The April Hit List: Dhamaka, Gage & Tollner, Sona, Bernie’s, and More

With Dhamaka, chef Chintan Pandya and restaurateur Roni Mazumdar of Adda and Rahi have another bona fide hit. Here, in Essex Street Market, the focus is on provincial Indian cuisine of the kind we haven’t seen much in these parts. Think beguni (crunchy eggplant dusted with masala and served with Bengal mustard), goat-neck biryani, and champaran meat (mutton with whole garlic and red chile). For adventurous palates, there’s baby shark — done with turmeric, ginger, and tomatoes. Click here for a dish-by-dish deep dive into the menu.

Dining status: Indoor and outdoor tables are open for reservations.

One year and one month after its planned grand opening, Gage & Tollner will finally reveal its historic Downtown Brooklyn revamp. On April 15, owners St. John Frizell, Ben Schneider, and Sohui Kim will welcome diners into the ornate restaurant and serve raw-bar selections, ribeyes and veal chops, plus kimchi-laced “Clams Kimsino,” plus desserts by pastry chef Caroline Schiff. In the meantime, indulge in an elaborate at-home dining experience or tropical drinks and bites to go from their upstairs bar, Sunken Harbor Club.

Dining status: Indoor tables are open for reservations. Takeout and delivery are available, too.

After a full-year hiatus, Bernie’s is back, albeit only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for pick up, delivery, and window service. Still, that means dirty martinis, Budweiser on draft, mozzarella sticks, wedge salad, vinegar chicken, baby-back ribs, and cheeseburgers. There are a few makeshift tables set up outside — first come, first served — for those who simply must have their Bernie’s and eat it looking out at McCarren Park, too.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery only. Pre-ordering recommended.

Well, well, well, if it isn’t the old Balth, shimmering its golden hue onto Spring Street. That’s right, Keith McNally has reopened his SoHo stalwart, both inside the brasserie and al fresco, for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Whether you’re a Dover sole person or more into steak au poivre, you’ll want to nab a Resy — or set a Notify — stat: The time-honored scramble for tables has also returned.

Dining status: Indoor and outdoor tables are open for reservations.

Chef Eric Tran utilizes whole animal butchery and seasonal produce to create stunning Vietnamese-American dishes, ranging from confit duck necks to red curry seafood soup at his Bushwick spot. Times critic Pete Wells went so far as to call Falansai “one of the most original, striking and at times thrilling restaurants of the pandemic.” Your move.

Dining status: Dining room is open for reservations; outdoor tables coming soon.

Upside’s second act is a snazzy one, with plenty of pizza to go around. Originally beloved in Midtown, the pizzeria’s brand-new location stretches across the corner of Mulberry and Spring, serves up vodka slices and tomato pie, and boasts a grown-up gloss on their ’90s-inspired decor. Pro tip: Beer and wine are coming soon.

Dining status: Indoor and outdoor tables are available for walk-ins. More info here.

If Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the creative director doesn’t hook you, the Goan fish curry will. The dish is a tribute to the late chef Floyd Cardoz, a friend of the Sona team. Also on the menu at this modish Flatiron newcomer are kofta korma (ricotta dumplings in cashew sauce), Malabar chicken biryani, and chili-cheese naan.

Dining status: Indoor and outdoor tables are available for reservations.

If you’ve been following the latest New York food news, you know that Jing Fong has been endangered. Although the owners are no longer operating the bustling dim sum hall, a pillar of Manhattan’s Chinatown, the unionized workforce is in talks with the landlord to take over as a cooperative. Meanwhile, as this plays out, outdoor tables are available as part of the Outdoor Villages. Go for dumplings, and show your support.

Dining status: Outdoor tables are open for reservations. Takeout and delivery are available, too.

Flynn McGarry, once a teen-chef phenom and now 22, has returned to the helm of Gem, which he’s currently operating not as a tasting-menu destination but more casually. Still, the menu changes frequently, highlighting local vegetables and some meat. Lunch is on, too, and wines and housemade pantry items are available for takeaway.

Dining status: Dining room is open for reservations.

The term “neighborhood gem” is meant for restaurants like Roman’s. Drinks include a daily sour and a daily bitter, the fava dip is a menu mainstay for good reason, and the pastas never disappoint. That’s without even mentioning sandwiches on She Wolf bread at lunch, weekend sfogliatella, and the people-watching of DeKalb Avenue — the thoroughfare for Brooklynites heading to and from Fort Greene Park.

Dining status: Dining room is open for reservations; outdoor tables first come, first served. Takeout and delivery are available.