This Week in NYC Dining
Welcome back, food lovers. This week brings a wave of culturally rich openings downtown, some notable closings, and a steakhouse that's already being called one of the world's best new restaurants. Let's dig in.
New Openings
Smithereens has quietly opened in the East Village, and it's already changing how we think about New England seafood in the city. Chef Nicholas Tamburo (Claudes alum) and Nikita Malhotra (Momofuku Ko alum) are serving up housemade anadama bread with seaweed butter alongside their signature lobster roll, but don't expect your typical Maine shack vibes. The preparations here have serious technique behind them.
The move: Go for the bread and butter immediately – it's becoming the talk of food Twitter for good reason.
Meanwhile, Bong has expanded from Queens to the East Village, bringing chef Chakriya "Cha" Un's vibrant Khmer cuisine to Manhattan. The bheja masala and goat biryani are drawing crowds, but the real standout is their Nagaland pork fry – a dish that's incredibly hard to find done well in the city. This isn't just another Southeast Asian opening; it's a deep dive into Cambodian flavors that most New Yorkers haven't experienced.
Over in Chinatown, KIMMI from the Tiger Lily Kitchen team is focusing on Asian-influenced dishes with a mostly gluten-free menu. Their green garden vermicelli and pork belly skewers are already generating buzz among the downtown lunch crowd.
The move: Hit Bong for dinner and Smithereens for a late lunch – they're walking distance from each other and represent two very different but equally exciting approaches to cuisine.
Closings & Changes
Colonie in Brooklyn said goodbye after 15 years last month, marking the end of an era for New American dining in the borough. The locally-sourced ingredient pioneer helped define Brooklyn's modern food scene, making its closure particularly notable for longtime diners.
Several restaurants also faced temporary closures from health department violations, including Koronet Pizza on Lexington Ave – a reminder that even established spots need to stay on top of food safety protocols.
The move: If you've been putting off visiting any longtime favorites, don't wait. The restaurant landscape changes fast.
Trending Now
Global fusion is having its moment, but not in the way you might expect. Instead of confusion cuisine, we're seeing thoughtful cultural crossovers like Korean BBQ banh mi and Mediterranean-Asian wraps that actually make sense. The key is chefs who understand both traditions they're blending.
Elevated comfort food continues to dominate, with spots like 4 Charles in West Village proving that truffle mac & cheese can command serious prices when executed properly. The trend isn't about making food fancy for fancy's sake – it's about applying real technique to dishes that make people happy.
Omakase and tasting menus are expanding beyond sushi and fine dining into casual formats. More restaurants are offering chef's choice experiences at accessible price points, letting kitchens showcase their best work without the intimidation factor.
The move: Don't sleep on casual omakase experiences – they're often more creative than their high-end counterparts.
Deep Dive: The Eighty Six
Let's talk about why The Eighty Six (86 Bedford Street) has food people losing their minds. This West Village steakhouse opened earlier this year and was just ranked the fourth best new restaurant in the world by Beli – not fourth in NYC, fourth globally.
What sets it apart isn't just the quality (though the steaks are exceptional), it's the story. The Eighty Six sources directly from small, independent ranches worldwide, creating a provenance-focused menu that reads like a geography lesson. Each cut comes with details about the farm, the breed, and the specific aging process.
The space itself occupies a Prohibition-era building, and the atmosphere strikes that perfect balance between historic charm and modern steakhouse elegance. Think exposed brick and intimate lighting, but with contemporary service and wine pairings that actually enhance the meat rather than compete with it.
Reservations are predictably impossible right now, but the bar takes walk-ins if you're willing to wait. The move here is to go for lunch if possible – slightly easier to get in, and you can actually taste the nuances in the beef without the dinner rush energy.
Price-wise, expect steakhouse numbers, but the quality justifies the cost. This isn't just another expensive steak; it's a completely different approach to sourcing and preparation that happens to result in one of the best pieces of meat you'll have in the city.
The move: Follow their Instagram for last-minute cancellation posts, or try calling day-of for lunch. The bar program is worth the wait even if you can't get a table.
Event Spotlight
The Secret Eats of Chinatown Food Crawl happening Saturday, December 20 at 11 AM (starts at Columbus Park, corner of Bayard and Mulberry) is exactly what it sounds like – a guided tour of Chinatown's hidden culinary gems. With all the new openings in the area, this is perfect timing to discover spots you'd never find on your own.
The move: Wear comfortable shoes and skip breakfast.
That's the week in NYC dining. Stay hungry out there.
— The FlorianNYC Team