Readers' choices

Best reopening
Russian Tea Room

Other nominees: Le Cirque, Picholine, Tasting Room, The Waverly Inn
Four years after the closing of the late Warner LeRoy’s pimped-out version of the Russian Tea Room, the irrepressible 1926 New York City icon reopened with a sparkling makeover. Although rumors swirl of an impending close in the aftermath of a public battle between owner Gerald Lieblich and visionary chef Gary Robins (who was ousted in February), that hasn’t stopped you from voting this your favorite reopening. Credit goes to fusion innovator Robins (formerly of the recently closed Biltmore Room). The chef, who researched the cuisines of the former Soviet Republics, didn’t limit his fare to clichéd favorites. His borscht—tangy and complex, updated with bits of short rib—was an instant classic, while blinchiki (small blintzes) stuffed with duck confit evoked czarist decadence. The clubby allure follows suit: bright-red booths, gilded friezes, the top-hat–clad attendant who points you toward the restrooms—this is a kitschy, kaleidoscopic take on Russia, restored to its full glitzy glory. 150 W 57th between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-581-7100)

Best splurge
Per Se

Other nominees: Daniel, Kobe Club, Le Cirque, Masa
The price of the nine-course prix-fixe meal has shot up from $150, when Per Se opened in 2004, to $250 (that’s for the vegetable tasting menu or the omnivore’s meal). Yet the catastrophic rate of inflation in Thomas Keller’s world hasn’t sent you, our readers, running for the early-bird special. Was it the hushed reverence with which the restaurant’s name is uttered that wooed you? The signature course of oysters and pearls—precious osetra caviar with tapioca and Island Creek bivalves? The oh-so-elusive reservation, a surefire way to get those foodie juices flowing? No matter. Once you get a table, this is for sure: You think it’s worth it. 10 Columbus Circle at 59th St (212-823-9335)

New chef of the year
Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern

Other nominees: David Chang (Momofuku Ssäm Bar), Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park), Seamus Mullen (Boqueria), Jason Neroni (Porchetta)
The spirit of chef Tom Colicchio has left Gramercy Tavern, and from your voting results, it looks like the resounding sentiment is “good riddance.” Enter Michael Anthony, a Blue Hill Stone Barns alum who has transferred the seasonal eating, ingredients-worshipping ethos of Dan Barber’s kitchen to that of Danny Meyer. Where diners once expected Colicchio’s hearty, straightforward cooking, they can now welcome subtler, more elaborately conceived dishes (snow-white fillet of sturgeon in the dining room, scallops with red cabbage in the tavern). He hasn’t been a darling with the critics, but he’s your favorite new chef. Sometimes all a restaurant needs is a good exorcism. 42 E 20th St between Broadway and Park Ave South (212-477-0777)

Best new Queens restaurant
Quaint

Other nominees: Aces, Il Bambino, Jade Eatery & Lounge, Ovelia
If it had opened on, say, a street in Carroll Gardens, Quaint would have seemed just like any number of restaurants on the block. But oddly, the casual yet sophisticated eateries that are a dime a dozen in Brooklyn have been absent in Queens. This New American bistro in Sunnyside, with its tavernlike looks—booths made from salvaged pews, and a long, sleek wood bar—is an ideal local dining spot. The kitchen makes use of seasonal produce with belly-filling classics, like a simple grilled salmon with onion compote and a veggie of the day, or the tilapia, panfried with rice and red beans. You voted for Quaint because the food is reliably delicious, the atmosphere welcoming and familiar, and the prices reasonable. A patio in back, open during warmer months, and an all-you-can-eat mussels-and-fries Monday night special didn’t hurt either. Welcome to the neighborhood. 46-10 Skillman Ave between 46th and 47th Sts, Sunnyside, Queens (917-779-9220)

