It was a scandal tailor-made for foodies: WD-50, Wylie Dufresne’s legendary Clinton Street restaurant, would be packing it in at the end of November to make way for a new real estate development. The restaurant brought NYC’s first real foray into molecular gastronomy to the LES strip back in 2003, where it joined 71 Clinton Fresh Food (now closed), Alias (also closed), 1492 Food (closed) and Clinton Street Baking Co. (still open!) — adding up to a white-hot culinary destination. But while one era may have ended, another one is well underway. A half-dozen bars and restaurants have opened (or reopened, or gotten a new chef) in the past year. Welcome to the new Clinton Street.
A truly happy hour
We’re wary of happy hours that overpromise and underdeliver: The booze is usually watered down, and you often wind up eating too many greasy chicken wings. But there’s a legitimately excellent happy hour (daily, 6 to 8 p.m. and midnight to 1 a.m.) at the 8-month-old Black Crescent, which has quality cocktails (including a Manhattan, a gimlet and an Old Fashioned; $9 each) and a fantastic deal on oysters (only 99 cents each!). It all fits neatly in this watering hole, with its handsome wood bar, brick walls and cool hipster vibe. 76 Clinton St.; 212-477-1771; facebook.com/BlackCrescentNYC
Crazy good Japanese bites
Ask the waitress at newcomer Azasu, which specializes in Japanese tapas, what the menu’s most popular dish is, and she points to the takoyaki ($8) — pancake balls with octopus. If this sounds weird, well, it is. The balls have a firm, deep-fried, thick coating, a small morsel of octopus in the center, and are served with bonito fish flakes and a sweet brown sauce. The inexpensive menu also boasts potato salad ($6), pork tonkatsu sandwiches on soft Japanese white bread ($8) and chicken karaage — crunchy, peppery boneless fried chicken ($7). 49 Clinton St.; 212-777-7069; azasunyc.com
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Grab a counter seat for ramen (not to mention these pork meatballs) done right at Ivan Orkin’s new flagship eatery.Christian Johnston The best ramen in NYC!
You know Ivan Orkin. He’s the Jewish guy from Long Island who churns out the best Japanese ramen in the world. (At least, a lot of Tokyo residents thought so, when he was slinging noodles there and became a massive hit.) Orkin hit the ground running in New York with not one, but two eateries that opened within the last 12 months: a modest noodle bar at Gotham West Market, and his flagship Ivan Ramen restaurant, which hasn’t had a dull night since opening this spring. In addition to the best bowl of noodle soup in the city, there are fried meatballs with buttermilk dressing and Bull-Dog sauce — a dark, sweet Japanese-brand tonkatsu sauce ($9). The Ankimo Dirty Rice with monkfish liver, lemon sofrito and scallion is also a must-try ($14). It’s almost enough to make you forget to order the Triple Pork Triple Garlic Mazemen — y’know, an actual noodle dish ($15). 25 Clinton St.; 646-678-3859; ivanramen.com
Leah Cohen, left, of Pig and Khao and Chaz Brown of Seoul Chicken are both former “Top Chef” contestants.Christian Johnston Dueling ‘Top Chef’ eateries!
Hear ye, hear ye, “Top Chef” enthusiasts — you now have former show contestants across the street from each other! The most recent addition is Chaz Brown, the former chef de cuisine at Fatty Crab on the Upper West Side, who opened Seoul Chicken, his Korean fried chicken spot, at the end of August (try the $8 gochujang Buffalo wings — a fiery, but slightly sweet, less messy version of the normal buffalo wing). Brown is across the street from fellow alum, Leah Cohen, whose Filipino eatery Pig and Khao will celebrate its two-year anniversary in October. Her five-course tasting menu is a pretty amazing deal at $45. Seoul Chicken, 71 Clinton St., 646-838-6066, seoul-chicken.com; Pig and Khao, 68 Clinton St., 212-920-4485; pigandkhao.com
Ma la chicken wings at Yunnan Kitchen; a new chef is manning the stoves there.Christian Johnston Chinese you haven’t tried before
Many of us who had succumbed to Yunnan Kitchen’s charms when it opened in 2012 were alarmed by last year’s announcement that chef Travis Post would be leaving. Thankfully, the food at this restaurant didn’t suffer (well, not too much — their collection of skewers is now off the menu. What gives?). The food is unrecognizable to most New Yorkers as “Chinese food” — it was inspired by the southwestern province of China where it gets its name — but that’s not a bad thing. The cold tofu ribbons with cilantro, red onion, mint and chili oil ($12) are lighter and airier than anything you’d find in your neighborhood takeout place. And for those who prefer it heavy, fried and super spicy, you can’t go wrong with the $14 ma la chicken wings. 79 Clinton St.; 212-253-2527; yunnankitchen.com
Mmm — honey-glazed dates wrapped in bacon.Christian Johnston A revamp of a classic
One of Clinton Street’s oldies-but-goodies was Salt Bar, Melissa O’Donnell’s shoebox-size bar and eatery that hung around the neighborhood for 10 years before O’Donnell decided last year that it was in need of a face-lift. The result: Thelma on Clinton. (Thelma, in case you were wondering, is her grandmother’s name.) It’s a handsome, rustic, dimly lit bistro specializing in small plates — little gems such as honey-glazed dates wrapped in bacon ($12), or slightly bigger dishes like roast codfish “grandmere” with mushroom, house-cured bacon and spring onions ($17). We’re assuming Grandma would approve. 29A Clinton St.; 212-979-8471; thelmaonclinton.com
