While the boom of fall restaurant openings has shifted in recent years, there are still a slew of new spots opening in NYC this autumn that deserve a spot on your radar. Here's where we'll be eating—and Instagramming—later this year.
Quesillo (courtesy Little Muenster)
CHICHA Vanessa Palazio and her husband Adam Schneider began introducing Nicaraguan street food to DUMBO at their Little Muenster outpost in 2014. The couple are finally ready to open their first restaurant dedicated to Palazio's heritage, opening up this restaurant and bar in Bushwick this fall. Nicaraguan street food will be the focus—rooting for the delicious quesillos pictured above—with a booze focus on rum, with offerings of the spirit on tap and in flights and cocktails. 198 Randolph Street, Bushwick. Opening October.
SORBILLO NYC Naples' most famous pizzaiolo Gino Sorbillo opens his full service, eponymous restaurant this fall, a sibling to the small Pizza Fritta outpost, Zia Esterina Sorbillo, he opened earlier this summer. The 60-seat restaurant will serve Sorbillo's "oversized, incredibly light Neapolitan Pizza." He'll also be whipping up something called a "Pasta Fritata," a pasta "ball" of bucatini, peas, carrots, onions, ground beef and parmigiana reggiano held together by a béchamel sauce. 334 Bowery. Opening late September.
TONCHIN A spinoff of a ramen shop of the same name founded in Tokyo in 1992, Tonchin will specialize in Tokyo-style tonkotsu ramen and homemade noodles. The sons of founder Katsuhiro Sugeno will be running this location—one of 17 Tonchins in the world—which will also serve nambutekkiyakki dishes (made on a cast iron griddle) including dumplings, plus kushiyaki (skewers) and karaage (fried chicken). Expect sake and shochu cocktails as well. 13 West 36th Street. Opening late September
GENERAL DEBSChef Kevin Adey was awarded a Michelin star for the pasta work he's doing at his Bushwick restaurant Faro. He'll seek the lightning strike on the noodle front once again with his second Bushwick offering that will specialize in noodles and dumplings from the Sichuan province of China. Everything will be made in-house and by hand, which has been a hallmark of the chef's enterprise at Faro, along with responsibly and locally sourced animals and vegetables. 24 Irving Avenue, Bushwick. Opening September.
COCO PAZZO The corner space that housed legendary dive bar Milady's will be vacant no more. Incoming to the SoHo space is an Italian restaurant from Pino Luongo, who Grub Street describes as "an ambitious, irascible O.G. of Tuscan cuisine." The Florence-born chef has a storied history with Italian food in NYC, including the opening Il Cantinori in the East Village in 1983, in addition to four other notable eateries, including an UES outpost of Coco Pazzo. The new Coco Pazzo will be a tale of two eateries: a casual Kitchen for quick meals and a more formal Restaurant serving seafood and other Italian entrees. 160 Prince Street, SoHo. Opening October.
SUGARCANE RAW BAR GRILL With locations in Vegas and Miami, this has the potential to be somewhat incongruous with DUMBO's former factory vibes. Oh wait—those days are (mostly) gone. This transplant restaurant serving "globally-inspired small plates" in three kitchen concepts (raw bar, open fire grill and traditional) will share space with the other recently-opened restaurants inside the Empire Stores development, which means at least the views will be very good. 55 Water Street, DUMBO. Opening September.
LIL' GEM Get a taste of Lebanese cuisine when this Lower East Side restaurant from Salt chef Melissa O'Donnell and restaurateur Lesly Bernard opens in the fall. The chef will mine the flavors of her childhood for a menu of shareable small and family-style plates, including dips, flatbreads, shawarma and pies. The corner eatery will feature 49 seats and art from American-born and native Lebanese artists. 29 Clinton Street, Lower East Side. Opening September.
TANG HOTPOT Co-owner of The Tang Yu Li debuts the second in the Tang restaurant family this fall with a new Sichuan hotpot eatery in a former lighting shop on the Bowery. Broths will feature ingredients imported from Chengdu in both traditional styles as well as seasonal interpretations. Expect lots of lamb a la many classic hot pot restaurants, in addition to Dungeness Crab and Japanese Wagyu Beef options. 135 Bowery. Opening mid-September.
YERBA BUENA CANTINA/LA CHULA Chef Julian Medina will add to his restaurant fleet by two this fall with the openings of another Yerba Buena Cantina and La Chula in Greenwich Village and East Harlem, respectively. The Yerba Buena outpost—a pivot from one of Medina's other properties, Toloache—will serve food inspired by Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia. La Chula will focus on Mexican fare, billing itself as a taqueria that also serves ceviches and tortas, among other dishes. [Note: Medina is currently being sued by a former employee and partner for alleged harassment; Medina has denied the reports.] Yerba Buena Cantina (205 Thompson Street) will open sometime this fall; La Chula 137 E. 116th Street) will open in September.
DADONG Chef Dong Zhenxiang will be bringing "more than his famous Peking Duck" to an enormous bi-level space just off Bryant Park, but considering his Beijing restaurant is considered one of the best places roast duck in China, it's going to be the big draw. A duck for four will cost $98, with other entrees including Chinese dishes "with a dose of French and Italian fine dining influence." Three Bryant Park, Midtown. Opening October.
