Hudson Terrace: After operating as a private event space last year, this gorgeous bi-level aerie with the commanding Hudson River views opens to the public for the first time tonight with a Cinco de Mayo bash. Tented on rainy nights and featuring a heated floor to ward off any early-season chills, Hudson Terrace will now be doing happy hour parties on Tuesdays through Fridays, as well as Sunday brunch (from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.) with a menu from Vintage Irving's executive chef Jason Bunin. The happy hour deal is good for 2-for-1 specialty cocktails, and an extensive nightly appetizer menu includes duck confit quesadillas, crab and artichoke croquettes, and smoked salmon nachos. A rooftop BBQ grill will also round out the edible options (tempura chicken skewers, anyone?), while beverages run the gamut from wine and sangrias to margaritas, mojitos, and caipirinhas. Or just get two Jim Beams and Coke for the price of one and savor the sunset. 621 West 46th Street, (212) 315-9400 more ›

The former Caffé Carciofo space on the corner of Court and Kane Streets in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn will soon open as new restaurant Watty and Meg. Court Street residents have noted a flurry of construction, and a Craigslist call for line cooks went out over the weekend. What we know: The restaurant will have 60 seats and feature an open kitchen; it also seems that its name comes from a ballad generally attributed to 18th century Scottish-American ornithologist Alexander Wilson, for whom The Wilson Journal of Ornithology is named. Ah, mystery. Thus Watty and Meg joins the roster of new Court Street restaurants with archaic names, like Buttermilk Channel and Café Pedlar, both of which have started strong. More details to follow as they become available. more ›