Best new burger joint
BLT Burger

Other nominees: BRGR, Royale, 67 Burger, Stand
Burger mania shows no sign of abating in red-meat–crazed New York City (where do we think we are, Chicago?!?). Although scores of burger joints have opened this year, it’s French chef Laurent Tourondel’s take on the classic that won the ground-beef race. In his latest addition to the growing BLT kingdom (that’s Bistro Laurent Tourondel to you), the shrewd overseas chef has convinced you of his heartland chops. The no-frills house burger—seven ounces of sirloin, short rib, chuck and brisket—not only comes on a cookout-worthy white bun (très américain), it’s wrapped in wax paper and served with fries in a plastic basket that evokes the drive-in. Yet more esoteric items, like a spicy patty made of lamb merguez and the $62 Japanese kobe burger, make it abundantly clear that Tourondel has not forgotten the haute that got him (and you) here. 470 Sixth Ave between 11th and 12th Sts (212-243-8226)

New bar of the year
ReBar

Other nominees: Beatrice Inn, Death & Co., Marshall Stack , Union Hall
Like banks offering free toasters, bars nowadays tend to resort to free-pizza and Skee-Ball gimmicks to attract fickle tipplers. But such ploys are superfluous with a drinkery as meticulously conceived as this Dumbo hideaway, carved out from an ex-factory’s mezzanine. Past the handwrought gate and stained-glass windows, the tulip chandeliers’ orange glow illuminates 15 taps dispensing potent American microbrews (Bear Republic’s Red Rocket, Sixpoint’s Bengali Tiger) and rich Belgian beers (Delirium Tremens, Kwak). The quality quaffs extend to by-the-glass organic wines, which paint-flecked artists swig along with asparagus-and-smoked-salmon bocadillos and fried almonds by the fistful. Live jazz and DJs provide the soundtrack after dark, when fuzzy-headed schemes lead to thoughts of purchasing a newly sprouted Dumbo apartment, making ReBar your permanent local. 147 Front St between Jay and Pearl Sts, Dumbo, Brooklyn (718-797-2322)

Steak and eggs at the Good Fork

Best new Brooklyn restaurant
The Good Fork

Other nominees: Dressler, Petite Crevette, The Smoke Joint, Zenkichi

Best new neighborhood spot
The Good Fork

Other nominees: Cafe Cluny, Flatbush Farm, Frankies Spuntino 17 Clinton Street, Klee Brasserie
It’s significant that this double winner is in Red Hook, which until recently wasn’t a neighborhood, much less a dining destination. A sea change has borne a residential influx, a Fairway and superlative eateries: chiefly, the Asian-inflected Good Fork. This idiosyncratic risk-taker is run by carpenter-actor Ben Schneider and his wife, chef Sohui Kim (a vet of Annisa and Blue Hill). The caramel-colored wood-and-brick dining room evokes a cozy houseboat, and diners are packed cheek by jowl. Delicate pork-and-chive dumplings kick Chinatown’s butt, and Kim’s hands-down star is the “steak and eggs”: a grilled, marinated skirt steak capped with a fried egg on a bed of kimchi rice. But what makes the Good Fork a neighborhood treasure is its commitment to local offerings: Neighboring Steve’s Key Lime Pie is proudly served, as are veggies from Red Hook’s Added Value farm and brewery-fresh Sixpoint suds. It’s Brooklyn pride, by the plate and pint. 391 Van Brunt St between Coffey and Van Dyke Sts, Red Hook, Brooklyn (718-643-6636)

Best breakfast or brunch
Clinton Street Baking Co.

