Open Door Gastropub at 110 John Street (between Pearl & Cliff Streets) is a different take on the traditional Irish pub and represents, in many ways, the changing nature of Manhattan’s financial district. It takes bar food to the next level in an upscale setting that’s still easy on the wallet.
Dirt Candy, also known as vegetables, is the name of this East Village restaurant that celebrates the miracle of transforming rain, soil and sunshine into delicious, healthy food. Executive Chef Amanda Cohen opened in October, 2008 and the fact that she’s survived two years in a tough economy means she must be doing something right. And, since she’s the chef that means cooking. 
It’s always a welcome sight when the owner of a restaurant greets patrons as they enter. At the East River Café on the corner of First Ave. and 61st St. at the foot of the Queensboro Bridge, Sam Morcos is usually sitting at the end of the well-known copper bar just inside the door.
Rayuela (ra-yue-la), Spanish for hopscotch, illustrates the gourmet Latin American and Spanish menu at this Lower East Side restaurant. The menu hops among the best recipes from a dozen Spanish-speaking countries—effectively erasing their boundaries.
Loreley on increasingly trendy Rivington St. on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is a German-style Biergarten and restaurant that understands the hospitality basics. Once a staple of New York City socializing, this rare open-air picnic-table retreat echoes Cologne’s “Brauhaus.”
Porto Vivo, a new upscale rustic Italian inspired grill, has opened at the site of the former Gerard Street Antiques
The term “home cooking” is bandied about a lot in the restaurant industry – often a little too loosely. But at Ornella Trattoria Italiana in Astoria, Queens, you can take the claim literally.
One of the best things about New York is the wide variety of restaurants and bars in practically every neighborhood. But the restaurant business is notoriously tough, and if you don’t deliver on quality food at good prices, you won’t stay open long. One place that has the formula down is the Half King Bar & Restaurant in Manhattan. It offers bar fare that easily matches the quality of entrees found in higher end restaurants, but at reasonable prices.
Il Punto Ristorante occupies a central spot on the corner of 9th Avenue and 38th Street, and reflects both Hell’s Kitchen’s past as well as its future. It blends the best of Old World, family-style Italian cooking with the elegance of a trendy white-table-cloth restaurant in one of Manhattan’s hottest neighborhoods.
Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton is widely recognized as the most sought-after seat in the Hamptons, and each year brings fresh praise. Gael Greene of New York magazine wrote: “I’ve practically leased a table at the East Hampton Nick & Toni’s. The crew meshes as if they’ve been doing this forever – as some of them have. Am I imagining it? The food is better than ever.”
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