Jolene
Gabriel Stulman’s The Jones, which opened in August 2019, closed because of the pandemic. Now, he has turned the space into an American bistro. Littleneck clams with a sauce inspired by escargot butter, Parmesan panisse (chickpea flatbread), arancini, fennel and citrus salad, lamb tartare and chopped steak frites are the work of James McDuffee, a partner who was the first chef Mr. Stulman hired at Joseph Leonard in 2009. (Joseph Leonard is open, as are Jeffrey’s Grocery and Fairfax. Some of Mr. Stulman’s other places, like Fedora and Bar Sardine, are not.) The space, with rustic décor, has unrestricted seating for 34 indoors, and 53 on the sidewalk. (Thursday)
54 Great Jones Street (Bowery), 646-429-8383, jolene.nyc.
Juniper at the Vanderbilt
For several years, the reach of Civetta Hospitality Group, led by James Mallios with several partners, has extended beyond its Manhattan base (Amali) to the Rockaways (Bar Marseille) and the Hamptons (Calissa). And, with this new restaurant in a luxury hotel and residential complex, it is adding Westbury, in Nassau County. The chef, Christopher D’Ambrosio, who worked with David Bouley and was most recently at Fleming by Le Bilboquet, is getting ingredients for his American menu mostly from nearby farms and seas. Hay-roasted oysters, crisp Point Judith calamari, spring pea soup, Long Island Crescent duck breast with juniper honey, Cascun Farms chicken grilled or fried, and a grilled cabbage “steak” will be served in a dining room that’s at once luxurious, with leather banquettes, and countrified with greenery, including juniper trees. Also nodding to the name, juniper-forward gin will be featured in several cocktails. There is seating for 142 indoors and another 78 on an outdoor patio. (Thursday)
900 Corporate Drive (Zeckendorf Boulevard), 516-820-1200, juniperlongisland.com.
Unregular Pizza
A square slice of pizza, Roman-style, topped with a ball of fresh burrata, is the signature dish at this tiny slice spot. Gabriele Lamonaca, who is from Rome, is managing, while Salvatore Gagliardo, a native of Sicily, is in the kitchen. Underpinning the burrata are preparations like amatriciana, and toppings like pepperoni with hot honey. There are also vegetable pizzas and even one with fried chicken. Dishes like eggplant rollatini and pistachio lasagna are also sold. The pizzeria was in the works when the pandemic struck. Mr. Lamonaca, 31, who came to the United States to study medicine but veered into food, said he spent the past year “stuck at home trying various pizzas.” He would barter them for food made by friends, neighbors and people who saw them on Instagram. And he’s continuing the bartering. People can sign up on his website offering something, not just food, in exchange for his pizzas. He selects one offer a day. “It’s evolved,” he said. “I’ve gotten homemade wine, even horseback riding lessons.”
135 Fourth Avenue (13th Street), 646-609-4699, unregularpizza.com.
Cacio e Pepe
Since 2004, this East Village spot has been known for you-know-what, but served tableside from a scraped out wheel of pecorino. Now it’s opened an Upper East Side branch. The owner-chefs, Salvatore Corea and Giusto Priola, live in the neighborhood and saw a need. The trattoria has an indoor-outdoor feel with French doors. For now, alcohol is bring-your-own.
1479 York Avenue (78th Street), 646-682-7676, cacioepepe.com.
Roberta’s Fine Dining
Expect comfort food from family recipes at this new Harlem restaurant from Mark A. Taylor, who owns a women’s clothing and accessories shop next door. Chicken and waffles, meatloaf, empanadas, fried whiting, ribs and collards are on the menu in an intimate space. He has named the restaurant, his first, for his mother.
231 West 145th Street (Frederick Douglass Boulevard), 646-609-2157.