Other nominees: Brooklyn Label, Egg, Tom’s, Westville
New Yorkers aren’t usually keen on waiting patiently for things, but a late-morning (or midafternoon) table at the Clinton St. Baking Company is clearly worth the queue: Every Saturday and Sunday, a throng of brunchers line up to pack themselves into the wood-paneled restaurant’s cozy quarters for a comfort-food feast. Out of the bustling kitchen come classics prepared with simple style. Pillowy banana-walnut pancakes ($11) are accompanied by an irresistibly warm, syrupy maple butter; eggs Benedict ($13) feature hearty slabs of ham just as moist and sweet as the buttermilk biscuits beneath them. Order the fried green tomatoes ($5) and you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying crunch that confirms it: Good things really do come to those who wait. 4 Clinton St between Houston and Stanton Sts (646-602-6263)

Best new alt coffeeshop
Joe, the art of coffee

Other nominees: Aroma, Mudtruck, Ninth Street Espresso, Think Coffee.
Last fall, the burgeoning coffee-lover’s chain spawned its sleekest branch to date—complete with a molto authentic espresso bar—inside Soho’s Alessi store. Although it’s a slight departure from Joe’s more down-to-earth Waverly Place and 13th Street spots, java cognoscenti have embraced this design-savvy, Italianate incarnation. Underneath the slick packaging, loyalists have found that the espresso still ranks supreme. As at his other cafés, owner Jonathan Rubenstein has employed experienced baristas who proffer rich, nutty cups—with an expert foam for those who want it—from the glorious $14,000 La Marzocco machine. But here, the vaunted buzz juice is served in chic drinking vessels, which are also for sale. At this rate, Joe won’t be “alt” for long—just the “best.” 130 Greene St between Houston and Prince Sts (212-941-7330)

Grass-fed New York strip at Craftsteak

Best new steakhouse
Craftsteak

Other nominees: Harry’s, Porterhouse NY, Quality Meats, STK
So you survived the Steakhouse Wars of 2006—bloody and bruised, or at least medium-rare and corn-fed. Tom Colicchio’s massively popular Vegas import (which just scored a new executive chef, Damon Wise) fought its way to the top of the heap, no doubt propelled in your eyes by a flagrant disregard for tradition. Instead of the brief, manly menus of other Gotham destinations, here were sophisticated and seemingly limitless options: Grass-fed, dry-aged, Hawaiian and Nebraskan are just the beginning. Cup-runneth-over abundance also applies to the starters and sides: exquisite oyster options from the luxurious raw bar; hot and cold charcuterie; and an embarrassment of exotic mushrooms and veggies. Even the Meatpacking District crowd, in for their Wagyu sliders and saketinis, was won over. And so were you. 85 Tenth Ave at 15th St (212-400-6699)

Best new wine bar
Bin No. 220

Other nominees: Centovini, Domaine Bar a Vins, Pudding Stones, Tini Wine Bar
At their best, wine bars are restorative refuges. At their worst, they’re stress-inducers with weighty wine menus requiring a Rosetta stone to decipher. This improbable oenophile’s paradise (situated near the touristy South Street Seaport) falls squarely in the former category. It radiates understated downtown style—in the original downtown. Gray-painted concrete floors, brick walls and blood-red lighting amp up the ambience for hand-holding couples, who nibble Nutella panini and sip three-wine flights from owners Sandy Tedesco and Calli Lerner’s tightly curated list (80 bottles, all Italian). It’s evenly divided between their preferences: Lerner’s light and fruity offerings are complemented by Tedesco’s dry and full-bodied selections, refreshingly described in layman’s terms (“blackberry nuances,” “woodsy fruit flavor”). At last, you need not be a sommelier to drink like one. 220 Front St between Beekman St and Peck Slip (212-374-9463)

New restaurant of the year
A Voce

Other nominees: Goblin Market, Gordon Ramsay at the London, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, The Waverly Inn
The name of this year’s runaway hit translates to “word of mouth,” but it wasn’t just the glowing reports of Andrew Carmellini’s refined Pan-Italian meals that convinced you A Voce was best. Formerly of Café Boulud, Lespinasse and Le Cirque, the chef rebelled against his Francophilic stomping grounds, using the stylish, modern dining room (who can forget those Eames swivel chairs?) as a backdrop for imaginative Italian cuisine tempered with old-world touches. In Carmellini’s hands, the traditional is elevated to the sublime: “My grandma’s” meat ravioli—ground veal, pork and beef folded into al dente pasta kerchiefs and bathed in a confitlike tomato sauce—are a far cry from coarse red-sauce eats, and Gallic white tablecloths. French cuisine’s loss is your gain. 41 Madison Ave, entrance on 26th St between Madison Ave and Park Ave South (212-545-8555)

