Food & Drink

Dig into fall

Hungry for something new? Whether you’re looking to chow down or swan around, dozens of dining options await you this season.

LATE NIGHT WITH MORIMOTO

Masaharu Morimoto may be a high-achieving superstar in the food world, but American comfort food is something he’s not yet mastered. This is about to change with his downtown restaurant Tribeca Canvas (313 Church St.; 917-720-2845).

PHOTOS: NYC’S COOLEST FALL DINING DESTINATIONS

RELATED: MORE OPENINGS

“I’m excited for guests to see a new — and perhaps unexpected — side to my work, and I have been thinking about this concept for a long time,” says the “Iron Chef America” star and owner of eight eponymous restaurants worldwide. “Although all of the Morimoto restaurants have playful and exciting items on their menus, most of the world considers me to be a sushi chef. Tribeca Canvas will not offer sushi or sashimi, and will focus on my personal version of comfort food instead.”

The 80-seat dining room, fitted out by Thomas Schoos Design (the company that created Morimotos in Napa and Waikiki), will open in early October, with a bistro menu full of quirky (and no doubt beautifully presented) dishes such as French onion soup dumplings and the chef’s interpretation of mac ’n’ cheese.

It will also be a bright light for downtown night owls: food will be served until 4 a.m. every day. “I love TriBeCa’s iconic feel, with wide streets and lots of landmark buildings,” says Morimoto. “And I think Tribeca Canvas will serve the downtown neighborhood well. It will also offer guests and people in our industry a great place to hang out after-hours.”

ASIAN INVASION

The trend for unexpected, inventive Asian cuisine kicked off with the May openings of Mission Chinese and Pok Pok NY, but it continues apace this fall. First up is Pig & Khao on the LES (68 Clinton St.), the newest creation from the Fatty Crab restaurateurs. The eatery will open mid-September with “Top Chef” contestant Leah Cohen behind the burners. She spent a year working in kitchens in Southeast Asia: The result is Pig & Khao’s menu of Thai and Filipino small plates, such as pork neck and watermelon salad, and crispy quail adobo.

“I’m very excited to bring my food and experiences from abroad to the Lower East Side. Being an owner and head chef of a restaurant in New York City has been a dream of mine since I was a student,” says Cohen.

At China Latina (Hotel Indigo, 127 W. 28th St.; mid-October), the cuisine will come from China, via Mexico. “Asian influences have been a part of Latin cuisine for centuries,” says chef Julieta Ballesteros. Expect dishes such as chorizo dumplings with goat cheese, and scallion pancakes with pan-seared foie gras and lobster.

At the as-yet-unnamed Asian-fusion eatery (199 Bowery; early November) in the works by the team behind Abe & Arthur’s and Catch, chef Hung Huynh will be cranking out firecracker crab claws and eggplant stuffed with chili chicken. Jeepney (201 First Ave.; 212-318-0152; September), named after the public buses used to ferry locals in the Philippines, will be the city’s first Filipino gastropub. Farther downtown, a second act from inventive Japanese eatery Koi (Trump SoHo, 246 Spring St.; 212-842-5500) will open Sept. 14. And Gaonnuri will offer Korean fare and sweeping views from its 39th-floor perch (1250 Broadway; 212-971-9045; late September).

In Brooklyn, Ryuji Irie is giving Japanese cuisine a twist, with dishes like short-rib ramen, fried chicken and charcuterie plates. His spot, Ganso (20 Bond St., Brooklyn), opens Sept. 17.

UPTOWN CIAO!

Upper East Siders with a penchant for pasta will soon be spoiled for choice. First up, Sirio Ristorante (795 Fifth Ave.), a spot serving classic Tuscan cuisine, opens in the Pierre Hotel later this month. It’s the brainchild of legendary restaurateur (and creator of Le Cirque) Sirio Maccioni, and his sons, Marco, Mauro and Mario.

“Sirio is not going to be a fine-dining experience at the same level as Le Cirque,” says Marco Maccioni, who has hired designer Adam Tihany to turn the space that was Le Caprice into a dining room inspired by Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita.” Diversifying in Le Cirque’s ’hood makes sense, says Maccioni: “The Upper East Side is our home. My dad made his success in that neighborhood. So it’s a return of sorts. And I grew up in this neighborhood. Literally, it’s my playground; so it’s nice to be able to walk to work.”

