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[title]A.B. Biagi São Paulo native Antonio Barros Biagi updates traditional gelato with Brazilian flavors. At the bright yellow storefront—outfitted with Brazilian street photography—Biagi churns ice cream using organic milk, in exotic varieties like basil–pine nut and açai-banana. Alongside the cold treats, the store also sells packaged coffee beans. 235 Elizabeth St between E Houston and Prince Sts (no phone)
Corvo Bianco Following her short-lived stint at Brooklyn’s Krescendo, Food Network toque Elizabeth Falkner helms the kitchen of this 225-seat Italian restaurant, outfitted with a terra-cotta fireplace, brick archways and hanging manzanita trees. Falkner’s fare keeps close to the coast: peperoncini-spiced prawns with cocoa-nib romesco, trenette with sea urchin and burdock, and a roasted whole branzino. The cross-trained chef—who earned a 2005 James Beard nomination for her pastries—also runs the dessert program, featuring items like strawberry-rhubarb cassata and mochamisu with fennel gelato. Post up to the bar for an abbreviated food menu (bruschetta, grilled pizza) and a glass of wine from the 120-bottle list. Ward III’s Michael Neff has created cocktails like a Negroni Leoni, with dark rum, mescal, Campari and sweet vermouth. 446 Columbus Ave at 81st St (212-595-2624)
Mimi and Coco NY The Smorgasburg favorite—slinging Japanese street food—opens its first brick-and-mortar location on the Lower East Side. Alongside their signature teriyaki balls (featuring country sausage or jumbo shrimp), the small storefront offers an expanded menu, with Japanese fried chicken, vegetable curry with Angus steak or breaded pork cutlet, and donburi (rice bowls) filled with avocado and braised burdock root. 92 Rivington St between Ludlow and Orchard Sts (646-801-9044)
Minus5 Ice Bar A manufactured Las Vegas breeze blows into town, with this outpost of the Sin City ice bar at the New York Hilton Midtown. Set to a frosty -5°C (23°F), the 2,500-square-foot bar is made with 90 tons of hand-carved Canadian ice, from the furniture to the glasses. Insulated faux-fur jackets and gloves are available to keep you toasty while sipping the fruity vodka cocktails: The Snowflake features cherry vodka, peach schnapps and white-cranberry juice; and the Ice Man has berry vodka, pineapple and coconut juice. 1335 Sixth Ave between 53rd and 54th St (212-757-4610)
Ninth Street Espresso Ken Nye’s coffee-geek haven launches a fourth location, inside the Lombardy Hotel. The sleek coffee bar focuses on Nye’s superlative espresso—made with Dallis Brothers beans—as well as iced coffee on tap. 109 E 56th St between Park and Lexington Aves (646-559-4793)
Sage General Store Started as a three-seat takeout joint in 1998, the farm-to-table restaurant now features 30 seats and fare like brined Amish organic chicken, mac and cheese with cayenne bread crumbs, and Anson Mills polenta with wild mushrooms. Seasonal specials include grilled peach salad with pecan pralines and blue cheese, or crispy tofu with swiss chard and orange-ginger glaze. The bar area is BYOB, with a cocktail menu in the works (expect a grapefruit-bourbon lemonade), but you can find preselected wine pairings next door at Square Wine. 24-20 Jackson Ave between Pearson St and 45th Ave, Long Island City, Queens (718-361-0707)
Sayra’s Wine Bar Joining cool-kid spots like Rockaway Taco and Rippers, the Rockaway’s first wine bar brings a bougie element to the ‘hood’s food scene. The brainchild of local surfer Rashida Jackson and artist Patrick Flibotte, the 28-seat shoreside drinkery showcases seasonal vino from hang-ten regions around the world: chardonnay from Cali’s Sonoma Coast, sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Sandy Cove and cava from Catalonia, Spain. Along with the 13-bottle wine list, eight beers are available at the oak-and-steel bar: Sixpoint Crisp Lager and Lagunitas IPA on draft, Duval and Allagash White in bottles. Soak up the suds with tapas including smoked-paprika–rosemary chips, marinated olives and BBQ pulled-pork sandwiches, piled on silver-dollar brioche from Brooklyn Bread. Out back is a 1,200-square-foot garden fitted with beach rocks and wooden picnic tables. Settle under the tin canopy for live jazz on Thursday nights or black-and-white flicks on Saturdays. 91-11 Rockaway Beach Blvd between Beach 91st and 92nd Sts, The Rockaways, Queens (718-945-9463)
Snowdonia Pub The boozy focus of this Trappist-style gastropub is beer, both at the dark-wood bar and in the kitchen. At the brick-laden Astoria spot, ten all-American craft brews are on tap—including Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Lager, River Horse Tripel and Southern Tier IPA—with another 34 by the bottle (Bronx Pale Ale, Sly Fox Royal Weisse). The food menu is full of suds-centric fare (beer-battered fish-and-chips, beer-pickled vegetables), with brew pairing notes beneath each item: Pork belly with cockles and chickpeas is best enjoyed with a Boucanée Smoked Wheat Ale, while a burger topped with smoked Gouda and beer pickles pairs well with a Stone Black IPA. 34-55 32nd Ave between 34th and 35th Sts, Astoria, Queens (347-730-5783)
Sushi Dojo David Bouhadana (of the short-lived Sushi Uo) oversees this 36-seat sushi spot, serving no-frills omakase and traditional Japanese plates. The Morimoto alum dispatches slips of Tasmanian sea trout, Santa Barbara uni and three types of fatty tuna at the L-shaped sushi bar. In the dining room, look for seafoodcentric appetizers like ponzu-slick hirame and gently cooked octopus, as well as hot dishes including grilled shishito peppers, braised pork belly and deep-fried tofu in dashi broth. To drink, pluck from a 40-bottle sake list, ranging from fruity Kagatobi ginjo to full-bodied Kitaya junmai. 110 First Ave between 6th and 7th Sts (646-692-9398)
Wheated Husband-wife duo David Sheridan (Paulie Gee’s) and Kim McAdam are behind this Ditmas Park pizza-and-cocktail joint, decorated with chrome chandeliers, reclaimed-cedar walls and papier-mâchéd, taxidermied deer heads. Born in the couple’s backyard—Sheridan built an at-home brick dome oven in 2010—the 40-seat eatery specializes in thin-crust, Neapolitan-style rounds. While there’s a Margherita to please purists, most toppings skew modern: The Red Hook features mortadella, sliced potato, thyme and crushed pistachios; the Sunset Park is covered in Mexican chorizo, kale and aged mozzarella. From the steel-and-wood bar come classic bourbon quaffs: a Manhattan, a Seelbach and a Boulevardier. Six draft beers—including Sixpoint Apollo Wheat and Victory Headwaters Pale Ale—and eight wines by the glass are also available. 905 Church Ave between Coney Island Ave and E 10th St, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (347-240-2813)
Wok to Walk The Amsterdam chain brings its Pan-Asian stir-fries to Manhattan with a takeout noodle nook in midtown. Above the Chipotle-style counter, graphic signs display a three-part ordering system: Pick your noodle base (udon, egg, whole wheat or rice), toppings (bacon, shiitake mushrooms, pineapple) and sauce (teriyaki, curry-coconut), served in neon-orange takeout containers. Beverage options include Thai iced tea and lemonade. 570 Eighth Ave at 38th St (212-391-1500)