Rain, slush and sleet have clasped the beginning of this year in a frigid vise, at least here in the Northeast, where we’ll take any excuse we can not to go outside into the cold. Powerful enticements are needed to melt away the wintery torpor, and that’s why we’re so excited about these five new restaurants, which have us ready to bundle up and rush headlong into howling winds to sample their fare. From British haute cuisine to the simple pleasures of pizza and shakes, from delicate Asian-fusion small plates to Austrian Kaffeehaus specialties to craft cocktails under the swirling light of a disco ball, these new concepts beckon us with flavors cozily familiar and boldly intriguing alike.
Be on the lookout for crimson trees, German punk rock posters and classy nightclub ambience in this list of refuges away from home, which includes Nomai in Hingham, Mass., Ramsay’s Kitchen in Boston, Whatever Forever in Brooklyn, N.Y., Pizza and Shakes in Manhattan and Charley in Harrison, N.Y.
