Luckydog: This isn't a restaurant—it's better: A bar with a nice backyard where you can bring your own food. Co-owned by Bill Mack, the guy behind East Village Tavern, this Bedford Avenue pub conjoins a retro-dive bar heart with a beer-nerd head. The location was previously Lenora's Way, which specialized in craft beers but had a fussy vibe that never caught on. Mack says his aim is for Luckydog to be "a neighborhood bar that happens to have good beer." (Liquor is forthcoming.) Of the 20 beers on tap, the menu spans the spectrum from lesser-known beers like Troegs to 24 oz pours ($4) of Genny Cream Ale, which Mack describes as "the beer we used to steal from our fathers." The interior design evokes a dusty old Brooklyn ale house with plenty of reclaimed wood, including tenement doors skirting the bar with doorknobs still in place, and church pews from a 1920s summer camp in Otisville. The backyard stays open to at least 11 p.m., depending on the noise level, but inside a 1975 shuffleboard table should see action late into the night. 303 Bedford Avenue (between South 2nd and South 1st), Williamsburg
Joseph Leonard: This no-reservations "bar with serious food" in the West Village is named is the work of Gabriel Stulman, who previously ran the front of the house at The Little Owl and Market Table. Named after his grandfathers, his new "American brasserie" is appointed with an array of atavistic decorations, from a 1920s sign he found in Chicago to a porcelain wall-mount sink. The French-accented menu from Chef James McDuffee (Bouchon Bakery) features not one but two quiches, and will soon enough expand to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner. For now the kitchen's only open evenings, and entrees include Spaghettini (squash, zucchini, pecorino, bread crumbs and poached egg, $14), Crispy Braised Pork Hock (arugula, crispy capers and lemonm $17), and Old Bay Soft Shell Crab (sweet corn, red onion, avocado, frisee and heirloom tomatoes, $18). Grub Street has photos and the menu. 170 Waverly Place; (646) 429-8383
Cello Wine Bar: "A rustic retreat from wine snobbery with a no-nonsense wine list designed to entice adventurous imbibing" is promised at this new Midtown East wine bar. The interior is all mahogany and exposed brick, with retired wine barrels and a shelf of aging bottles lacing the ceiling. Cello specializes in small batch wines with a focus on wines by the glass, clocking in between $9 to $15. Besides a selection of cheese and aged meat, the small plates menu from chef Marco Varela features options such as Beet and Goat Cheese Bruschetta, Pancetta Braided Bread, Fico Fresca pizza, Watermelon Prosciutto Salad, and Italian Empanadas. Peruse the full menu here. 229 East 53rd Street; (917) 475-1131
