The new niche restaurants from star chefs to try out in New York this winter

Even Jennifer Lawrence has to wait in line for a table
1/16
Margaret Abrams16 November 2018

This fall, New York's celebrity chefs haven’t strayed far from home with their elaborate expansion plans. Instead of opening restaurants out of state, they’re simply expanding their reach by focusing on super-niche aspects of their current menus in nearby neighborhoods.

Israeli chef Einat Admony, famous for bringing Israeli food to New York with her restaurant Balaboosta, has opened a fast-casual eatery devoted to couscous. The team behind Lower East Side Vietnamese spot An Choi opened the Instagram-friendly, pho-focused Di An Da in Greenpoint. The Frankel’s Deli co-owners brought their love of deli fare to Bernie’s, a retro restaurant in Greenpoint. And the new Glady’s Jerk Center is an expansion of the Michelin star-winning Glady’s, a bright Caribbean restaurant in Crown Heights.

Each chef already has a cult following, but now they’re taking what they do best and giving it a cool twist.

Chef: Einat Admony

Known for: Balaboosta and Taim

Recently opened: Kish Kash

Kish-Kash, a North African couscous kitchen in New York, NY, USA.
Kish-Kash/Instagram

Israeli chef Einat Admony opened Kish Kash, a restaurant devoted entirely to couscous, in June. Before the summer opening, the restaurant was in the works since 2016. The Tel Aviv born chef is also the mastermind behind the now-defunct Balaboosta and the rapidly expanding fast casual falafel restaurant Taim. Taim, which translates to tasty in Hebrew, is known for its freshly made falafel and smoothies.

But Kish Kash is all about the couscous, and it’s not the grocery store variety you microwave for five minutes. Instead, the Moroccan delicacy is pillowy and light as air, paired with root vegetables and spicy sauces. At the beginning of the meal, freshly-baked challah is served. While the white walls make it feel extremely fast casual, it's perfect for a quick luncheon.

Owners: Tuan Bui, Kim Hoang and Dennis Ngo

Known for: An Choi

Recently opened: Di An Di

Di An Di, a pho restaurant and bar in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Gary Hee

While there’s been a sudden influx of solid Vietnamese restaurants in the city, including Hanoi House and the Sarah Jessica Parker approved Madame Vo, An Choi has always been a Lower East Side stronghold. Now, the owners have opened the far more Insta-ready Di An Di in Greenpoint, a Brooklyn neighborhood that’s expecting far more traffic after the L train goes down in the spring.

At Di An Di, the focus is pho...and a more Instagram-worthy experience. An Choi is tucked away on the Lower East Side, where patrons sit at small tables with Sriracha. At Di An Di, there's ample space to snap a bowl of pho or a more elaborate Vietnamese crepe.

Owners: Zach Frankel, Taylor McEwan​ and Ashley Berman

Known for: Frankel’s Deli

Recently opened: Bernie’s

Bernie's, a old school diner on Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Peter Voelker

Frankel’s might be a traditional Jewish deli in Greenpoint, but its owners have unexpected hip-hop ties. Rapper Despot and Run the Jewels rapper El-P are two of the investors. Alex Frankel, who’s in the Brooklyn band Holy Ghost! opened the restaurant with his brother Zach in 2016. Since then, Justin Bieber has stopped by with Hailey Baldwin for what was deemed a 'PDA filled outing.'

Now, Zach has opened Bernie’s, this time with an even more retro vibe. Instead of bagels with schmear and hot latkes, they’re serving up Americana fare. Come for the pop star company, stay for burgers.

Owners: Michael Jacober and Junior Felix

Known for: Glady’s

Recently opened: Glady’s Jerk Center

Glady's, a jerk chicken restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Gladys

Glady’s has long been a go-to for Crown Heights cocktails (try their slushy Dark & Stormy) and inventive Caribbean fare (one favorite is the Guyanese Chow Fun). With turquoise walls and jerk chicken, it’s a solid spot to bring back those long-departed summer vibes.

Owners Michael Jacober and Junior Felix, who’s also the chef, have now expanded with a much larger 'Jerk Center' so you won’t have to wait in quite as long of a line for your ice cold cocktails. There are a few small differences; the Jerk Center serves cabbage instead of bok choy. Otherwise, it’s the same Michelin-approved vibes at a much lower price point.

Chef: Missy Robbins

Known for: Lilia

Recently opened: Misi

Misi, a handmade pasta and vegetable antipasti restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Evan Sung

Missy Robbins didn’t venture far from her Williamsburg celebrity hot spot Lilia when she opened her new restaurant, Misi, down the block. Former Disney star Cole Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are all fans. But even A-listers have to wait with everyone else. When Jennifer Lawrence went to the restaurant in May, she hung around more than 30 minutes for a table.

Now, Robbins has opened Misi (she thought the 'i' made it sound more Italian) in the new Domino Park development, which is pasta heavy. The Lilia follow-up is honing in on noodles and vegetables, which are what she does best. But like Lilia, it’s almost impossible to get a reservation. Even now, the only ones available are at 11:00 pm. If you’re not looking for a midnight snack, the trick is getting there early. Sure, 5pm dinner is an early bird special, but you won’t regret it once you’ve tasted the pasta.

New York's hottest hang-outs

1/26

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in