I don't know about y'all, but March is my least favorite month.
The weather is gloomy... It's not quite winter anymore, but not quite spring yet... The only big holiday is Douchebag Awareness Day aka St. Patrick's Day.
It's important to latch onto anything positive during this pathetic excuse for a month, and luckily for us, there are lots of new restaurants we just have to check out in March!
Some have recently opened, some are about to open, but all of them look crazy delicious and drool-inducing.
Thank you, restaurateurs of New York, we really need you RN.
1. Yo! Sushi (23 West 23rd Street)
March 16th can't come soon enough. That's when the popular British sushi chain is making it's NYC debut in the Flatiron District!
Yo! serves up sushi conveyor belt style, with color-coded dishes indicating prices of the sushi, sashimi, hand-rolls, and over 80 other Japanese cuisine offerings.
[anad]
We already knew eating sushi was delicious but now it'll be FUN TOO!
2. Ikinari Steak (90 East 10th Street)
New York's first standing steak house has arrived in the East Village!
Opening just a few days ago, the wildly popular, chair-less, Japanese fast-food steak house chain is dedicated to serving customers quality steak as quickly and affordably as possible.
The restaurant offers 40 standing-only stations, and a lunch deal of 14-oz steak with salad, soup, and rice for $18. Don't worry, there are 10 seats available for those who the lazy set.
3. abcV (38 East 19th Street)
The highly anticipated abc kitchen spin-off, abcV, is finally open!
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten brings us another sure to be delicious vegetarian restaurant in his third collaboration with luxury home goods store ABC Carpet & Home.
As of right now, they're only open for breakfast and lunch with take-out options, with plans to add a dinner menu once the restaurant is fully underway.
4. Empellón (510 Madison Avenue, Midtown)
The popular and delicious Mexican-inspired restaurant group is expanding to a massive fourth location near Rockefeller Center next month!
Chef and founder Alex Stupak is bringing his casual menu to midtown, and the space will combine elements from all three downtown locations.
Also if you're short on cash and looking for a restaurant gig... Word on the street is they're hiring.
5. Trapizzino (144 Orchard Street)
Trapizzino's name-sake is Rome's most popular street food, and it's basically what would happen if a sandwich and a pizza had a baby. Needless to say, we are pumped.
NO it's not a hot pocket and NO it's not a calzone! It's not even a Pizza roll. Instead of being filled with cheese and tomato sauce, the freshly baked sandwich pockets are filled with traditional Roman Secondi courses (main dishes), like meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, and chicken cacciatora.
Um. Yes please. The street food joint is so popular with Italians that it has seven locations in Rome, so you know it's legit. The Lower East Side Trapizzino's that opened a few weeks ago is the first and so far only USA location. Yay, lucky us!
6. Union Square Cafe (101 East 19th Street)
Okay so this isn't actually a new restaurant, but it's re-opening and we LIVE for a good comeback story!
After a rent spike forced them out of their original East 16th Street location, Union Square Cafe recently unveiled their new and improved location two blocks north, in a space twice the original size.
[anad2]
But don't worry! They've kept the most important features, like executive chef Carmen Quagliata.
7. Dine in Brooklyn (Multiple Locations - Brooklyn)
Okay, so this is more of an event than a new restaurant BUT WE ARE WAY TO PUMPED NOT TO MENTION IT.
For ten days starting March 20th, "Dine In Brooklyn" is offering $12 brunch at over 60 participating restaurants in Brooklyn. Many restaurants will also offer $28 three course dinners, and $15 two course lunches as part of the event. It's basically the Restaurant Week of Brooklyn.
Peep the participating locations on the event website— We're sure you'll find that 'brand new brunch spot that no one has heard of yet' no problem.
[Feature Image Courtesy Eater NY]