New on Resy: Crown Shy, Pearl Oyster Bar, Sadelle’s, Estela, and More

Arguably FiDi’s most exciting restaurant, Crown Shy is the very impressive joint project from industry vets James Kent and Jeff Katz. Within the walls of this art-deco skyscraper, the pair unleashes their vision of New American dining, overdelivering every step of the way. You only need to look at their pull-apart loaf, the creation of pastry chef Renata Ameni — maybe the most talked-about bread of 2019. The wine list, Ameni’s desserts, and the perfect roast chicken are also unforgettable.

Because this is Mark Strausman’s very own restaurant, and he’s bringing all of his greatest hits with him: like the Belgian fries from Freds at Barneys, and the rustic Tuscan dishes from his Coco Pazzo days, house-made pastas, and a bagel bakery included.

Nab a counter seat at Pearl Oyster Bar, and what ensues is a blissful New York meal. Rebecca Charles’ tribute to the seafood shacks of her New England childhood summers has a dash of nostalgia and heaps of city splendor, and her chorus of heavy-hitters is executed to the nines: clam chowder, fried oysters, and a lobster roll that’s been a perennial favorite since Pearl’s debut in the late ’90s.

Whether you call them European banchan or Asian tapas, one thing’s for sure: Mokyo is a small-plates wonderland, where the polished dishes sing of Asia — but look beyond, too. Behind it all is chef Kay Hyun, whose Vongerichten kitchen training, Korean heritage, and love affair with Spanish flavors transform Mokyo into the elegant haven that it is in the middle of St. Marks Place.

Because Craftbar is back, and in its original early-aughts location, no less. The more casual sibling to fine-dining stalwart Craft, Craftbar rolls out a menu built on familiar comfort food that nevertheless exudes Tom Colicchio’s signature technique and style (Case in point: That double-stacked smash burger). Pro tip: Happy hour is where it’s at, where bottles of wine priced $100 or above are half off. Yes, you read that right.

Effortlessly cool with its now revered shared plates, it’s no surprise that Estela is the restaurant that put chef Ignacio Mattos on the map. After seven months of closure, Estela’s pitch perfect dining room is finally back in socially-distanced swing.

What happens when an acclaimed sommelier turns his attention to ham? You get Brooklyn’s first all-American cured ham bar. Americans have been curing hams for more than 100 years, and André Hueston Mack is intent on spotlighting this homegrown craft — the slices draped over cornbread madeleines — alongside a sensational selection of American-made cheeses and wines (including his own Maison Noir label).

Team Carbone’s splashy response to the Jewish deli of lore, Sadelle’s is where expertly sliced lox is delivered on delicate three-tiered stands, and towers of hot, freshly baked bagels waltz through the buzzing dining room. This is decidedly not your bubbe’s kitchen (unless yours had caviar service), but the comfort-laden food is spectacular.

Inside a tiny 275-square-foot restaurant, chef-owners Darryl and Melissa Burnette wow diners from behind their 12-seat chef’s counter. The menu is playful — mac ‘n’ cheese spring rolls, Italian pizzelle waffles — but serious in its execution, and together, the Burnettes exude warmth and a real passion for what they do.

Daniel Boulud has devoted his established Upper West Side bistro to revisiting dishes he grew up with in the French countryside. There are magnificent pâtés, courtesy of famed charcuterie house Maison Vérot; bistro favorites like French onion soup and poulet rôti; wines from throughout Burgundy and the Rhône; and just to remind you that you’re in New York — stellar views of Lincoln Center.

You go to Indochine for the crowd first. This is one of New York’s original see-or-be-seen spots after all, where Warhol and his gang were regulars; these days, Indochine remains a favorite among the fashion elite. But amid the wallpapered fronds and dimmed lights, there is also the Indochine martini, the fried spring rolls, and the spicy shrimp, all still benchmarks more than three decades later.

A merging of two iconic restaurants into one, 15East at Tocqueville is where the ways of the Japanese omakase and a French-American sensibility collide. And what does that look like? It looks like sashimi as a prelude to Sauternes and foie gras, magret duck followed by hand-cut soba, and a baked Fuji apple à la mode to end a most exciting tri-cultural tasting.

Nothing says comfort like soba, and no one does soba better than Sobaya. The city’s purveyor of freshly made buckwheat noodles since 1996, Sobaya is the closest you can get to slurping noodles in a traditional Japanese shop. And it’s in no small part thanks to the star noodles, as well as the carefully made dashi broth.

You can add Tonchin to the city’s best ramen roll call. A Tokyo-based chain, Tonchin knows its tonkotsu very well, studding its complex and layered broth with housemade noodles. It is not often that a noodle chain gets a Michelin nod, but this one deservedly does.

As this is Shaun Hergatt’s latest venture, if you look at his past endeavors (Michelin-starred SHO and Juni), the anticipation is more than warranted. Located inside the Dominick Hotel, Vestry serves a tight menu of sea-leaning New American plates accented with Japanese flavors. Don’t sleep on the cocktails.

Shabu Tatsu has been preaching the Japanese hotpot gospel since 1991, and it remains Little Tokyo’s go-to for simmering soups and sukiyaki. Come for DIY tabletop grilling, and hotpot dunking on cold days. Stay for the boisterous setting, a classic slice of East Village culture.

A weeknight visit to Lido means an intimate meal of Italian hits and good wine, wrapped up in leather banquettes and brick walls. But come on the weekend, and Lido transforms into West Harlem’s best bottomless brunch. (They’re referring to your mimosa.)