This is a list of restaurants I hope to be checking out in the near future:

Boqueria
53 W 19th St (bet. 5th & 6th Aves.)
Tapas joint with great energy - must go with group.

Minca
536 E 5th St between Avenue A and B
Cheap Japanese ramen noodles in the village.

Resto
111 E. 29th St (at Park Ave South)
Belgian joint serving amazing Tête de Cochon sandwich (pork).

Employees Only
510 Hudson St (10th & Christopher St)
Their orecchiete pork ragu is supposedly superb.

P*ONG
150 W. 10th St. nr. Waverly Pl.
Recently opened Thai and dessert restaurant.

Sfoglia
1402 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
Popular Upper East Side Italian restaurant.

Fatty Crab
643 Hudson Street
Popular Malaysian joint with creative dishes.

The Little Owl
90 Bedford St. at Grove St.
Brunch/dinner in small West Village spot.

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place
Classy but affordable American restaurant near Washington Square Park.

Kuma Inn
113 Ludlow Street at Delancey Street
Generously-portioned Asian tapas.

Una Pizza Napoletana
349 12th Street b/w 1st and 2nd Aves.
Highly-acclaimed Neopolitan pizza.

The following are restaurants that I visited after adding them to the On the Radar list:

Ed’s Lobster Bar
222 Lafayette Street
Run by former sous-chef of Pearl Oyster Bar.

The Mermaid Inn
96 Second Ave. (bet. 5th & 6th Sts.)
Seafood joint in East Village; very charming and affordable.

The Shake Shack
Madison Square Park on 23rd St.
Outdoor burger joint. Incredible in quality (for its price) and shakes are a must-have.

Uminoie
86 East Third Street betweem First and Second Aves.
Charming small spot in the East Village with a unique menu. Portions are tiny.

Lure Fishbar
142 Mercer Street at Prince Street
Great place for Happy Hour drinks and snacks. $1 oysters and clams and incredible cocktails.

Cookshop
156 Tenth Ave. at 20th St.
New American with focus on fresh ingredients. Be sure to try their spicy hominy.

S’MAC
345 E. 12th St. near First Ave.
Mac’n'cheese in creative fashion. Try their gruyere cheese dish with thick slabs of bacon.

Enoteca Barbone
186 Ave B between 11th & 12th Sts.
Lower East Side Italian with outdoor seating; excellent pasta and great selection of wines.

Pio Pio
8415 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights
Peruvian chicken joint - just get the chicken, skip on the other stuff.

Ovelia
30th Ave. at 34th St., Astoria
New sleek spot in Astoria serving Greek small plates.