As the fall season emerges from behind the warm and lazy summer months in New York City, it brings the typical abundance of new restaurant openings. While the goers sunbathed out East, the planning was underway for an autumn debut. And now with most of the leaves a different color, the restaurants have swung open their doors ready to take on every foodie critic out there looking for a taste of something new. With that in mind, I grabbed my favorite oyster-loving gal and headed out to check out two of the very new hot spots, but not without a taste of something old first

We kicked off our palate teasing evening with several rounds of happy hour oysters and cocktails at Live Bait. A hole in the wall joint, with prime real estate location, it is the plan b when the line is just too long at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Ok, so their burgers are probably not on par, but their happy hour deal is not to be missed. Across the board, $5 is the happy number. It is the price for 6 oysters, 6 clams, 1/4 lbs of peel and eat shrimp, or any of the other bar food items on the special menu. And to chase it all down, there is a $5 drink to go along with it. Two dozen oysters, 1/2 dozen clams and a 1/4lbs of shrimp, we could not have left happier.

A few blocks away, our next adventure awaited. The launch of the 2012 Zagat Survey at the new and magnificently alluring La Mar. The energy was in high gear, as the cocktails and small bites were floating throughout the room. The Pisco Sours, a classic Peruvian cocktail instilled reminiscence of sitting at a bar in Lima, and the small bites were as aesthetic to the eye as they were to our palate, each one bursting with flavor. Our favorite, the grilled baby octopus with shrimp was delectable and engaging.

Next stop, we were off to the opening party of Kibo. A new addition to the BR Guest Hospitality group, in the former Japonais space, it is now under the operations of the admirable French culinary genius Chef Joel Bouchon. Although the space did not change much, the food certainly transformed itself, reappearing more tasteful, creative and inviting. The sake was flowing, and the food just kept coming. After a few pieces of made to order sushi, we made our way over to the robata where skewers of beef were coming hot off the stone heated grill. Savory satisfied, we concluded on a sweet note of in-house made mochi ice cream. I with the green tea, and my friend with the mango.

Live Bait
14 East 23rd Street
New York NY 10010
212-353-2492

La Mar
11 Madison Avenue
New York NY 10010
212-612-2289

Kibo
111 East 18th Street
New York NY
212-824-2770