NORTH 3RD STREET MARKET The food hall trend shows no signs of slowing and while many are cookie cutter replicas of food halls elsewhere in the city, this Williamsburg offering has one irresistible attribute: Di Fara Pizza. The legendary Midwood pizzeria is expanding in NYC for the first time (there's a Vegas outpost run by pizzaiolo Dom DeMarco's son) and DeMarco himself is slated to split his time between the two pizzerias. Other notable names arriving at the market: Fany Gerson's La Newyorkina, a raw bar from Chef Ed McFarland of Ed's Lobster Bar, and an outpost of Champion Coffee. 103 North 3rd Street, Williamsburg. Opening October.
FERRIS Hotel restaurants aren't just sad last resorts anymore, with some big name chefs and rising stars looking to the lobby to build their brand or make their mark. Chef Greg Proechel (Le Turtle) and Charles Seich (Major Food Group) branch out on their own with this new American offering inside a forthcoming Nomad hotel called MADE. "Seasonal and vegetable-focused" will be the rallying cry, along with cocktails from Jeremy Oertel and Natasha David, two married industry vets from Death and Company, Maison Premiere and Nightcap. 44 West 29th Street, Nomad. Opening October.
FRENCHETTE Any reference to homegrown musical hero David Johansen (ex-New York Dolls singer and Staten Island native who is also known by pseudonym Buster Poindexter) is fine by the powers that be at Gothamist HQ. Grub Street reports that former Keith McNally wunderkinds and co-chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr new restaurant will be named for Johansen's song of the same name. The restaurant's direction seems multi-faceted, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; aged steaks; and a veal knuckle sandwich they hope to stand in for the ubiquitous restaurant burger. 241 West Broadway. Opening October.
RAVENSWOOD TAVERN Heidy and Joshua Smookler are stepping away from the concept that earned them accolades at Mu Ramen to open this neighborhood Italian steakhouse-type of place in Long Island City. The couple tell Eater they're planning on things like dry-aged steaks alongside pastas like a tortellini "constructed like a soup dumpling, Italian-style," rack of lamb, lobster bolognese and other dishes. 46-42 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City. Opening fall TBD.
L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON Technically two concepts in one—the acclaimed chef's signature counter seating and a more casual bar up front—this marks the return of French Chef Joël Robuchon to New York City following a five year absence. The 12th in his L'Atelier line, the NYC location will offer 34 seats at the counter surrounding the open kitchen, which will turn out signature dishes including scallop carpaccio with sea urchin and poched, chilled duck foie gras. 85 Tenth Avenue. Late fall.
Pasta Omakase, a former project by Scott Tacinelli & Angie Rito (courtesy Quality Branded)
DON ANGIE When they ran the tiny kitchen at dinnertable in the East Village, husband-and-wife Chefs Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito made a big splash with their unique and delicious dishes, in particular, their incredible lasagna for two. Then they leaned all the way into pasta to delicious results. Now they'll open their own restaurant this fall in the West Village, channeling what sounds like an Italian-American restaurant with a little something extra concept that plays to both chef's histories in the restaurant industry. Expect Escargot Oreganata, Twice-Baked Artichokes, Stracchino Gnocchi with Pepita Pesto and a Long-Bone Ribeye Braciole For Two. 103 Greenwich Avenue, West Village. Opening September.
SEPPE PIZZA BAR Staten Island has a rich legacy of pizza-making, which will be supplemented with this new edition opening inside the waterfront Urby development. Co-owner Joe Iovino's brother John will whip up artisanal pizzas and recipes from the brothers's roots in Naples, Italy including pastas, crostinis and sausages. The brothers, along with co-owner Damian De Rosaire, are mining their grandmother's recipes for the restaurant, including a "secret" recipe for ravioli. 3 Navy Pier Court, Stapleton, Staten Island. Opening November.
BROOKLYN CIDER HOUSE Think of this as a restaurant that shares more in common with a brewery tasting room than a traditional sit-down spot eatery. Owner Peter Yi purchased a cidery, Twin Star Orchards, in New Paltz, NY to satisfy his lust for cider, which will be on full display at this forthcoming Bushwick spot. The former warehouse space will be divided into a restaurant and tasting room but also with space for cider production. Since Yi loves Basque ciders, the food will be slanted towards Spain and meant to pair with the line of five ciders they make. 1100 Flushing Avenue, Bushwick. Opening October/November.
PISELLINO Ask for a quintessential neighborhood restaurant and the name Via Carota is bound to come up. Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's next venture will channel the Italian bar, according to Grub Street. Think of it like a spot to grab a sandwich in the afternoon, an espresso in the morning, and maybe an amaro before going out to dinner. 100 Seventh Avenue South, West Village. Opening December.
ZAUO If you think deconstructing a steamed lobster at the table is too much work you're probably not going to be on board for this forthcoming Chelsea offshoot of this Japanese chain. At Zauo, patrons catch their fish out of giant tanks, which are filled with around 10 different varieties of fish, according to DNAinfo. The chefs then prepare the fresh catch "in any style" (sashimi, fried and grilled) the customer wants. Those averse to fishing can order off an a la carte menu of sushi, tempura, and other entrees. 152 West 24th Street, Chelsea. Opening December.
