kind of light wood-covered Williamsburg cafe that early ’00s bloggers would have claimed to have discovered, but it’s actually an all-day European restaurant that reopens as a natural wine bar every Wednesday-Sunday night. You can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner options like salmon tartine and lamb belly fritters for takeout at the counter up front. But you’ll need a reservation to visit the private dining room in the back, which will serve an upscale prix-fixe dinner every Thursday-Saturday night.

King Wang's
All of the sandwiches at King Wang’s, a new sit-down spot in Bushwick, have Korean, Japanese, or Chinese influences. There’s a spicy chicken sandwich with Sichuan slaw and a bulgogi cheesesteak that’s been marinated in an Asian pear sauce. Plus, they serve loaded ramen fries topped with bacon bits and housemade instant ramen powder. Whenever you’re ready, you can stop by for limited indoor dining or place a takeout order online.
Brooklyn High Low
If tea parties have become a thing in your apartment, or if you’d like to pretend to be the kind of person who always eats a tower of cucumber sandwiches on a Sunday afternoon, you’ll be happy to know that this new Prospect Heights cafe is doing tea party brunch service every weekend. Each 75-minute tea experience at Brooklyn High Low comes with a bunch of scones, mini tarts, and sandwiches that you eat in an outdoor garden or a vintage furniture-filled dining room on Vanderbilt Avenue.
Mark's Off Madison
A chef who used to run Fred’s at Barneys’ kitchen just opened a new bakery and restaurant right by Madison Square Park. From dinner options like lasagna della nonna and roast chicken to brunch dishes like a stacked turkey sandwich and a smoked fish platter, Mark’s Off Madison will offer a variety of the chef’s all-time favorite dishes for limited indoor dining, takeout, and delivery very soon. But for now, you can DM the restaurant on Instagram to place a pick-up order for fresh bagels and bialys.
Joe’s Steam Rice Roll
Joe’s Steam Rice Roll has a cult following, homemade Cantonese cheung fun, and a new location on the UWS. Its menu ranges from silky rice rolls filled with things like shrimp or curry fish balls to thick Chinese crepes topped with sausage or pork floss - and nothing costs more than $10.
Friedman’s
This healthy-ish American spot just opened its eighth NYC location on the Upper West Side. So the next time you wake up after a Zoom Happy Hour in need of a BLT, cobb salad, or plate of fried chicken and cheddar waffles in the neighborhood, Friedman’s has you covered.

Hütte
Yodeling in the Alps might not be in the cards for you this winter. But for now, Hutte’s outdoor restaurant experience made to feel like an Austrian ski lodge, might be your best bet. They built a heated tent and filled it with a bunch of antique tables and hanging antlers, so whenever you’re in the mood for fondue, game meats, or Austrian wine, throw on your favorite furry boots and try them all here.
Hamilton Hall
Hamilton Heights has a new restaurant and beer bar that’s ready to send a truffle mushroom pizza and a hazy IPA straight to your apartment. The beer menu at Hamilton Hall includes drafts and cans from a bunch of local breweries, and the food is being managed by someone who used to work at Eleven Madison Park. They’ve got a covered sidewalk patio with dividers open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch from 11am to 11pm daily.
Isabelle’s Osteria
If you’re bored of pasta, this new Italian spot in Flatiron looks like it could change that. Isabelle’s is serving things like pumpkin pappardelle, spinach and mushroom lasagne, and pork chop milanese for dinner, and a giant plate of chicken & waffles during weekend brunch.
The Upside Bar
A new bar from the people behind Amsterdam Ale House just opened on the UWS, and they serve everything from hot toddies to canned ciders on a sidewalk patio that’s right in front of a huge flat-screen TV. So if you live nearby, and need a new place to yell passionately at athletes who probably don’t know you exist, try The Upside.
Le Botaniste
It feels like new vegan restaurants are always opening in New York City, but this week it’s a new location of a well-known classic. Le Botaniste just opened its fourth outpost in the city on the Upper West Side, and they’ve got all the fresh carrot juice, organic wine, and spicy quinoa stew your plant-based heart desires.
Bar Freda
Ridgewood has a new neighborhood bar that’s doing live music nights, vinyl sets, and hosting a Vietnamese pop-up with Beaucoup weekly from Thursday through Saturday. Stay up to date on Bar Freda’s latest performances, cocktail specials, and dishes like banh mi burgers and fried chicken banh mi tacos from Beaucoup, on Instagram.
Mario's Pizza
There’s a new brick-oven pizza place in Greenpoint that’s run by a guy who has lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Mario’s has everything from prosciutto-topped pies to calzones filled with cheese and sopressata available for limited outdoor dining (last we checked, they only had one table out front), takeout, and delivery right now.

