Sorry guys...

Once again work (and life) seems to be conspiring against me.  I jam a ton of cooking into the weekend (although two weekends ago I had a bachelorette party so I couldn't even do that), but then the week hits and I am stuck eating dinner at my desk all week long.  And then this weekend Alex and I will be visiting a friend in San Francisco, so I won't have a posting bonanza on Sunday like I usually do.  Oh well.  But I'm sure I will get lots of good posts out of my trip!  We are going to Bouchon Bistro in Yountville on Friday, so I will definitely have something to post about that!  Thomas Keller here we come.  I would have loved to try Ad Hoc after buying (and loving) the cookbook, but they only serve dinner there and we're going to be in Yountville during the afternoon.  Bummer.  Not that Bouchon Bistro isn't going to be totally awesome too.

Anyway, as I am experiencing a momentary lull in my work day, I finally had time to go back through a lot of the emails that I had received over the course of the past week and I realized that there are a lot of new restaurants opening this fall (and a few that opened up this summer) that I am drying to try.  So I thought I would share my list with all of you!  Some of these restaurants are on the UWS, but most are scattered throughout the city.

1. Graffit (141 West 69th Street) - In the past year the UWS has had a tapas boom with Tangled Vine and Taverna opening in quick succession.  But I for one am really excited about the addition of a new tapas restaurant!
2. Kin Shop (496 Sixth Avenue at 12th Street) - This West Village Thai restaurant is the sophomore debut of Harold Dieterle, who also owns Perilla.  The pictures I have seen of the restaurant look really great, and I love Perilla so I am super excited.
3. Red Rooster (310 Lenox Ave at 125th Street) - Soul food by Marcus Samuelsson (who used to be at Aquavit and then at Merkato 55) seems a little counterintuitive as he was born in Ethiopia and then adopted by a Swedish family, but I love me some fried chicken.
4. The Dutch (131 Sullivan Street) - Andrew Carmellini's new restaurant in Soho.  I still haven't made it to Locanda Verde (more work conspiring against me), but I am bound and determined to visit either or both by the end of 2010.
5. Ditch Plains (100 W. 82nd Street at Columbus) - I was super sad when Bar Bao closed in this space, but am really looking forward to another restaurant!  I have never been to Landmarc, or the Ditch Plains downtown, but I am hoping that it will be delicious.
6. Jeffrey's Grocery (172 Waverly Street, at Christopher Street) - So there are three things that I love about this place already (even though I have yet to try it out). First, I walked by the other night and stopped in for a drink and it is just so quaint.  Second, I love raw oysters and there is a raw bar.  Third, I love Joseph Leonard, a restaurant across the street also owned by Gabe Stulman, so I have serious faith that Jeffrey's Grocery will be awesome.
7. Jalapeno (185 Columbus Avenue, between 68th and 69th Streets) - I love Mexican food and I have found very few Mexican restaurants in the city that I truly enjoy (although The Great Burrito and Cafe Frida on the UWS are quite tasty), so I'm always on the lookout for a new restaurant.
8. Hill Country Chicken (1123 Broadway at 25th Street) - I know that Hill Country opened their sister friend chicken restaurant a few months ago, but seeing as it opened in the later part of 2010 and I haven't been yet, I am adding it to the list.
9. Vandaag (103 Second Avenue, between 6th and 7th Streets) - Again, this Northern European restaurant opened up a few months ago, but I haven't made it down there yet.  It sounds like the menu hits Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Belgium for inspiration.  And in addition to the food, the restaurant has an interesting wine and beer list.