Best new out-of-town restaurateur
Stephen Starr (Morimoto, Buddakan)

Other nominees: Tim Love (Lonesome Dove),Gordon Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay at the London), Joël Robuchon (L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon), Michael Symon (Parea

Best new Asian restaurant
Buddakan

Other nominees: Japonais, Mai House, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Safran
As the restaurant don of Philadelphia, Stephen Starr seemed like a perfect fit for New York City: A tastemaker in the mold of Danny Meyer or Keith McNally, Starr thinks big. Really big. His decision last year to tackle the world’s highest-profile restaurant stage with not one but two of his tried-and-true, grandiose Asian hits—Morimoto and Buddakan—shows how far he has come since his days as a lowly club promoter. Both restaurants gained critical and popular acclaim, and now you’ve voted Buddakan New York’s top new Asian spot. The soaring, lavishly appointed 16,000-square-foot space must have played a role in the seduction, but eaters are equally compelled by the food. Chef Michael Schulson, a veteran in Starr’s empire, impresses with tender, ginger-encrusted lamb chops and spicy pork lollipops in a crunchy taro root coating. Not bad for a team unknown to most New Yorkers until last year. 75 Ninth Ave at 16th St (212-989-6699)

Best restaurant you can’t get into
Babbo

Other nominees: The Little Owl, Nobu, Rao’s, The Waverly Inn
When a city restaurant is suddenly granted It status, getting a table can be near impossible. But the challenge usually lasts only until the next It joint is christened. Babbo, which opened in 1998, is among a handful of restaurants whose moment seems to have no end in sight. A reservation at this high-decibel West Village Italian spot—the crown jewel of the Mario Batali–Joe Bastianich empire—is so coveted, patrons call months in advance, all too happy to snatch up a 10:45pm seating for two on a Monday. What awaits is an epic meal that can last upwards of three hours, especially if the experience is left in the hands of the kitchen and their chef’s-choice, eight-course tasting menus. But $20 buys you Batali’s signature mint love letters—tiny ravioli bursting with lamb sausage and fresh mint. That’s how he keeps his fans faithful. 110 Waverly Pl between Sixth Ave and MacDougal St (212-777-0303)

Appetizer sampler at Red Bamboo

Best vegetarian
Red Bamboo Vegetarian Soul Lounge

Other nominees: Hangawi, Mana, Vegetarian Dim Sum House, Wild Ginger Pan-Asian Vegan Cafe
Sprouts, shoots and leaves—we’re all for healthy vegetarian eating. But sometimes the best way to judge a flesh-free joint is by how convincing its mock meat is. Red Bamboo Brooklyn, a vegan and vegetarian Caribbean home cookery, owns this category. Slip into the intimate, brick-walled space and start with the appetizer combo: a trio of soul chicken (in a light panko coating), Cajun fried shrimp (with a convincing sea-salt aftertaste) and kicky buffalo barbecue wings (a stick takes the place of the bone). The Willy Bobo sandwich, which layers soy ham, pickles and vegan Swiss cheese on grilled coco bread, is better known to carnivores as a classic Cubano—herbivores know it as a craveworthy alternative to duller veg fare. 271 Adelphi St at DeKalb Ave, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-643-4352)