Over on Madison Avenue, another Italian restaurateur is working on a September opening. Cesare Casella’s Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto (903 Madison Ave.; 212-877-4801) will be slightly more upscale than his Upper West Side eatery of the same name, thanks to a white-tablecloth dining room fitted out by Oscar-winning designer Dante Ferretti. The 4,000-square-foot space will serve similar Italian dishes, though. “Most of them are from my past. They are classic recipes that I love,” says Casella, who is also installing a counter staffed with salumieres (butchers) that will sell cured meats and seasonal treats like truffles.

By the end of the month, the newbies will be joined by Il Mulino New York Uptown (37 E. 60th St.; 212-750-3270). It’s the 12th restaurant in the international Il Mulino chain, and just like its forebears, it will focus on the specialities of the Abruzzo region (e.g., veal chops served with sage and prosciutto). It also means fans of the food won’t have to trek to the Greenwich Village outpost for dinner.

“Opening a location uptown has been something that has been requested by our guests for years,” says owner Lee Katzoff. “The Upper East Side is classic New York, full of ionic architecture and history — and we pride ourselves on classic food and service.”

Also worth a mention is Ristorante Morini (1167 Madison Ave.), the upcoming high-end Italian joint from very busy chef and restaurateur Michael White. His eatery won’t open until the new year, but work has already begun on the two-story space that used to be Centolire.

STARRY EATS AT LINCOLN CENTER

The juggernaut that is Marcus Samuelsson seemingly can’t be stopped. He’s a chef, a restaurateur (his Harlem spot, Red Rooster, opened in December 2010 and has been packed to the rafters ever since), a television star (thanks to stints on “Top Chef Masters” and “Iron Chef”) and, most recently, the author of “Yes, Chef,” a memoir. Come the end of the month, he’ll also be at the helm of American Table Cafe and Bar (1941 Broadway) at Lincoln Center.

The 75-seat eatery at the front of Alice Tully Hall (it sports its own entrance, high ceilings and fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows) is being designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. It’s been in the pipeline for a year or so, and will, like all Samuelsson projects, feature dishes that are a mish-mash of influences and styles. The cuisine will be American in provenance, but with a global twist. (The cocktail list, designed by mixologist Eben Klemm, will be similarly diverse).

Dishes will include Ethiopian-meets-Mexican doro wat tacos and a grilled cheese with pickled tomato soup. Samuelsson describes his new venture as “a neighborhood place that serves great food in a beautiful setting, as well as being a value for your money.”

“The Upper West Side is a great intersection of art and culture. I see this as an opportunity for us to have a conversation and be a part of the revamp of the space — and highlight the culture that I love to be around.”xx

THE SWEETEST THINGS

Expect to pack on the pounds this fall as a trio of authentique French bakeries and two cookie stalls set up shop in Manhattan. Maison Kayser (1294 Third Ave.; 212-744-3100), the first New York outpost of the famed Parisian boulangeries (there are 25 in the City of Light), opened in August (another will open at 921 Broadway in mid-November, and a third at Bryant Park in early December). The massive space sports 104 seats, Paris-trained bakers and a two-story facility where the bread, made with sourdough and organic flour, and pastries are handmade.

“New York clients are demanding, but I also find them so friendly,” says owner and master baker Eric Kayser. “They can recognize good quality.”

Directly across the street, François Payard is plotting his October return to the Upper East Side with FP Patisserie (1295 Third Ave.). Expect the same terrific tarts, gateaux and pastries served at the original Payard (which closed in 2009) and his other three Manhattan locations, plus a 40-seat salon for a la carte lunches. “The Upper East Side was where the original Payard was born and I wanted to bring back the Francois Payard presence to all of the loyal customers who supported the restaurant. I can’t wait to reconnect with them,” says Payard.

Dorie Greenspan’s contemporary cookie stalls, Beurre & Sel, are opening at opposite ends of the island (La Marqueta, 1590 Park Ave.; and Essex Street Market, 120 Essex St.) this month. Sweet and savory cookies will be on the menu, and the flavors will change regularly. Expect inventive combinations such as the chocolate chunker, filled with three types of chocolate, dried cherries and chopped cashews.

By December, downtown will have another — albeit very fancy — cookie spot: Ladurée SoHo. The French macaron maker has taken over the space that once was Barolo (398 West Broadway) and will install its biggest store ever, complete with a 200-seat dining room and an impressive garden available for highfalutin private events. The pretty pastel macarons will be flown in from Paris, and two French chefs will be on hand to prepare everything else on the menu.