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[title]Bia Owner Duke Quan (Duke’s) named this 55-seat bar-restaurant, tucked under the Williamsburg Bridge, after the Vietnamese word for "beer." Fifteen taps pour draft beers (Radeberger, Sixpoint, Founders) and tap wines. Dig into Vietnamese plates—such as com tam bi cha (shredded pork, egg and crabmeat served with rice) and bo kho duoi bo (oxtail stew)—on the rooftop deck or at the 18-foot-long communal wood table indoors. The space, a former auto-repair shop, retains industrial furnishings, like oil-drum tables and old auto-shop signs, as well as an upright piano in the corner. 67 South 6th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-0908)
Caramello This Park Slope gelateria makes its cold treats with top-notch ingredients like Hudson Valley milk and fresh Greenmarket produce. Choose from flavors like salted caramel, chocolate hazelnut and mascarpone with a seasonal wild berry swirl, or pick up a homemade Pop-Tart or lemon olive-oil cake. 179 Fifth Ave between Berkeley and Lincoln Pls, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-789-0959)
Frozen Social Cool down with creamy Blue Marble scoops (including mocha chocolate and mint chip) at this Bed-Stuy ice-cream parlor. The diminutive shop, which sports white-washed walls and a tin ceiling, also serves sorbet and gelato, all offered with chopped fruit add-ons. Health nuts can forgo the sweets for freshly squeezed juices. 501 Franklin Ave between Fulton and Hancock Sts, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (347-927-4885)
Hibachi Heaven Japanese-style barbecue sizzles on the hibachi grill at this roving food truck. Grab a bowl or wrap stuffed with your choice of protein (beef, chicken, shrimp, tofu or a combo) and condiment (wasabi mayo, ginger sauce or spiced "yum yum" white sauce), plus mixed veggies and rice. For locations, visit hibachiheaven.com (516-830-0021)
Hot Bread Almacen The nonprofit bakery Hot Bread Kitchen—which offers work-training programs for low-income, foreign-born women—opens its first retail shop, in East Harlem. Pick up multicultural breads including Armenian lavash, Moroccan flatbread and heritage-corn tortillas. New to this location: fresh masa and mini bialys, all made by participating women. The spot also sells products (Taste of Ethiopia, Pipsnacks) from the HBK Incubates program, which provides new-business counseling and commercial kitchen space for food start-ups. 1590 Park Ave at E 115th St (212-369-3331)
Kent Ale House Marvel at views of the Manhattan skyline while knocking back a cold one at this bar near the Williamsburg waterfront. Twenty-four draft lines pour craft brews (Founders Old Curmudgeon Ale, Blue Point Toasted Lager) at the bar, which is also stocked with 30 whiskeys. Park it at the pre-Prohibition mahogany bar, where you can catch the game on one of four flatscreens and order pub-style fare like a burger or hot dog. 51 Kent Ave at North 11th, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (347-227-8624)
Lake Trout Indie restaurateur Joe Carroll conquered a small stretch of Metropolitan Avenue with beer-geek garden Spuyten Duyvil, bourbon-soaked ’cue joint Fette Sau and charming grillery St. Anselm. Now he expands his Williamsburg holdings to Havemeyer Street with another ode to Americana: a Baltimore-inspired fish shack. Former Fette Sau pit master Matt Lang—who spent some down-and-out times living and chowing in working-class Bmore—convinced Carroll to open the 16-seat joint, which resembles a fast-food canteen with wood-patterned tables and burnt-orange bucket seats. For the “lake trout,” which is neither trout nor of the lake, Lang dusts two or three whiting fillets with saltine crumbs, fries them until crisp and serves them with a slice of potato bread. The short menu is filled out by more hot-oil-cooked grub (including an Alaskan pollock and cheese sandwich, salt-and-pepper shrimp, and jumbo lump crab cakes), all accompanied by the sweet-and-sour mumbo sauce, plus coleslaw and braised greens. 160 Havemeyer St between South 2nd and 3rd Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-782-3474)
Populence Fashion-industry vet Maggie Paulus updates the old popcorn tin with heirloom kernels and seasonal flavors at this Greenwich Village shop. Paulus forgoes the classic butter-and-salt combo for creative toppings like smoked jalapeño and cheddar, and melted ginger and caramel. 1 W 8th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-995-9055)
Siggy's Good Food The all-organic eatery—named for Israeli chef-owner Siggy Sollitto—opens its first Manhattan location, in the East Village. The 50-seat space offers the same menu of fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies and bites (salmon burgers, spelt-pasta mac and cheese) as at the Brooklyn original. 292 Elizabeth St between Bleecker and E Houston Sts (212-226-5775)
Swine Meat-heads can tuck into protein-stacked plates at this bi-level gastropub, from a vet of Joseph Leonard. The porcine-packed menu includes dishes such as pork rillettes with apricot mostarda, and "swine chops" served alongside onions agrodolce and crispy fingerlings, plus charcuterie towers piled high with house-cured meats like tongue pastrami. Round out your meal with other offerings, including sockeye salmon crudo and ricotta-stuffed zucchini blossoms. Drinkers can head upstairs to the bar—which is outfitted with a vintage pinball machine and old rock & roll photos—for craft beers, small-production wines and cocktails (Pig in the City: bacon-infused rye, vermouth, bitters). 531 Hudson St between Charles and W 10th Sts (212-255-7675)
Taïm Nolita Chef Einat Admony and her husband, Stefan Nafziger, bring their wildly popular falafel to Nolita with this 17-seat outpost. The chickpea fritters come in three flavors: green (parsley and cilantro), red (roasted red peppers) and spicy harissa. New plates include a seasonally changing salad (such as chopped kale mixed with crispy shallots, pears and roasted almonds), plus an exotic slushy made with prickly pear and lemon. Pick up one of the house-made products, like spicy harissa and preserved lemons, which line the shelves of this location. 45 Spring St at Mulberry St (212-219-0600)
Testo Affordable pastas and daily-changing specials make up the menu at this Northern Italian trattoria. Find traditional plates like bucatini all'amatriciana and spaghetti bolognese, as well as contemporary dishes such as tortellini with butternut squash and truffle oil. 141 Leonard St at Scholes St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-4810)
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