New Restaurants on the Radar: Organika, Agua Dulce, Café Regular Du Nord

Organika: This new organically-oriented Mediterranean restaurant opens today next door to Sushi Samba in the West Village. Restaurateur and designer Marcello Assante (Boom, Bacco, Porta Toscana) promises "quintessential cooking with an emphasis on Italian cuisine, approached in the most sustainable way." Salads and appetizers range from $5-$14, pastas and pizzas from $13-$16, and the entrees are all daily specials determined by the local markets. The menu currently features pastas like Tagliatelle al Salmone Affumicato (Tagliatelle, Onion, Smoked Salmon, Chives, Cream) for $15 and Tronchetto (Rolled Pizza stuffed with Rocket, Fresh Tomatoes, Mozzarella) for $14. There's no liquor license yet, but cocktails will one day feature fresh juices, rotating to highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables. The kitchen stays open nightly until 1 a.m. 89 Seventh Avenue South; (212) 414-1900

Agua Dulce: The name of this brightly colored, bi-level Pan-Latin restaurant in Hell's Kitchen comes from the Spanish "Fresh Water," and the owners hope it will "evoke the mood of an oasis." The menu culls from all Latin regions, including the Caribbean, Central and South America, with items like citrus-oil- and lime-juice-cured salmon ceviche. According to The Feed, Agua Dulce features a carbon filtration system and will provide its own still, sparkling and fruit-infused waters; all proceeds from the flavored versions go to clean-water initiatives in needy Latin American communities. 802 Ninth Ave between 53rd and 54th Streets; (212) 262-1299

Café Regular Du Nord: Opened yesterday in a space formerly occupied by a Park Slope florist, this new cafe is the work of a banker who got laid off last Spring in London. The owner, Richard O’Connell, is the brother of the guy behind Park Slope’s Café Regular, and the new spot shares original's aesthetic, which O'Connell describes to Grub Street as resembling "a rural French café but with some slightly tacky features." The cozy space is dominated by a chandelier dangling from a 30-foot-high tin ceiling that’s been painted to appear distressed, and there's an atavistic wooden bank teller’s window where customers pay the bill. Like its predecessor, the Du Nord brews dark coffee roast from Philadelphia's La Colombe and serves pastries from local bakeries such as Sullivan St and Colson Patisserie. 158A Berkeley Place, near Seventh Avenue, Park Slope; (347) 452-0461