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Abstract
Novelty-seeking New Yorkers - and record numbers of visitors lured by the Big Apple's new squeaky-clean image - have flooded this year's eclectic crop of restaurants, and trailed peripatetic star chefs to new homes on the range. One trend has been location, with many notable newcomers opening below 23rd Street, ground-zero for the art and fashion industries. Dinner in the traditional sense is incidental to some of the year's biggest hits, where grazing on multiethnic appetizer-sized portions in sleekly decorated lounges has replaced formal 3-course meals. On the other end of the spectrum, experienced chefs like Vongerichten, Mario Batali and Rocco di Spirito have achieved new success by focusing, as always, on the food. A guide to the newcomers that have made the biggest splash, either for style, sustenance, or - on the rare occasion - for both, is presented.