Inside Leah Cohen’s Asian American Pub in Jersey City

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Jersey City’s increasingly hot dining scene is getting a new addition from Pig & Khao chef Leah Cohen. Opening Thursday, September 21, Piggyback Bar is a casual Asian American tavern with a whimsical menu and killer Manhattan views.

Since Piggyback is a bar, the food is appropriately light-hearted, with mash-up dishes like a mapo chili dog, disco “phories” that include a pho gravy, and a kimchi pulled pork sandwich. Cocktails are similarly Asian-inspired, like one with Thai chili-infused tequila, watermelon juice, and manzanilla sherry. There are 12 beers on tap and 12 wines by the glass.

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Restaurants And Bars Score a Friend in City Hall

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As of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, a new city agency exists solely dedicated to partying. Mayor Bill de Blasio officially signed the Office of Nightlife into existence at a showy press conference — Ramones drummer Marky Ramone was in attendance — at the House of Yes in Bushwick, the Post reports.

The Office of Nightlife was formed to help navigate concerns between residents, bars, and restaurants, as well as serve as advocates on behalf of restaurants and clubs in regard to permitting and other regulations. It’s been a long time coming, with Bushwick and East New York councilman Rafael Espinal advocating for the bill for months.

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Wylie Dufresne’s Dad Finally Opens His Long-Awaited Sandwich Shop

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Six years in the making, quirky sandwich shop Byggyz — from renowned molecular gastronomy chef Wylie Dufresne’s dad Dewey Dufresne — has opened on the Lower East Side.

It’s a streamlined operation with just four sandwiches on the menu, of which the signature is the “byggybeef” with braised beef short rib, American cheese, hot peppers, pickled vegetables, pomegranate demi-glace, and “Xxollent sauce,” which is just mayo, mustard, and sweet peppers. There’s also a pork, turkey, and tuna take; the full menu is below.

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Steak Tartare Is Having a Fresh Moment in NYC

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The result is much richer than the equivalent hamburger patty and much fresher tasting, with notes of minerality. The dish often comes with toasts, cornichons, and sometimes lettuces. Here are some of our favorite versions of steak tartare.

Chez Ma Tante

This Canadian-themed Greenpoint restaurant helmed by chefs whose resume includes Altro Paradiso and M. Wells makes a chunky tartare. Served with grilled toasts and a dab of aioli, inviting you to make an open-face sandwich, the appetizer ($16) comes flavored with mustard seeds and a squirt of fish sauce. The parsnip chips on top are too frail to use as scoops, but deliver a nice crunch nonetheless. 90 Calyer Street, Brooklyn, 718- 389-3606

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Harold Dieterle’s Gluten-Free Italian Restaurant Has Arrived

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Gluten-free eaters have a big new restaurant to try with the opening of Tali & Tali Dolce, an entirely gluten-free Italian restaurant, bar, bakery, and ice cream shop from chef Harold Dieterlethat has officially debuted in Kips Bay.

Tali focuses on the savory side of things, with tons of dishes that aren’t usually associated with gluten-free eating. Pastas and panino headline the slim menu, which is filled out with salads and soup. See it in full below. Over at Dolce, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and more all get the gluten-free treatment, too. There is cider, prosecco, and wine to wash it all down — and, yes, the drinks are gluten-free, too.

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NYC’s ‘Best’ Poke Debuts in Nomad

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Chikarashi, the Chinatown poke restaurant with Japanese influences from Neta vet Michael Jong Lim, has risen to the top of the poke crop enough to add location number two in Nomad. Now open, this new location at 1158 Broadway is nearly identical with an all-wood look and similar menu that does not allow for customizing.

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Lilia Chef Plots Second Williamsburg Restaurant

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Lilia chef Missy Robbins will open a second Williamsburg restaurant in the high-profile Domino Sugar Refinery revitalization. Robbins is staying mum about the details, but the Post reports she will take over about 4,000 square-feet of the $3 billion, 11-acre compound.

Robbins is celebrated for her pasta-making skills, which she refined at A Voce before striking out on her own with Lilia. That restaurant debuted as an industry darling, drawing in celebrities galore. It earned two stars from Eater critic Ryan Sutton and three from Times critic Pete Wells.

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Tsukiji Will Soon Provide Newark Airport’s Sushi

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As part of the massive overhaul in dining options in Newark Airport Terminal C, Tsukiji Fish Market and Sushi will open this fall, a grab-and-go spot from food provider OTG, stocked with fish flown in via United Airlines from Japan’s famed Tsukiji — the world’s largest fish market.

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New Greek Steakhouse Focuses on the Meat in a Stunning Space

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Named for revolutionary fighters in 1821’s Greek War of Independence who stole livestock and spit-roasted them,Merakia: Greek MountainThief Spithouse + Steak opens today in Flatiron, in a high-ceiling, brick-walled, stone-cold-stunner of a space.

This temple to meat takes over the old Kat & Theo space, from the same owners Renee and Andreas Typaldos. That concept wasn’t quite catching on, though, so Andreas tapped into his Greek heritage to create a steakhouse menu with chef Tassos Ballas. The result is tons of spit-roasted and grilled steak, lamb, pork, and chicken with Greek-inspired sides.

Merakia is now open Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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Filipino Taqueria Joins the Upper East Side

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The Upper East Side will no longer be a Filipino food desert with the addition of Flip Sigi, a counter-service Filipino taqueria from 2nd City chef Jordan Andino.

Opening Saturday, September 16, Flip Sigi will serve Andino’s signature Instagram-friendly tacos, burritos, poke, bao, and noodles that feature Filipino flavors. New to this location is the “Filipino Underground Crunchwrap,” a play on Taco Bell’s popular crunchy griddled burrito wrap, this one with braised short rib, fried tortilla, kimchi fried rice, Mexican cheese, shredded lettuce, and salsa. The full menu is below, including drinks.

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