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[title]The following venues are expected to open by October 23rd. Always call ahead, as openings can be delayed.
Brooklyn Fare
Brooklyn Fare was an unexpected hit in Gotham's food world: The stainless-steel chef's counter in the back of a Downtown Brooklyn grocery was the oddball setting for Cesar Ramirez's exquisite food. Now, the critical-darling chef's table—the only three-Michelin-starred spot in Brooklyn—transports to Manhattan with this long-awaited Hell's Kitchen outpost, twice the size of the original. The small-plates setup has been swapped for a four-course Mediterranean prix fixe, executed by chef Jared Sippel (of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, CO). Expect Italian and French dishes like dry-aged côte de boeuf, loup de mer (European sea bass) and house-made trofie pasta dressed simply with Ligurian olive oil. The wine list mimics the menu, with Italian and French varietals—including hefty champagne and riesling selections—plucked by sommelier Michele Smith (the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare). Upstairs, the 11,000-square-foot supermarket is stocked with high-end and homemade provisions, including freshly pulled mozzarella and pastries from in-house baker Alex Grunert (Bouley, Blue Hill at Stone Barns). 431 37th St between Ninth and Tenth Aves (no phone yet)
Chicane
Monaco-born Jerome Solamito homes in on the French Riviera at this Soho restaurant, named after the snaking roads of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix. The 75-seat eatery—outfitted with curved booths and a racetrack-inspired black-and-white bar—divides its menu between traditional and newfangled takes on coastal Gallic fare. Chef Andres Grundy—an alum of Boston's Clio and last seen at the short-lived Hotel Williamsburg—composes small plates like barbajuans (deep-fried pasties) and a provençal pissaldiere (caramelized onion tart), as well as seared diver scallops with pimentón emulsion, and clams with fennel confiture and champagne sauce. For beverages, sip Corsica beer (Pietra), French and Italian wines, and cocktails such as the Grace Kelly (strawberry-infused bourbon, vanilla syrup, egg white, rosewater and lemon juice). 430 Broome St at Crosby St (212-226-5999)
Dogmatic
The Washington Square Park outpost of this healthy fast-food joint—with Top Chef vet Nikki Cascone (Octavia's Porch) as consulting chef—doles out asparagus hot dogs and grass-fed-beef burgers. Fries are air-baked, and pasture-raised lamb sausages are grilled to-order. Beverage options include house-made acai and pomegranate soda. 120 MacDougal St between Bleecker and W 3rd St (212-414-0600)
Melvin's Juice Box at Dream Downtown
The Dream Downtown gets a 37-seat offshoot of Melvin Major, Jr.'s celebrity-baiting West Village juice bar. On the menu are healthful concoctions like the Body Good (a kale-ginger-apple blend) and a PB&J shake of peanuts, berries and granola. Also on offer are salads and sandwiches, as well as American eats (roasted-squash burger, blue-corn-crusted salmon). 355 W 16th Sts between Eighth and Ninth Aves (646-625-4825)
Minton's
In the stomping grounds of 1930s jazz greats Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, owners Richard Parsons and Alexander Smalls honor Harlem’s musical legacy with this throwback supper club. Black-and-white portraits of bygone crooners hang on the walls; a patchwork graphic of Louis Armstrong backs the cherrywood bar; and a restored 1948 mural of Charlie Christian, Hot Lips Page and Tony Scott anchors the stage, where a house band plays nightly. The cabernet-hued dining room hosts three jacket-required seatings, offering elevated low-country fare: lobster-and-shrimp casserole with crawfish gravy, and dry-aged Wagyu rib eye with bone marrow butter and black-truffle glaze. 206 118th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (Seventh Ave) and St. Nicholas Ave (212-243-2222)
Ramen-Ya
This minimalist 20-seat noodle shop—from the owners of Ronin Bar and Grill—offers two types of ramen: a pork-based tonkatsu with kikurage mushrooms and soft-boiled egg, and a chicken paitan with wavy egg noodles and menma (bamboo shoots). The strands, stocks and sauces—including a chili-pepper-and-miso variety—are all made in house at the brick-walled restaurant. For beverages, Sapporo is on draft, and seven sake varieties are available. 181 W 4th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-989-5440)
Saul
With M. Wells Dinette at MoMA PS1 and Danny Meyer’s Untitled at the Whitney, museums around town have raised the bar from stale cafeteria fare. Now, Brooklyn Museum culture vultures get a piece of the action: Saul Bolton reincarnates his shuttered locavore institution—once a Michelin-starred spot—with an 87-seat lobby restaurant, showcasing large geometric murals from abstract painter Paul Kelpe. Adjacent to the café—which Bolton also operates, offering capocollo-and-provolone panini and bulgur salad—the bistro features a bulked-up menu. Joining signature items (whole-roasted squab, baked Alaska), there's tarragon-spiced celery-root soup, uni-topped fluke crudo, and Canadian porcelet with polenta and currants. Saul barman Dan Carlson is in charge of the cocktail program, mixing an Orchard’s Share (Laird’s Applejack, aperol, Creole Shrubb, orange bitters) and a Grimm Spout (Old Overholt, Nux Alpina, maple syrup, Angostura bitters). 200 Eastern Pkwy at Prospect Park, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-935-9842)
Tavern on 51
This hotel lounge—part of the New York Palace's $140 million renovation—is the beer-focused sibling of subterranean cocktail bar Trouble's Trust. Eight brews are on tap (Goose Island IPA, Checker Cab Blonde Ale), with another 13 by the bottle (Saranac IPA, Omission Lager). Drawing inspiration from the hotel's Villard Mansion, the space is decorated with original stained-glass windows, a polished-metal bar and light sculptures, as well as flatscreens for watching games. 455 Madison Ave at 51st St (212-303-7771)
Trouble's Trust
Part of the New York Palace’s big-bucks renovations, this underground cocktail bar is named after the $12 million that the hotel’s original owner, Leona Helmsley, famously bequeathed to her pet Maltese, Trouble. At the red-walled drinkery—styled with a curved metal bar and tufted leather banquettes—quaffs wink at Helmsley and her beloved pup: The gin-and-whiskey Queen of Mean features elderflower syrup, New York apple juice and lemon, while the rum-based Pampered Pooch has Cocchi Bianco, Creole bitters and sugarcane. Beer drinkers can find local drafts including Greenport Harbor Black Duck Porter, the Bronx Brewery’s Rye Pale Ale and Sixpoint Sweet Action. 455 Madison Ave between 50th and 51st Sts (212-303-7725)