New Restaurants on the Radar: Vutera, Nios, Baoguette Cafe

Vutera: The sibling owners of Rose Live Music on Grand Street in Williamsburg have given quite the face-lift to their eponymous subterranean restaurant. The intimate urban-rustic haunt has been renamed Vutera, and the exposed brick walls and wooden beams are now bathed in a candlelit glow for your dining pleasure. New chef Molly Del Monte, the former sous chef at Little Giant, is introducing a Mediterranean menu with a local-and-seasonal angle, complemented by a wine list curated by manager Hugh Crickmore (Mas). Grub Street has photos and the full menu, which features such delicacies as parsnip gnocchi with beet-green pesto, braised lamb shank with red wine and creamy polenta, and an appetizer of Spanish-mackerel escabèche. An early review on Strong Buzz deems the place "immensely comforting. It’s the kind of place that beckons like a blazing hearth in an ice storm."345 Grand Street, Williamsburg; (718) 599-0069

Nios: Located in the space formerly occupied by District and named for the nine muses of Greek mythology, this 52-seat theater district restaurant is the work of chef Patricia Williams (The Quilted Giraffe) and "Master Sommelier" Emily Wines. That "master" title is official, by the way; the appropriately-named Wines is one of just five female Master Sommeliers in NYC. (The cocktail menu comes from San Francisco's Starlight Room mixologist Jacques Bezuidenhout.) As for the food, Williams's classic American menu emphasizes dishes portioned for sharing, with entree options like Bison & Bacon Meatloaf with Oven Roasted Mushrooms, Green Beans, and Shallots; and Seared Cod with Chorizo, Cockles, and Baby Fennel. There's also a selection of cheeses and house-made charcuterie, and a small plates menu featuring such tantalizing appetizers as Butter Poached Shrimp with Creamy Grits and a Bouillabaisse Sauce. 130 West 46th Street, (212) 485-2999

Baoguette Cafe: BAMN!, the flashy automat on St. Mark's Place that closed recently, has been reborn as a spin-off of Michael Huynh's popular Murray Hill Vietamese sandwich enterprise Baoguette. A tipster tells Eater Baoguette Cafe is "officially open (though only sandwiches) and officially delicious." The website reports that soon enough the full Baoguette menu will be available, which—besides the hit varieties of bánh mì—includes "pho, crispy offal congee, grilled lamb belly, chicken wing on fire, soft serve Vietnamese ice cream, and oh so much more." And unlike BAMN!, there's now seating, for 24 patrons. 37 Saint Marks Place, (212) 380-1487