The May Hit List: Laser Wolf, Kono, Café Spaghetti, and More 

This Brooklyn outpost of Michael Solomonov’s wildly popular and acclaimed Israeli skewer house is newly open, and you won’t want to miss it. Opening just prior to the pandemic in 2020, the original Laser Wolf in Philadelphia earned acclaim for its inventive charcoal-grilled dishes and prix fixe format.

Solomonov, the same chef behind other Philadelphia hits like Zahav and Goldie, is no stranger to the buzz, or to New York City; from 2016 to 2018, he ran his popular hummus and pita counter, Dizengoff, inside Chelsea Market. But Laser Wolf Brooklyn marks his return to the city, and we have a feeling it’ll be a pretty spectacular one. An added plus for this location of Laser Wolf? You’ll get to take in panoramic views of the city from the rooftop of The Hoxton Williamsburg, too.

Does New York really need yet another omakase restaurant? In this case, it’s a resounding, definitive yes. Torishin veteran Atsushi “ATS” Kono is at the helm of this new yakitori omakase spot inside Chinatown’s Canal Arcade, and he’s not holding anything back. The dining room is modeled after a kabuki theater so you can watch Kono’s every deliberate move as he grills each skewer to perfection. The 16-course omakase ($165 per person) includes a yakitori progression of 10 to 12 skewers, and you especially won’t want to miss trying the chochin skewer, featuring an unfertilized egg yolk that’s grilled in its own membrane.

Brooklyn native and former Bar Primi chef Sal Lamboglia returns to the borough with the delightfully named Café Spaghetti, his ode to a classic Italian neighborhood spot, in Carroll Gardens. The menu here draws from Lamboglia’s own Italian heritage, and it’s a real family affair. There’s a Genovese rigatoni inspired by his nonna; eggplant Parmigiana from mom; and of course, his dad’s famous tiramisu, handmade by dad himself (if you ever ordered the tiramisu at Bar Primi before, you’ll recognize it immediately once you take a bite).

Note: Café Spaghetti opens on May 4.

Rejoice! Brooklyn’s beloved Royal Rib House is back. Two years after it closed, Royal Rib House has reopened in a new location on Malcolm X Boulevard, just a few blocks away from its former spot on Halsey Street, and with it, the long lines have also returned. But it’s definitely worth waiting for their baked pork ribs, chopped barbecue sandwiches, baked macaroni, candied yams, and collard greens.

Walk-ins only. 

After months of winning over Brooklynites with their thoroughly satisfying green chile breakfast burritos and burgers, Santa Fe BK owners Melissa Klein and John Watterberg have finally opened for dinner service on 8th Street. The menu now has expanded to include Christmas-style smothered burritos, green chile chicken enchiladas, pozole, a green chile queso dip, margaritas, and off-menu sopapillas, among other dishes.

Walk-ins only. 

While we collectively mourn the loss of one of the city’s OG craft cocktail bars, we can take solace in knowing that we can find longtime Angel’s Share veteran Takuma Watanabe behind the bar at this Gramercy carriage house-turned-bar, his first solo project. Each of the spaces within Martiny’s offers a slightly different experience — try to see if you can sit by the window upstairs for some moonlight glow, or head straight to the bar on the ground floor to watch Watanabe in action. And whatever you do, save room for small bites from Wayne Cheng, which will change seasonally. (We personally love the burrata stuffed with smoked trout roe, dressed with chile crisp and fried yuba chips.)

Walk-ins only for now, with reservations on Resy forthcoming. 

At this new spot named for the Thai phrase for “throwback,” Wayla chef Tom Naumsuwan goes, appropriately, old-school, spotlighting lesser-known dishes from older Phuket-style restaurants where Thai and Chinese culinary traditions come together. There’s guay tiew kua gai, roasted half chickens with wok-fried noodles and eggs; hae gune, fried tofu skin dumplings stuffed with crab and shrimp; and moo tod nam pla, fried pork belly with a sticky fish sauce glaze, among other specialties.

Note: Wan Wan opens on May 3. 

When New York’s top chefs need seafood, they often look to Chinatown’s Aqua Best for the, well, best of the best, from razor clams and porgies to oysters and soft-shell crabs. And with Essex Pearl, the Wong family finally has their own showcase for the bounty of fresh seafood they’ve been selling for nearly 40 years. And by fresh, we mean fresh: There’s a live tank where you can pick out your own lobster or Dungeness crab for your meal.

Essex Pearl originally opened in late 2019. Following a few pandemic-related closures, it has since recently reopened with chef Daniel Le, who formerly worked at The Tyger and Hanoi House. Don’t sleep on Le’s fried whole fish, topped with herbs, or the fried baby octopus in lemongrass curry.

If you haven’t yet been to Tacos Güey yet, what are you waiting for? Chef Henry Zamora, who previously worked at the French Laundry, Quince, and Legacy Records, leads the kitchen here, crafting standout dishes like diver scallop aguachile accented with finger limes, tomatillo-laced prawn ceviche, and lengua tacos with chiles de arbol. 

Arguably one of the most charming and lovely dining rooms in the city is finally reopening, and with one of the city’s most notable chefs overseeing it, too. The former Augustine space at the Beekman hotel is now Le Gratin from chef Daniel Boulud and, as the name suggests, rustic baked gratins will be well-represented on the menu. Leading the kitchen at the new Lyonnaise-style bistro is chef Guillaume Ginther, a longtime Boulud veteran who previously worked at Le Coq Rico.

Note: Le Gratin opens on May 6. 

In a city where there are only three remaining lesbian bars (how is this even possible?), it’s so nice to see an opening like Oddly Enough, which calls itself a “queer space for all”— and has some solid drinks and food, too. Located in what used to be neighborhood restaurant Eugene & Co., Oddly Enough is a queer bar specializing in wine, beer, cocktails (including an extensive list of zero-proof cocktails), and small bites. It’s led by longtime Eugene & Co. employee Laura Poladsky and Caitlin Frame, a former bartender from Marlow & Sons and Diner, with chef Lauren Schwichtenberg leading the kitchen. Consider ordering the brothy beans and lamb meatballs, or the Earthy Baby, a Tequila cocktail with pineapple and turmeric juice.

Walk-ins only.