A Breath of Fresh Fare

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:  A salad of young vegetables from Corton; Almond; Double Crown; Pranna.

ALMOND
When I’m visiting my family in Shelter Island, there are very few things that can lure me onto the ferry once I’m settled. Bridgehampton’s Almond— cozy, easygoing, and featuring a menu stocked with local-minded fare with flair—always does. So when word came that Eric Lemonides and Jason Weiner were opening a branch in the Flatiron, it was very good news. The seasonally changing menu has been transported in all its homey bistro glory, from the plats du jour (there are worse ways to kick off a weekend than with Friday’s rich, roasted rack of lamb) to the luscious breast of veal. 12 East 22nd Street, 212-228-7557.

CORTON
With the long-awaited opening of Corton, Drew Nieporent isn’t fooling around (not that he ever is). The restaurateur and Downtown stalwart made a bold move by enlisting Paul Liebrandt—he of complicated ingredients and wild-child techniques (once, in a challenge posed by this very magazine, he created something stupendous from Triscuits, peanut butter, celery, dry soup mix, and cheddar cheese). Corton—in-the-know winespeak for the largest area of grand cru in Burgundy—is housed in a glowing, windowless space that once held Montrachet. There you’ll squabble over the last bite of smoky squab and lust for Liebrandt’s lobster with black trumpet mushrooms and lobster jus. 239 West Broadway, 212-219-2777.

DOUBLE CROWN
Can the British Empire’s plundering past be seen in a positive light? If the young design Turks at Avroko lead the way with carved-soapstone lanterns, maybe so. But the food is the real reason to raid this Downtown spot. Executive chef Brad Farmerie, the spice-happy maestro behind the menu at Avroko’s Public and Monday Room, combines Asian street-cart influences and motherland classics such as tandoori-spiced foie gras with tea-infused prunes, and clever twists on culinary powerhouses like redcurrant- drizzled “beef” Wellington—tender venison hugged in a wrap of flaky puffed pastry. 316 Bowery, 212-254-0350.

THE JOHN DORY
With lines still forming out the door of their West Village gastropub Spotted Pig, Ken Friedman and chef April Bloomfield had the good sense to capitalize on the popularity and expand. Here, Bloomfield eschews pig’s ears in favor of cod milt, and trades bare bar tables for white linens and reservations. The place serves dinner till the witching hour, and a limited but no less tasty batch of swimmy bits until 2 A.M. The 99.9-percent fruits-ofthe- sea menu is nothing less than great. Bloomfield and chef de cuisine Sara Och turn out dishes like sea bream with by bacon, fennel, and beurre blanc; seared squid stuffed with chorizo; and standout crudo, like the diver scallops and pomegranate. 85 10th Avenue, 212-929-4948.

KEFI
The relocation and reopening of the talented Michael Psilakis’s muchadored Kefi is reason to celebrate—especially since the seating capacity has swelled to 200, spread out over two floors, and the new reservation policy is less hit-or-miss. Dishes from Psilakis’s childhood have been added, like his macaronia spestofai (tube-shaped pasta with a rustic mix of peppers, onions, tomato, feta, and Greek sausage), as well as a Greek sandwich menu well-complemented by great Greek vino. The Mediterranean vibe is tapped further with Aegean-blue decorative touches like the pretty mosaic wave and hand-sewn wall tapestries. 505 Columbus Avenue, 212-873-0200.

PRANNA
Executive chef Chai Trivedi’s treks through Southeast Asia influence Pranna’s menu, which is filled with a refreshingly unhesitant use of seasoning, curry-happy concoctions, and an array of satay selections. And with ample chairs and roomy tables, plus couches upstairs and private sitting nooks in the subterranean level, there’s value placed on personal space that can only be appreciated by residents of a city of eight million-plus. Don’t miss the sliced Long Island duck on a bed of lemongrass-cumindotted rice, an accompanying shot of passion-fruit lassi, and a bowl of vegetable curry. And check out the gin-heavy but thoughtful cocktail list and the wine list created by Old World-loving vino writer Alice Feiring. 79 Madison Avenue, 212-696-5700.