Chote Miya
The people behind Gupshup just opened this new Indian takeout spot specializing in Bombay street food at Time Out Market in Dumbo. Butter chicken curry, masala fries, and Indian frankies (wraps filled with everything from beef pepper fry to chicken khurchan) are all available Wednesday through Sunday at this counter-service place.
Court Street Tavern
This new Carroll Gardens restaurant just opened inside a historic bar space that formerly housed P.J. Hanley’s, an Irish tavern established in 1874 that also happens to be the place Al Capone hosted his wedding reception in 1918. Court Street Tavern serves dishes like French onion soup, roasted chicken, and a few different kinds of pasta on its heated outdoor patio, which the restaurant plans to convert into an outdoor ice-skating rink this winter.

Yuzu Kitchen
Bored of eating different combinations of chickpeas and lettuce for lunch? Break up the monotony with one of Yuzu Kitchen’s Japanese izakaya rice bowls. This new counter-service spot in Bryant Park serves them with protein options like miso-glazed salmon, pork tonkatsu, and beef short rib, none of which will cost you more than $15.
Los Tacos Nyc
If tacos are the fuel to the Ford F-150 you call your body, this new East Village spot will likely become your favorite gas station. Los Tacos NYC serves tacos de guisado, filled with rice and different meat stews like chile colorado and chicken mole, wrapped in yellow corn tortillas that are made in-house. Each one is $3.75 and available for takeout-only from this pink-and-white counter-service spot on E 7th Street.

Split Eights
If not Dunkin’, we’d argue that NYC runs on coffee and cocktails. Split Eights, a new drink spot in Fidi, wisely serves both in a two-story cafe with a long wood bar and a few small tables that’s open for limited indoor seating. So if you’re looking for a place to pick up a flat white in the morning and drink whiskey cocktails in the evening, congratulations. You did it.
Chip Nyc
Chip NYC, a chocolate chip cookie chain with locations in Manhattan and Queens, just opened its first Brooklyn outpost in Williamsburg. Along with its rotating weekly menu of gooey-centered cookie options like funfetti and butterscotch toffee, Chip NYC Williamsburg is the first location to offer vegan chocolate chip cookies.

Blue Willow is a new Chinese spot in Midtown that specializes in both Hunan and Szechuan dishes like sweet and sour pork, bang bang chicken, and Chengdu wontons. With its antique lamp shades and indigo velvet booths, the interior space at this sit-down spot looks like an old-school brasserie. If you’d rather stay outside, Blue Willow has a rain-proof outdoor patio, plus a takeout and delivery menu available for lunch and dinner every day.
Sugar Hill Creamery
This Harlem-based ice cream shop just opened a new location in Hamilton Heights that’s debuting flavors like blueberry cheesecake, guava quesito, and cinnamon hot honey. They’re closed on Monday and Tuesday, but planning every other day of the week around picking up a few scoops here is a very good idea.
Bánh Vietnamese Shop House
The team behind Cơm Tấm Ninh Kiều, one of the best Vietnamese spots in the Bronx, just opened a new restaurant on the Upper West Side that’s currently using its space for a weekly food pop-up. In the past, Bánh Vietnamese Shop House has served everything from Bánh Cuốn Hà Nội (Vietnamese rice rolls) and Bánh chưng chiên (fried rice cakes) to Thịt Kho (pork belly and egg soup) and skewered Bún Chả (grilled pork), but you’ll have to check out the restaurant’s Instagram for the latest on this week’s pop-up menu.
OCTOBER

We think of Birria-Landia’s truck in Jackson Heights as a New York City landmark. So the news about their second location in Williamsburg near Metropolitan and Meeker Avenue made us want to set off some kind of taco alarm to alert anyone looking for sustenance within a two-mile radius. Queen’s Birria-Landia serves the best birria tacos in NYC, and both the menu and the long lines look exactly the same at this Brooklyn spot.
Chito Gvrito
Election season 2020 calls for meals that involve excessive amounts of melted cheese and Chito Gvrito is a casual, sit-down Georgian restaurant in Gramercy where you can make that happen. From adjaruli khachapuri (a bread boat that looks like a melted cheese jacuzzi) to doughy cheese blintzes, the lactose intolerant among you should come prepared with extra-strength dairy pills.

