Merkato 55

55 Gansevoort St
212.255.8555

This new pan-African restaurant is a recipe for success. Hot meatpacking location? Check! Celebrity Chef? Check! Inventive menu and exotic cocktails? Check! Merkato 55 is the newest brainchild of famed chef Marcus Samuelsson, who is renowned for his Scandinavian cooking at Aquavit. The spacious 150 seat, two-story restaurant offers a unique fusion of African cuisines using wonderful blends of exotic spices and aromatics. To start, try the African breads with a selection of chutneys and dips, or the savory grilled shrimp piri piri. For entrees, try the lamb kefta (meatballs) or spicy chicken doro wat served in a cast-iron pots, or the fresh and flavorful steamed snapper. The cocktails are named after various African dances and one to order is the vodka-laced Agbekor, garnished with a single hot chile pepper.

Commerce

50 Commerce St
212.524.2301

Commerce is a homage to old New York. The historic space that formerly housed the beloved Grange Hall has been restored by a handful of artisan craftsmen. The stylized interior features intricate tile work, original murals by artist David Joel, restored booths originally made from English Chestnut, and a stunning art deco Brunswick bar circa 1941. Owned by Tony Zazula—a founder of Montrachet—and Chef Harold Moore, Commerce presents a contemporary American menu combining global flavors and classic American ingredients such as oysters, chicken and steak. Moore’s menu is casual yet sophisticated and belies the complex construction of flavors and textures that are telling of his extensive training. The 150-bottle wine list is global with an Old World focus and offers many bottles under $35.

Terrior

413 East 12th St
646.602.1300

The team that brought you Hearth and Insieme expand their domain with Terroir, a 24-seat wine bar around the corner from Hearth.  Owner Marco Canora is reviving some of menu favorites he popularized at Craftbar, like his sausage-stuffed sage leaves and a signature panini of duck ham with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and taleggio.  Other standout options include veal-ricotta meatballs, turkey wings “agro dolce”, braised rabbit leg with tomato, black olive, and polenta, and broiled sardines with herbed breadcrumbs and grapefruit.  Save room for dessert, as the olive oil cake with poached pear is not to be missed.  As for the wine list, it is a wine geek’s dream.  Grape nut Grieco has selected thoughtful selection of bottles that best express their terroir—that ineffable quality that connotes the juncture of place, culture, climate, soil, and any other factor that contributes to a wine’s distinctive essence.

Broadway East

171 East Broadway
212.228.3100

Finally there is a finer dining option for the many vegetarians in the city. This March, architect-developer Ron Castellano, a central figure in the residential development of the Lower East Side, opened Broadway East together with chef Lee Gross, former chef of M Café de Chaya and personal chef to Gwyneth Paltrow. Chef Gross will prepare a predominantly plant-based menu using ingredients within the 500-mile radius of the restaurant. The 70-seat dining room features comfortable banquettes and is accented with a natural color palate. The organic cotton front-of-house uniforms are designed by Andrew Buckler of Buckler, the cult menswear line. Broadway East encourages sustainability: it sources locally from farmers, filters and carbonates its own water (meaning no bottled water will be available), and whenever possible, it produces its own compost. At this rate, it looks like they will also sustain gastronomic success.