By Caroline Grogan By Caroline Grogan | November 8, 2021 | Food & Drink
Gotham Guide is a weekly list of new restaurants, special menus, and pop-ups throughout New York City. Support local businesses and head out on a culinary adventure with our suggestions below.
As the countdown to Thanksgiving begins, we’ve all got food on the brain.
With the sun setting before 5 o’clock these days, combat the winter blues with a trip to one of NYC’s finest restaurants including everything from a recently-relocated East Village lunch spot to a ski chalet-inspired cocktail bar on the Upper East Side.
See also: Make Merry With The Best New Drinks To Try This Holiday Season
2 Renwick St / Website
New restaurant Lindens opens at the Arlo SoHo on November 10th, making it the perfect dining destination for a friendsgiving dinner. Inspired by the Linden tree as an ode to nature within the city, the newly remodeled features seasonal American classics including rolls baked in-house and served with acorn squash butter, a root vegetable tart with ricotta cheese, and truffle vinaigrette, kabocha squash ravioli and peppercorn rubbed chicken.
The inventive drinks menu highlights the food’s seasonality by splitting the menu into three sections: herbal, vegetal, and floral. Specialty cocktails include drinks with truffle infusions, the Cranberry Cup with a homemade fruit rollup garnish, and the Lavender Daisy mixed with Empress 1908 Gin and garnished with edible flowers.
1155 Second Ave / Website
NYC’s only farm-to-bar cocktail experience, Festivál Café, has launched its new menu for the fall and winter seasons. The Catskills chalet-inspired decor invites guests to dine in a festive and cozy atmosphere complete with rustic wooden tables, shiny ornaments, and oriental rugs.
Festivál Café’s cuisine includes a raw bar, decadent flatbreads, and an array of dishes including short rib egg yolk gnocchi and an autumn ACG lobster caesar salad. When it comes to libations, Festivál Café offers a robust beer and wine list in addition to a wide range of autumn-themed craft cocktails created by mixologist Tyler Hollinger. Drop by for Happy Hour every day from 5 pm-7 pm.
1654 Second Ave / Website
Schaller & Weber, NYC’s iconic butcher shop and purveyor of German and Northern European specialty items, has released its holiday lineup with an extensive collection of pâtés and charcuterie that are perfect for the season. Schaller & Weber teamed up with small-batch truffle producer The Truffleist to release a limited edition Mousse de Foie Gras with Black Truffles, a luxe twist on Foie Gras that will elevate any holiday gathering.
Other favorites that add a special touch to charcuterie boards include the nduja, Lanchsschinken and Nusschinken. Stay tuned for the unveiling of Schaller & Weber’s Holiday Gift Pack, which will highlight festive favorites including the Schaller & Weber Mousse De Foie Gras with Black Truffles, The Truffleist Truffle Brats, Landjager, Lekerlee Lebkuchen, Niederegger Marzipan, and more.
130 First Ave / Website
All-day East Village cafe The Wild Son has reopened after moving next door from their former corner location at 132 First Avenue and St. Marks to a brand new lunch counter space at 130 First Avenue.
Open from 9 am to 4pm Tuesday through Sunday, The Wild Son is serving up delicious breakfast and lunch items including decadent sandwiches like the Good Morning Sunshine, a sunny side up egg sandwich with pulled bacon, tomato and avocado on brioche, as well as other favorites including blueberry corn waffles, a double patty burger and a selection of hearty salads.
Multiple NYC Locations / Website
Japanese restaurant chain Ootoya has added two new hot-pot dishes to their menu that are guaranteed to warm you up from the cold. The first is the Wagyu Sukiyaki Gozen, a luxurious version of the Beef Sukiyaki Nabe, this time made with A5-rank Miyazaki Wagyu beef, exclusively offered at Ootoya’s Chelsea location. The second new dish, available at all three locations, is the Gyukatsu Donabe Curry, made with crispy panko-fried beef gyukatsu and served in a piping hot Japanese curry sauce in a donabe clay pot with veggies and egg.
50 W 65th St / Website
Lincoln Center is making a comeback, and with it comes the return of the iconic Atlantic Grill under new leadership from Michelin-starred Chef Antonio Salvatore and Monte Carlo Hospitality Group. While checking out the arts scene in the bustling neighborhood surrounding Lincoln Center, be sure to also check out Atlantic Grill’s refreshed menu, complete with raw bar and sushi bar selections as well as seafood dishes that highlight a simple yet elegant Mediterranean approach to food.
Multiple NYC Locations / Website
In honor of World Vegan Month this November, Beatnic has partnered with Australian-based brand Fable Food Co. to launch an all-new meaty mushroom menu. Fable’s meaty mushrooms will be featured in two dishes on Beatnic’s menu, the Loaded Shroom Nachos, and the Magic Mushroom. Beatnic will also offer the ‘Plant Pass,’ a deal where guests buy four entrees and get the fifth one free, throughout this month to encourage guests to eat more plant-based meals.
110 Bedford Ave / Website
After a successful run as a pop-up, Italian-American restaurant and pizzeria Macchina has opened their second permanent location in Williamsburg. Macchina’s menu focuses on shareable plates and pizzas that rotate seasonally, now with a selection of dishes centered around the beloved mozzarella curd. Other menu favorites include garlic knots with herbed butter, chicken parm sliders served on a house-made garlic knot, and a farro salad. Macchina’s beverage program is led by Dianne Lowry and consists of herbaceous cocktails such as the Apple + Fennel Tonic and the Blood Orange Boulevardier, in addition to a number of wines by the glass as well as Italian and local beers.
Photography by: Schaller & Weber