Best new beer bar
The Village Pourhouse

Other nominees: Against the Grain, CB Six, Essex Street Alehouse, 4th Avenue Pub
Beer drinkers are divided into two camps: persnickety microbrew and import adherents, and indiscriminate Bud guzzlers. The factions were as fiercely partisan as Congress until the Village Pourhouse acted as the great unifier. This multiroom hops depot—featuring sports memorabilia and flat screens aplenty—caters equally to Coors chuggers and Chimay nursers. Aficionados will find 24 drafts and 50-plus globe-spanning bottles, like Israel’s Maccabi and Japan’s Hitachino Nest Ginger Brew (a six-beer sampler runs $15). Quantity-over-quality barflies will appreciate happy hour’s one-buck Bud and Bud Light drafts (daily 5–7pm) and Monday’s $1.95 brown-bagged Natural Light. Though both drinking blocs may wrinkle their noses at the other’s preferred tipple, a sprawling, battered-and-fried pub menu offers artery cloggers everyone can agree upon. 64 Third Ave at 11th St (212-279-2337)

Best new seafood joint
Lure

Other nominees: Black Pearl, Ditch Plains, Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar, Pier 2110
Even though it first opened in 2004, it is no surprise that you picked Lure as your favorite new seafood joint. Shuttered by a fire in January of last year, the tony, yachtlike spot swabbed its glossy teak decks, added a full sushi bar and—get this—reduced its prices to reopen just a few months later, much to the delight of local seafood lovers. Chef Josh Capon focuses on the quality and freshness of the fish, and his kitchen consistently turns out modern classics such as light and tangy fluke ceviche in red wine vinaigrette, and whole dourade, which could very easily be overwhelmed but instead basks in fresh chili, herbs and lime. Throw in the smart and affordable selection of wines by the glass—a delicious, zesty Gruner Veltliner for $11—and it’s no wonder you’re going overboard for Lure. 142 Mercer St at Prince St (212-431-7676)

Best new prix fixe
Knife + Fork

Other nominees: Degustation, Del Posto Enoteca,Megu Midtown, Palo Santo
Michelin-starred chef-owner Damien Brassel’s $45, six-course tasting menu—three appetizers, a fish entrée, a meat main course and a dessert—may stretch your belly, but its inventive offerings can go dish for dish with any chichi à la carte meal. The denim-clad crowd and front-and-center beer taps give the East Village spot a pubby, anything-goes vibe, but appearances can be deceiving: If one of your group orders the prix fixe, so must the entire party. The strict ground rules haven’t stopped you from voting this your favorite. Where else do pickled white peach, caramel sauce and balsamic-poached fig meet a hunk of foie gras, and luscious duck breast finds a sweet soul mate in apple mash with a chocolate and raspberry reduction? (The answer is nowhere. Few would dare.) 108 E 4th St between First and Second Aves (212-228-4885)

Best Australian
Eight Mile Creek

Other nominees: Bondi Road, Sheep Station, Tuck Shop, Wombat
Okay, so there’s no Little Australia in NYC…yet. But Down Under dining is slowly and surely gaining traction. Despite more-recent entrants like Bondi Road and Wombat, this slim, eight-year-old Aussie-centric Nolita eatery has won your votes with authentic Australian ingredients (emu carpaccio, kanga skewers, rack of kiwi lamb); friendly service; and an impressive, affordable regional beer and wine selection, including hard to find brews like Cooper’s Ale and James Boag’s premium lager. The lively Creek Bar downstairs doesn’t hurt the approval rating either—what with its jukebox and regular, rowdy screenings of cricket and rugby matches and Aussie-rules football. You won’t hear a lot of “throw another shrimp on the barbie,” but there are summer BBQs in the backyard garden. A ripper good time. 240 Mulberry St between Prince and Spring Sts (212-431-4635)

