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[title]Dear Bushwick Chef Jessica Wilson (Prune, A Voce) and bar consultant Natasha David (Prime Meats, Maison Premiere) collaborate on a Bushwick eatery that reflects U.K. and New England influences in both menu and design. The 35-seat room is paneled with 150-year-old reclaimed wood, filled with knickknacks and books, and features a chandelier made from birdcages. Wilson dishes out house-made butter and slabs of brown bread, smoked fish and eggs, and sausages, while David oversees a rum- and gin-focused drink menu. 41 Wilson Ave at Melrose St, Bushwick, Brooklyn (no phone yet)
Ganso Japanese cuisine expert Harris Salat (author of Takashi's Noodles and Japanese Hot Pots) and chef Rio Irie (Matsuri) join forces to open the latest contender in a wave of modern ramen-yas, like Chuko, Dassara and Yuji. Their Downtown Brooklyn joint serves classic soy and miso broths, alongside comfort-food spins like crispy-pork-and-garlic gyoza pot stickers and pork loin buns. Grab a seat at the L-shaped bar that wraps around the glass-enclosed kitchen, or at one of the wooden booths made of raw cedar. 25 Bond St at Livingston St, Downtown, Brooklyn (718-403-0900)
Han Joo A sequel to the Korean BBQ spot in Flushing holds 103 seats and serves signature dishes, like pork belly cooked on a crystal tabletop grill and naeng-myun cold noodles. Try the crispy seafood pancake, filled with squid and shrimp, with one of the rice-brewed Korean beers such as OB and Hite. 12 St. Marks Pl between Second and Third Aves (no phone yet)
Harlem Public Harlem's underdeveloped Hamilton Heights is home to this cozy neighborhood bar (opened by two local residents), serving pub-grub standbys like hamburgers and wings. The beer and liquor selection leans heavily on local producers—expect to see brews from Blue Point and Coney Island on the 16 draft lines, and Hudson Whiskey and Warwick Gin on the back bar. The 60-seat room is decked out in subway tiles and blond wood, and sepia-toned photographs of the surrounding streets hang on the walls. 3612 Broadway at 149th St (212-939-9404)
Il Mulino New York Uptown The superlative West Village Italian restaurant has expanded to the UES, where it will also serve lunch. Expect classic Abruzzian dishes like veal marinated in sage and finished with prosciutto, and mushroom-filled ravioli in a champagne-truffle cream sauce. While the digs feel familiar—dim lighting, black-and-white photos on the wall—the owners added a few contemporary touches, like a cocktail menu rife with amarettos and liqueurs. 37 E 60th St between Madison and Park Aves (212-750-3270)
M. Wells Dinette M. Wells, the irreverent Queens diner that closed in August 2011, was roundly cheered by the city’s critics for playing with its food: foie gras on meatloaf, tripe cut in the shape of noodles. So it’s fitting that the owners, husband-and-wife team Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis, are resurrecting their brand in a former elementary-school space at MoMA PS1. At this museum cafeteria, Dufour will put his trademark cockeyed spin on Asian plates—bibimbap with maple syrup and oysters—as well as classic French dishes. Look for the rich escargot-and-marrow tart sprinkled with parsley leaves; mini-sandwiches spread with whipped butter and topped with caviar and edible, colorful flowers; and foie gras served in a soft egg flan. In a nod to the space’s educational past, the menu is scrawled on a blackboard and school-desk-styled communal tables are filled with pencils and playing cards. 22-25 Jackson Ave at 46th Ave, Long Island City, Queens (718-786-1800)
The Pines The crew behind Gowanus clam shack Littleneck brings ship to shore with this wood-clad spin-off, focusing on the bounty of the land (not ocean) a couple doors down. Chef Angelo Romano—last seen at Williamsburg's short-lived Masten Lake—is back in whites, here dispatching market-driven New American plates (fresh-pressed tofu with sous vide pumpkin and smoked tomato, house-made cavatelli with a trotter ragù). Brooklynites can hang in the backyard garden when it's nice out or hunker down in the 40-seat dining room, outfitted with church pews and amoeba-shaped marble tables, on chilly days. 284 Third Ave between Carroll and President Sts, Gowanus, Brooklyn (718-596-6560)
Sushi of Gari Sushi maestro Masatoshi "Gari" Sugio has expanded his raw-fish empire with a fifth location, in Tribeca, where he serves his signature dishes, like tuna with tofu sauce, salmon with sautéed tomato and onion, and Japanese red snapper with baby greens. While the drinks menu is anchored by an extensive sake collection, diners can also sip red or white wines or Japanese beers. Snag one of the ten counter seats on the second floor, where the bar is made of bamboo. 130 West Broadway at Duane St (212-285-0130)
Williamsburg Pizza This 16-seat South Williamsburg pie shop cooks its pizzas—topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh, house-made mozzarella and pecorino romano imported from the Boot—in a Veroforno oven shipped in from Italy. A striped red-and-white awning out front and subway-tiled walls within recall old-school Brooklyn pie shops. 265 Union Ave at South 3rd St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-855-8729)