Headliner
Village Den
A makeover is nothing short of perfect for Antoni Porowski, the food and wine maven for Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” a show all about new beginnings. He has taken over what was once the Village Den in the West Village, and with his partners, the restaurateurs Lisle Richards and Eric Marx, he has turned a former 36-year-old diner into a fast-casual, all-day cafe that’s very today. Describing the food, which Mr. Porowski oversees, as “healthy offerings,” Mr. Richards said it was vegetable-forward and free of gluten, soy and red meat. The cafe serves breakfast (avocado tartine, almond and walnut pancakes), salads (almond Caesar; grilled chicken with spinach, egg and green goddess dressing), bowls (honey-roasted turkey meatballs over cauliflower rice), and a long list of smoothie options. They’re also serving what they call TV Dinners, a meat-and-two featuring stuffed cabbage with pine nuts and macadamia-crusted fish sticks, among other proteins, with a choice of a dozen sides. The place is done in white, with lots of decorative light wood scaffolding and greenery. A clever, cartoonish mural of the West Village covers one wall. There is no waiter service. (Opens Monday)
225 West 12th Street (Greenwich Avenue), 646-952-0018, thevillageden.com.
Opening
Gazala’s
The restaurant, specializing in Middle Eastern food and based in Hell’s Kitchen, has reopened its Upper West Side branch, a couple of blocks away from its previous location on Columbus Avenue, which closed three years ago. The owner and chef, Gazala Halavi, is Druze, a sect with communities in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. She brings one of the broadest arrays of the food of the region you’re likely to find in a New York restaurant: cold and hot mezze, filled pies, salads, soups, sandwiches and plates of lamb shanks, kebabs and roasted cauliflower and meatballs. Sweets include the inevitable baklava.
447 Amsterdam Avenue (81st Street), 212-787-1800, gazalasrestaurant.com.
Untamed Sport Café at Randalls Island
Untamed Sandwiches, with locations in Midtown Manhattan and in Dumbo, Brooklyn, has brought its specialty, braised meats, to Randalls Island. Protein shakes and smoothies have been added to the menu, as has the Johnny Mac sandwich, layered with poached chicken breast, black bean hummus, greens and condiments. A dollar of the $11 price goes to John McEnroe’s Johnny Mac Tennis Project, which gives city children the opportunity to play tennis.
Sportime Tennis Center, 1 Randalls Island, 646-783-5422, untamedsandwiches.com.
Natura Café
At this new addition to the Dream Downtown, all-day dining, California style, is highlighted. Burritos, cottage cheese toast, salads with add-ins, and more substantial plates, are offered, as well as soft serve and lattes on tap. (Wednesday)
355 West 16th Street, 646-625-4825, naturacafenyc.com.
