The January Hit List: Emmett’s on Grove, Jing Fong, Zou Zou’s, and More

Emmett’s first made its mark here in New York by celebrating the oft-maligned Chicago deep-dish-style pizza on MacDougal Street — and making a really exemplary one at that — but you won’t find those here at their newest location on Grove Street in the West Village. Instead, it’s all about the tavern-style, thin-crust pie that you’re likely to find at supper clubs and taverns throughout Wisconsin. Tuck in here for those, along with baby back ribs, shrimp cocktail, and grasshopper cocktails.

This family-owned restaurant has been the beating heart of Manhattan’s Chinatown for more than 40 years and after leaving their location on Elizabeth Street in March 2021, they’re finally back — and we couldn’t be happier. The dim sum carts might but missing (just for now) and the space considerably smaller than before, but the unforgettable joy of having a meal at Jing Fong — complete with the sounds of rapid-fire Cantonese being spoken, the sight of dozens of dishes making their way onto the Lazy Susans, and the scent of freshly made baos rising from their steamers — is still there. And it’s still as satisfying as ever.

Call 212-964-5256 for reservations.

Sungchul Shim (Neta, Per Se) garnered a Michelin star for his inventive skewered dishes at Kochi, inspired by Korean royal court cuisine, and now with Mari, his second Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, he’s focusing on Korean hand rolls with an 11-course tasting menu ($125). If you go, be sure to grab a seat at the counter.

Zou Zou’s executive chef, Madeline Sperling, and chef de cuisine, Juliana Latif, both know how to work their way around a hotel restaurant kitchen — they worked together at the now-closed NoMad restaurant. Unlike the NoMad, however, Zou Zou’s, located inside the new Pendry Manhattan West hotel is not at all dark or subdued in atmosphere (no library here). It’s a bright, lively ode to the flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, from Israel and Jordan to Syria and Lebanon.

Call 212-380-8585 for reservations.

This spacious Brooklyn Heights offshoot from Bay Ridge’s acclaimed Ayat specializes in rarely seen Palestinian specialties and favorites, like a rich mansaf, or lamb stew with fermented yogurt, khubz (flatbread) topped with pistachios and cheese, and malfouf, stuffed cabbage rolls filled with rice and ground meat.

Call 718-689-5888 for reservations.

A year-and-a-half after first opening Maki Kosaka in Chelsea, sushi master Sho Boo is finally getting a chance to showcase her innovative five-course omakase menu ($150) at the restaurant. Tucked behind the main temaki counter, you’ll find Boo putting her own unique spin on sushi omakase. Unlike most sushi chefs who generally stick to edomae-style sushi, Boo isn’t afraid to experiment or surprise you with pressed cube sushi and spherical temari sushi, too.

The dream team behind your West Village favorites like I Sodi, Buvette, Bar Pisellino, and Via Carota have opened yet another restaurant, only this time, instead of focusing on the cuisines of Italy and France, they’ve looked closer to home. Really close, actually. Jody Williams and Rita Sodi’s Commerce Inn will zero in on the Shaker cuisine and culture that first emerged in upstate New York. That means simply prepared, straightforward dishes like pickled oysters in bread and butter wine, pot pies, country ham, and spoon bread — and cocktails that spotlight smoke-tinged spirits, along with a solid milk punch.

Note: The Tavern—the restaurant’s bar area—is currently open for drinks and limited food, with walk-ins only. The dining room is scheduled to open later this month.

The West Village’s consummate hostess, Ariel Arce (Niche Niche, Tokyo Record Bar, Air’s Champagne Parlor), has finally reopened her underground speakeasy/supper club beneath Niche Niche where soul, blues, and jazz artists from around the world host two- to three-day residencies. Stop by at 8:15 for dinner and a show ($50) or drop in around 10:15 for drinks; either way, the live music sets can’t be beat.

If you sometimes reminisce about what it was like to grab a seat here while sipping on a martini and enjoying a few bites of steak cubes and popcorn, well, you’re in luck, because Temple Bar is back — and likely serving as many (or maybe more) espresso martinis as it did in the ‘90s. The bar, which closed in 2017, has reopened in its original space, faithfully revived and restored by the owners of Attaboy and Sona. And even if you’re new to Temple Bar, chances are it’ll become a new favorite of yours in no time.

In a city filled with some of the best pasta restaurants in the world, what makes this spot inside Chelsea Market so special? Well, it has to do with the fact that the Di Martino family has been making pasta in Gragnano, Italy, for three generations, since 1912, and La Devozione is their very first restaurant in the States. There are multiple ways to enjoy their pasta, whether taken to go, in a more casual seated area, or purchased in dry form, but if you really want to splurge, book a seat at The Oval pasta bar where you can have a multi-course pasta tasting menu ($165) directed by Michelin-starred Italian chef Peppe Guida (Antica Osteria Nonna Rosa). There you’ll find spaghettini al limone, truffle-laced vermicelli, and, their signature dish, pasta al pomodoro.

They’re back! One of our favorite pop-ups is back in the city and taking up a three-month residency, fittingly, at the former location of the beloved Bep Ga on Forsyth Street. Here, they’re serving up an ever-changing menu of Vietnamese dishes, from bánh mì and nước mắm-laced oysters to rice porridge and stuffed tofu.

Walk-ins only.