New York City tends to keep both gourmet connoisseurs and couples out for a romantic February date well-fed, and this February will probably be little exception, with over a dozen new restaurants having opened in the past two weeks. Here are eight that may be of particular interest.
Thai Cuisine in Carroll Gardens
Lovers of Thai food mourned when it was announced that Ugly Baby, the spicy Thai restaurant that had been a fixture of Carroll Gardens for years, would close at the end of the year. However, Hungry Thirsty at 407 Smith Street, at Fourth Street may be its spiritual successor, a new Thai restaurant opened by three of Ugly Baby’s former employees.
Dining Caribbean in East Village
On February 6, Bar Kabawa opened at 8 Extra Place at East First Street. This is Momofuku Group’s new showcase for a la carte Caribbean cuisine, following the recent closures of popular Ssäm Bar and Ko. The new Kabawa has dining room seating, rum-accented drinks and daiquiris, and a menu of patties in both Haitian and Jamaican styles, baked or fried. The raw bar includes not only oysters but octopus pikliz and pickled okra salt cod, among other delicacies.
Italian Chophouse in Flatiron
Flatiron’s well-established Vinyl Steakhouse just expanded, opening an Italian chophouse restaurant in the neighborhood on February 3, at 31 West 17th Street. Executive chef Joseph Ruperti leads a steakhouse-esque menu at the new restaurant, Vinile, where the curious and the hungry can enjoy dry-aged steaks, vegan rib-eye, and even sushi while listening to vinyl records.
A New Wine Bar for Gowanus
At 285 Nevins Street, Liar Liar is a wine bar with bites, opened by partners Mateo Simo, who owns Bed-Stuy’s Bad Luck Bar; Gabi Gimson, formerly of Steven Graf Imports, a natural wine importer; bartender Reed Yarber; and DJ Andrew Goss. The new wine bar has been designed to be accessible both physically and financially, offering a daily happy hour bottle at a fixed price of $30.
Southern Comfort at Grand Central
Chef Melba Wilson is known as a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality and as the lead chef for Melba’s, a Southern comfort food restaurant in Harlem. On February 4, she opened a new location for Melba’s at 89 East 42nd Street, inside Grand Central Terminal, on the lower level. At about 500 square feet, it’s a small space, offering takeout only, with comfort food dishes like fried chicken, smothered pork chops, and eggnog waffles.
Guy Fieri Returns to Times Square
There’s a story behind Guy Fieri’s presence in Manhattan; when he first opened American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square, a viral and scathing no-star review closed its doors in 2017. But this month, Fieri has returned to Times Square with a new venture, a fried-chicken restaurant at 138 W. 42nd Street called Chicken Guy.
A French Bakery in Long Island City
4630 Center Boulevard is the second location for Somedays Bakery, which opened on January 31. This French bakery offers cookies, croissants (including a smoked salmon croissant and a twice-baked croissant with almond frangipane and sliced almonds), laminated lattices, pretzel twists, and coffee. Somedays Bakery appears to be in a boom, with plans to expand into multiple other locations, from Queens to New Jersey.
A Cocktail Bar in Morningside Heights
La Noxe has drawn some attention—it’s a cocktail bar inside a subway station. Its owners just opened a new bar inside the historic Trinity Centre. At 111 Broadway, La Noxe Trinity comes with a dress code, spirits and cocktails, and New American cuisine. Presently, they do accept walk-ins, so an evening visit—whether to La Noxe Trinity or to any of these newly opened restaurants and gathering places—could be a good way to get a little taste of what New York City has to offer this February.
Image credit: Jerome Jome on Unsplash.
