Fall 2017 Restaurant Preview

The end of summer is a bummer; unless you’re obsessed with food, of course.  Because even though it’s sad to say goodbye to a bounty of glorious, seasonal produce, fall always assures a bumper crop of incredible, credentialed restaurants.  And this autumn is shaping up to be a Who’s Who of the culinary world’s most famous names, so start saving scratch for projects from Grant Achatz, Joël Robuchon, Masa Takayama and more…

Tetsu: Literally years in the making, Masa Takayama’s (significantly) more low-key Tribeca spin-off of his extravagantly swanky Masa may actually debut this season.  Though Takayama applied for a liquor license all the way back in 2015, the eatery only recently removed its plywood and began staffing up — meaning diners may soon have access to drink-friendly dishes like pork rice bowls, duck sliders, and banana bone marrow, ranging in price from $6-18 — a far cry from Masa’s $600 omakase dinners.
78 Leonard St., Tribeca

Gjelina/Gjusta: Credit the Spotted Pig’s Ken Friedman for helping woo the team behind Cali heavyweights, Gjelina and Gjusta, to the East Coast. Located in a sprawling two-story building in NoHo, these dual outposts are expected to hew closely to the originals, by serving all-day, vegetable-focused repasts of charred okra with olives, grilled oyster mushrooms, squash blossom and burrata pizza and hand-milled bolita grits.
45 Bond St., NoHo

Salvation Taco: April Bloomfield and partner Ken Friedman are crossing the bridge for the first time, with their inaugural Brooklyn project.  As in Midtown, a branch of Salvation Taco (their internationally-influenced Mexican cantina) will inhabit the modernist Pod hotel, serving chorizo handpies, Chinese sausage sticky rice tamales and curried cauliflower tacos, as well as a distinct menu on the roof.
247 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon: As if the above weren’t enough, one of the kingpins of French cooking, Joël Robuchon, is plotting his heralded return to the city, by reopening his high-end tasting L’Atelier.  Located in the former Colicchio & Sons space, he’s also bringing back former executive chef, Christophe Bellanca, who ran the kitchen during its last iteration in the Four Seasons hotel.
85 10th Ave., Chelsea

The Lobster Club: Speaking of the Four Seasons, the iconic hotel’s Aby Rosen/Major Food Group reboot still has an ace in the hole for fall.  The Grill and The Pool were undoubtedly the most opulent openings of the summer, and the third, in-the-works restaurant-in-residence promises not to disappoint.  Helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tasuku Murakami (of Sushi Azabu), the luxe omakase destination will take the place of Brasserie (and no, don’t expect to find a lobster club on the menu).
375 Park Ave., Midtown East

Martina: There’s no such thing as an off-season for Danny Meyer, who always seems to have yet another (reliably successful) concept up his sleeve.  And next in line is a counter-service version of his deluxe pizzeria, Marta, where chef Nick Anderer has developed a menu of meatballs, salads, veggie small plates, gelato, and Roman-style, spicy salami, four cheese and fried egg-topped pies.
55 3rd Ave., East Village

The Aviary: New Yorkers got a sneak peak of what the great Grant Achatz is about with his recent debut of The Office, at the Mandarin Oriental.  But it’s at the forthcoming The Aviary (which originated in Chicago) where he’ll really dive deep into his astounding bag of tricks — think mind-bending cocktails coursed into tasting menus, and featuring drinks served inside of ice, tipples made with spherical rum (a nod to Andres and his olives), and libations that infuse at table inside of a specially designed “porthole.”
80 Columbus Circle., Upper West Side

Pasta Flyer: Former Del Posto teammate, Brooks Headley, may have beaten him to the fast-casual punch with Superiority Burger (not to mention ESquared’s The Sosta, which specializes in quick service pasta), but Mark Ladner still has city-dwellers biding their time for the debut of $10 bowls of regular or gluten-free noodles, topped with marinara, pesto, pork sausage, ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs or meat ragù.
510 6th Ave., Union Square