Margherita at Baci & Abbracci

Best new pizza joint
Baci & Abbracci

Other nominees: Cronkite Pizzeria and Wine Bar, Krunch Pizza Bar, Lucali, Pasita
Perhaps as old as the oven itself, NYC’s pie wars continue to burn, with plenty of spots opening in the past year. But among such heavy hitters as Cronkite and Krunch, you selected an off-the-beaten-path restaurant as your champion. Baci & Abbracci’s Neapolitan-style pies merit the trip on the L: Still molten from the wood-burning hearth (from Naples, natch), these thin-crust discs feature a slightly chewy base and a balanced ratio of cheese, crust and toppings. The crowd-pleasing Margherita (tomato sauce, house-made mozzarella and fresh basil) is redolent of smoke and gorgeously charred, besting nearby competitor Fornino’s version. And the menu’s 14 other renditions—featuring wild arugula, prosciutto di Parma and truffle oil—make narrowing down difficult. One no-brainer: ordering delivery on a snowy night, a service that B&A provides all year. 204 Grand St between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-599-6599)

Best barbecue
Blue Smoke

Other nominees: Daisy May’s, Rack & Soul, R.U.B., The Smoke Joint
Your votes saw to it that Danny Meyer’s venerable Murray Hill ’cue institution smoked this highly sauced competition. Though New York is still plugging away at earning a barbecue rep, Meyer can rest on the laurels of Blue Smoke pit master Kenny Callahan’s Texas-style salt-and-pepper beef ribs. These dry-rubbed beauties turn mild-mannered diners into bone-gnawing mongrels. For patrons favoring distance between their sustenance and its skeleton, the pulled pork—heaped atop thick white bread, joined by coleslaw and baked beans—is soft enough to eat sans teeth. The Southern grub’s so down-home delicious that New Yorkers pay it the highest compliment: They’ll sit beside tourists to chow down. 116 E 27th St between Park and Lexington Aves (212-447-7733)

Best cheese shop
Murray’s Cheese

Other nominees: Artisanal, Formaggio Essex, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Stinky Bklyn
It’s not easy for the competition to knock New York’s go-to cheese shop off its pedestal. While New York’s fromage scene is gaining its share of knowledgeable cheesemongers, Murray’s is still the place where you patiently queue on the weekends to buy trusty curds from the expert staff. Owner Rob Kaufelt spent years developing close relationships with cheese makers all over the world, and stocks more than 300 varieties broken down by milk type, origin and texture. At least for now, this cheese still stands alone. 254 Bleecker St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212 243-3289) • Grand Central Terminal, 43rd St at Lexington Ave (212-922-1540)

Best new gimmick
S’MAC

Other nominees: BAMN!, Burgers & Cupcakes, Hawaiian Tropic Zone, In Tent
Being a one-trick pony isn’t all bad—just ask Sarita and Caesar Ekya, the minds behind this neon-orange mac-and-cheese shrine. On most days, long lines stretch out the door for the curdy carbs. Twelve varieties include “classic” and the more sophisticated Brie with roasted figs, shiitake mushrooms and fresh rosemary—each served sizzling in an old-fashioned cast-iron skillet. Creative types (or hungry stoners) make up their own dream dishes, including the type of pasta (twisted elbow macaroni, whole wheat), the sauce (all-American or four cheese), the toppings (hot dogs, andouille sausage, veggies) and the portion size (“nosh,” “major munch” or “mongo”). The best part? A mac-and-cheese happy hour (Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5pm, $10 minimum) that knocks 15 percent off the already low prices. 345 E 12th St between First and Second Aves (212-358-7912)

Contributors: Joshua M. Bernstein, Michael Freidson, Gabriella Gershenson, Alexis Korman, Clare Lambe, Kate Lowenstein, Leslie Price, Joshua Rothkopf, Pervaiz Shallwani, Kiri Tannenbaum, Helen Yun

The 2007 Eat Out Awards:

• Readers' choices
• Critics' picks
• The year in dish
• The year in numbers
• A moment of silence: Stick a fork in these dearly departed restaurants.
• Online-exclusive photo gallery: Marvel at the craft of our Eat Out award winners in this mouth-watering display of superlative food and drink.
• Tell us what we missed: We'll be the first to admit that the five-borough eating and drinking universe is far too vast for us to cover everything. So let us hear from you.
• Nontraditional Eat Out awards: Help us decide a few less mainstream categories about the good, the bad and the ugly in New York dining.