Claudette

New York's French-food revival is alive and well—2014 will see the debut of Keith McNally's Gallic bistro, Cherche Midi; Dirty French, from the blockbuster Torrisi team; and this provençal outfit from Carlos Suarez, who's behind Greenwich Village's splashy Bobo and Rosemary's. Koren Grieveson—who nabbed a James Beard Award for her soulful work at Chicago's Avec—serves as chef de cuisine, collaborating with Rosemary's toque Wade Moises on a Mediterranean-hopping menu laced with North African and Middle Eastern influences. Earthy dishes include ratatouille tarte; za'atar-spiced grilled lamb with yogurt vinaigrette; and a bouillabaisse en croûte with monkfish, baby octopus and rouille. Colorful tagines, employed for dishes like chicken with bulgur and harissa, line the shelves of the rustic space, walled with hand-painted tiles.