Torch & Crown Brewing Company
This popular brewery opened a Soho location back in May, which operated as a home base for their expansive delivery service. Now, Torch & Crown has officially opened this huge Lower Manhattan brewery for indoor and outdoor dining. Along with cream ales and double IPAs, they’ve got a bar menu with burgers, seafood, and salads available from 12 to 9pm Tuesday through Sunday.

The owner of Dough in Bed-Stuy, a doughnut shop that closed in February 2020, just opened this new bakery in the same space on Franklin & Lafayette. Fan Fan has a rotating menu of specialty pastries like salted brown butter caramel doughnuts, sticky buns, and five different kinds of fan-fans (a mashup between Long Johns and eclairs), topped with things like yuzu meringue, prickly pear glaze, guava, and more.
This year, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected. So when we heard that Russian dishes like mushroom and potato vareniki, pork pelmeni, apple rye cake, and pear upside down cake were being sold from someone’s fourth-floor walk-up in Bed-Stuy, we somehow weren’t that surprised. Dacha, the new Eastern European/Slavic pop-up in question, is run by two chefs who worked at Rezdora and Red Hook Tavern respectively before the pandemic hit. And if you want to find out which dishes from their rotating menu will be available this week, check out their Instagram.

Three friends who worked at Eleven Madison Park together just opened this new, counter-service Chinese spot in Flatiron. Milu mainly serves rice bowls that you can build with your choice of meat or plant-based protein like duck or cauliflower. Plus, they serve sides like pork and fennel wontons, which look like the perfect meal to eat between your 1pm and 3pm Zoom meetings.
Manny's Bistro
The UWS has a new French bistro where eating steak frites in the middle of the day like a writer in Paris during the 1920s seems highly encouraged. Manny’s will have an awning over its sidewalk patio soon, but for now, their dining room covered in marble tables and antique burlesque show posters is open for full-service indoor dining.
All The King’s Horses
East Village coffee fans have yet another new cafe in the neighborhood serving high-quality flat whites and pastries from Balthazar Bakery. For now, All The King’s Horses is a mostly takeout spot with limited outdoor seating, but the sign on the building next door says they’ll be expanding in Spring 2021.
That Witch Ales You
Chinatown has a new micro-brewery on Madison Street that serves draft options like lychee red ale and snacks like fried pickles. The indoor space is about the size of a studio apartment, but That Witch Ales You has a huge backyard patio with games you can use to lighten the mood at your table.
Sunday’s Well
If you’re looking for a spacious back patio in Kips Bay to host a birthday party or to celebrate the fact that you’ve kept your spider plant alive for the last six months, Sunday’s Well has you covered. This new bar has a big backyard patio, daily Happy Hour with discounted beer and cocktails, plus comfort food like hush puppies, popcorn chicken, and skillet mac and cheese.

Manousheh
One of our favorite West Village counter-service spots, Manousheh, just opened its second Manhattan location on the LES. Unsurprisingly, this Lebanese spot specializes in manousheh, a doughy flatbread topped with different meats and vegetables, but this new spot has an expanded menu of salads, mezze, sides, and sweets like ashta merry cream (booza soft serve).

Rosella
Rosella is a new sushi place in the East Village with a tasting menu option, plus a full menu of a la carte dishes like laksa soup and ceviche available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining. In favor of sustainability, most of the restaurant’s wine is from Brooklyn’s Rooftop Reds and many of the restaurant’s key ingredients, like its fish and miso, come from U.S. farmers.

City Winery
City Winery just opened a huge new wine bar in Chelsea where you can sip rosé and stare at the sun setting over the Hudson River. The indoor space has floor-to-ceiling windows facing New Jersey and seats up to 200 people at socially-distanced tables. If you’d rather sit outside, there’s a full-service waterfront patio where you can try some of the new additions to their extensive wine list.

Aldo Upstairs
In 2014, Eric Ripert and Aldo Sohm teamed up to open Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in Midtown, just across the way from Le Bernardin. Now, they’re opening Aldo Upstairs on the second floor of the same bar. It’s essentially a socially-distant wine cellar where you can get all of the same wines and snacks from the first floor, plus some exclusive options from a rotating list of wines curated by the bar’s team of sommeliers.