New Restaurants on the Radar: The Southwest Porch at Bryant Park, Calexico, Pod Cafe

The Pod Cafe, a new seasonal garden restaurant nestled within the Pod Hotel in midtown east, quietly opened for breakfast and lunch last week; dinner service starts July 1st when the beer and wine license takes effect. The relaxing little oasis is the work of siblings Devon and Grace Girloy, the son and daughter of Billy Gilroy, who owns hotspots Employees Only and Macao Trading Company. Devon, the chef, has done time at Chanterelle and A Voce, and his locally-sourced menu features lunch items like Rustic nut roast beef sandwich with gruyere and horseradish aioli ($9.50); and a salad with Goat cheese, endive, walnuts with citrus vinaigrette ($9). Bread for sandwiches, provided by Scratchbread, includes your choice of Cherry whole wheat sprouted spelt, South slope sourdough, and Black pepper and fennel hand roll.

And breakfast options range from brown butter waffles with caramelized banana butter ($8) to a smoked salmon plate with cream cheese, mustard vinaigrette ($8), to fresh scones with berries and cream ($4). 230 East 51st Street (through lobby to garden out back); (212) 355-2547; open 7 days a week at 6:45 a.m. for breakfast and lunch, starting July 1st dinner service lasts until 10 p.m. nightly.