Gertrude’s
A sibling to Nate Adler and Rachel Jackson’s Gertie, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has moved into the space that had been James, in Prospect Heights. They have the chef Eli Sussman of Samesa onboard for what they are calling a New York bistro. Oysters with pickled beet mignonette and other appetizers with a taste for smoked fish, as from the appetizing stores, give you some idea. Latkes are a side-dish option. Also they’ve come up with challah rolls with duck butter; pickled-brined roast chicken; root vegetable tsimmes; and black-and-white cheesecake, to update grandma’s repertoire. German-style apple pancakes, once a New York specialty if you remember Luchow’s and Reuben’s, are on the brunch menu. The original tin ceiling and distressed wall have been maintained, but not James’s crystal chandelier. They replaced it with another they found upstate. (Friday)
605 Carlton Avenue (St. Marks Avenue), Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, 718-269-0043, gertrudes.nyc.
Brasserie VietNam
A banh mi slider with filet mignon and truffle paste, pho incorporating rib-eye and oxtail, crisp fillet of red snapper with tamarind sauce, and bone marrow served with a toasted baguette slathered with garlic butter are some of the signatures of this new Vietnamese spot that takes a French approach. The executive chef, Ray Huang, worked in Vietnam and is assisted by Joel Wu, the chef de cuisine whose experience includes Le Bernardin and Alinea Group Roister. Greenery, exposed brick and shiny brass define the space.
282 Bleecker Street (Jones Street), 212-858-0868, brasserievietnam.com.
Raosu Hotpot & Sushi
Unlike at Boon Dee, the new Thai-style all-you can eat buffet in Queens, there are no strict rules beyond the three-hour dining limit at the restaurateur Connie Zhang’s new 200-seat restaurant in the garment district that combines dozens of sushi items and hotpot components at an open buffet ($69.99). The restaurant sprawls over five dining areas including an outdoor garden.
310 West 38th Street, 212-884-1218, raosu.com.
Naro Indoor Terrace
Seating that’s outside the restaurant but still in the indoor rink level at Rockefeller Center has bean added to JP and Ellia Park’s Korean restaurant, which recently received three stars from Pete Wells in The Times. It has its own menu, with a seafood tower, beef kalguksu with black garlic (a noodle soup), mushroom bulgogi with black truffles, and Korean soda-inspired Popsicles.
Rink Level, Rockefeller Center, 610 Fifth Avenue (50th Street), 212-202-0206, naronyc.com.
eLTacobar
The chef and restaurateur Laurent Tourondel, who is well-established in many locations including in Sag Harbor, spent the winter turning what had been his LT Burger in that village on the East End of Long Island into this new taco spot. Brightly decorated with a 22-seat bar and another 70 or so seats at tables, it features a list of tacos that include crispy Montauk cod, succulent pork belly and lobster that’s poached in butter on corn purée, chile and lime. Appetizers like the inevitable guacamole, a chile-fueled and refreshing cucumber appetizer, and assorted bowls are also on the menu, as is a watermelon aguafresca. Lines like those that accumulate outside his Manhattan hot spot Skirt Steak have not developed yet, but would not be surprising.
62 Main Street (Washington Street), Sag Harbor, N.Y., 631-899-4646, eltacobarny.com.
