It’s Labor Day weekend, also known as the unofficial end of the summer, which is a happy or sad thing depending on how you look at it. We hope y’all have fun and delicious plans to make the most of the long holiday weekend, whether it’s feasting on ice cream, lounging at the beach, or honestly, just chilling. Let us know what food plans y’all have this weekend in the comments!
For me, we’re having dinner with out-of-town friends at a TBD location; we’re thinking Midtown and Mediterranean. If y’all have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. I also want to make sure I grab one final vanilla soft serve cone with chocolate dip from a Mister Softee truck; get some sleep; and also finally catch the new Spider-Man. — Nadia Chaudhury, deputy dining editor, Northeast
A breakfast plate with a beer and a shot at Val’s. Photo: Jeff Brown
A trio is taking over the former Pitt’s restaurant space in Red Hook, turning it into a diner and bar this fall. Victoria Viscusi, chef Allie Gassaway, and Laine Pelka are opening Val’s at 347 Van Brunt Street, at Wolcott Street.
“We want to build something that we all know can exist in New York but is getting rarer and rarer,” Pelka says. They want Val’s to work as an all-day third space for hanging out, working away from home, and dining and drinking at affordable prices.
“I want a French salon where we’re all in here hanging out, plotting the revolution,” Gassaway says. “And figuring out a way to exist outside of the confines of unfettered capitalism.”
They’re invested in creating a space for the Red Hook neighborhood. “Obviously, everywhere changes all the time, but I think just trying to preserve something in a space to still feel like a neighborhood spot is what we’re pulling at, Gassaway says. She and Pelka actually worked at the address before, when the space had been the revived Fort Defiance. The name of the restaurant comes from their initials, and also serves as a hat-tip to the nearby Valentino Pier.
The Waitlist special at Val’s. Photo: Jeff Brown
For the menu, Gassaway appreciates that the diner designation allows her to explore all sorts of types of cuisines, flavors, and ingredients. “I like the concept of a diner because it can literally be anything,” she says. She’s excited about her Texan-New Mexican-New York-styled pancakes, made with fermented blue corn and whipped spice butter. Then there’s waffles, Denver omelets, and blue-plate specials ranging from spaghetti and meatballs to falafel. Desserts include funnel cakes, banana chocolate malt ice box cakes, and milkshakes.
Drinks are meant to be affordable and easy. Draft cocktails are $12, while mixed well drinks will cost around $7 to $8. Expect beer-shot combos, Negronis, martinis, and more. They’re working on their take on a boozy Baja Blast as well as what they’re calling the Wait List special of a small martini and fries, meant to appeal to the people waiting in line at the nearby Red Hook Tavern.
To make Val’s their own, they’ve retooled the space. The bar is expanded, making it the focal point of the main dining room. They’ve also installed a mini-arcade alley with pinball and other games.
When Val’s opens, it’ll serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Faux. Photo: Melissa McCart
Keith McNally’s son, George, opens his Tribeca restaurant Faux on Thursday, September 3, on 277 Church Street, between White and Franklin streets. McNally (the son) knows the restaurant life well, having worked at his father’s spots like Balthazar and the D.C. location of Minetta Tavern. Faux’s chef Kristina Ramos (who worked at Minetta in DC) is cooking up a coastal French menu, with highlights including broiled oysters and steak frites. The ground-floor restaurant includes a downstairs bar, Prevz, with late-night food and a bouncer. Book restaurant reservations on OpenTable.
A restaurant group behind NYC restaurants, including American brasserie the Smith and pizzeria Parla, is taking over the recently shuttered Red Lobster in Times Square, as reported by the New York Post. The business plans to open a fifth location of the Smith and a pizza-slice spinoff of Parla at a two-floor address at 582 Seventh Avenue, between West 41st and 42nd streets, set to debut in 2028.
One of my personal favorite bars ever, Austin’s Nickel City, is coming to New York City for a pop-up this month. Owner Travis Tober is taking over the bar of Romeo’s in the East Village, on Wednesday, September 9, from 8 to 11 p.m., with Dr Pepper Old Fashioneds, Mexican martinis, and more.
If your Labor Day weekend plans include seeing Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden this Friday, September 4, and/or Saturday, September 5, we’ve got a handy guide for you, at least when it comes to drinking and eating. Pro tip: Make sure you’re seated/standing by the time opener Jamie XX plays his final song, because Harry and company take the stage at the same time to kick off the show
Looks like Chinatown restaurant Food, the revitalized Chinatown restaurant now by artist Lucien Smith, seems to have “closed until further notice,” per its Instagram.
Dining and Cooking