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[title]The following venues are expected to open by April 4. Always call ahead, as openings can be delayed.
Ghost The partners of Woodward Gallery open this nearby cafe-bar, offering Illy coffee during the day and cocktails at night. The diminutive white-washed spot features a rotating selection of works by local artists. 132A Eldrige St between Broome and Delancey Sts (212-755-8390)
Gloria Pizza After an 18-year hiatus, pizzaiolo Thomas Zaremba—whose family operated the beloved original for three decades—returns to Queens with this pie joint. Choose from seven specialty pizzas, including grandma, margherita, penne alla vodka and chicken marsala, plus homemade pastas. 108-22 Queens Blvd between Continental Ave and 71st Rd, Forest Hills, Queens (718-263-1100)
Gran Electrica The team behind Colonie pivots from farm-to-table American to regional Mexican cuisine with this 60-seat canteen in Dumbo. Chef Sam Richman—who honed his fine-dining chops at Jean Georges and London's the Fat Duck—turns out market-driven South of the Border fare, bolstered by from-scratch ingredients, like homemade chorizo and hand-pressed tortillas made with heirloom corn. Diners can dig into plates like cocteles de mariscos (seafood cocktail), mole verde oaxaqueno (Oaxaca-style green mole), and tacos stuffed with fillings like fish, tongue, braised peppers and Swiss chard. To drink, find seasonal margaritas, micheladas, homemade horchata and agua frescas (like pineapple alfalfa). The design-minded group kitted out a brick-walled Brooklyn brownstone with a wrought-iron chandelier, reclaimed-wood tables and artsy white-and-black skeleton wallpaper inspired by Day of the Dead imagery. 5 Front St between Dock and Old Fulton Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-852-2789)
Hakkasan The London flagship of this luxe Cantonese chain, which includes seven locations worldwide, was the first Chinese restaurant to achieve Michelin-star status. At this 11,000-square-foot outpost, diners can find the original's signature plates, like roasted silver cod with champagne sauce and Chinese honey, and stir-fry black-pepper rib eye with merlot. 311 W 43rd St between Eighth and Ninth Aves (212-776-1818)
King of Falafel & Schawarma Freddy Zeideia—Astoria's Vendy Award-winning falafel slinger—brings his beloved chickpea fritters and 12-spice shawarma to Manhattan with this street cart. 53rd St at Park Ave (thekingfalafel.com)
Landbrot After a disappointing chomp of a New York pretzel (we've all been there), a pair of Düsseldorf telecom execs—KableWelt CEO Volker Herrmann and his associate David Rothe—decided to deliver a pair of much-needed German bakeries to Gotham. The 62-seat West Village flagship houses the baking facility upstairs, outfitted with a high-firing Miwe oven imported from the motherland and a 30-foot-high glass dumbwaiter that lowers freshly baked goods to the cafe below. The 32-seat Lower East Side spot, which stays open till 4am for the nabe's night owls, will get daily deliveries of the Teutonic specialties, including sourdough pretzels risen for 24 hours, honig-senf brot (Cologne honey-mustard loaf) and roggenmischbrot (a double-crust rye). The bakeshops will double as beer bars, serving mugs from Der HirschBrau brewery, like the Munich dunkel lager Holzar-Bier and doppelbock Doppel-Hirsch. 137 Seventh Ave South between Charles and W 10th Sts (212-255-7300) • 185 Orchard St between E Houston and Stanton Sts (212-260-2900)
Primrose Cafe Sip on cups of Dallis Bros. Coffee and nibble Ceci-Cela pastries at this Clinton Hill coffeeshop. Vintage school tables, Edison lightbulbs and a decorative fireplace outfit the charming brownstone cafe. 147 Greene Ave between Washington and Waverly Aves, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (718-789-7890)