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The Beach Grill at Water Taxi Beach on Governors Island
1 Carder Road, North End, 877-974-6998, ext. 4., Governors Island
Two ax heads, a string of beads and a handful of nails were what Dutchman Wouter Van Twiller paid Native Americans in 1637 for Governors Island. Later it became a military facility, then the home of the Coast Guard. A few years back, the people of New York acquired it for a nominal cost to be used for public benefit (that means no casinos). A parking lot on the north end of the island was transformed—by trucking in 300 tons of sand—into Water Taxi Beach, the third location around the City (after Long Island City and South Street Seaport). From Friday to Sunday on summer days it's a wonderful place to spread out a towel, hang with friends and listen to concerts, fueled by boardwalk-type food from The Beach Grill: hot dogs (including a soy dog), kielbasa, burgers, fries and vegan potato salad. The Backstage Café, featuring wraps and salads with ingredients that are grown locally, is expected to open in a couple of weeks.

Cellar 58
58 Second Ave., 212-420-1300, East Village, Manhattan
Interested in exploring wines from Bulgaria or Ecuador? Cellar 58 is a veritable vault of emerging wine producers. (Traditionalists can take comfort in plenty of old-world Italian, French and Spanish labels.) What's nice is that several bottles sell for under $30 and glasses are mostly under $10. The list is 120 strong, many of them prettily displayed in the back dining room, which can be reserved for private parties (28 seated, 40 standing room, no fee). The menu is group-friendly, composed of Umbrian-style flatbread sandwiches, cured meat and cheese plates as well as chicken and shrimp skewers, among other eclectic items. The dark, low-ceilinged front room, embellished with murals of nudes, attracts a young, boisterous crowd.

Fort Defiance
365 Van Brunt St., 347-453-6672, Red Hook, Brooklyn
Named for a Revolutionary War fort that was once nearby, Fort Defiance is led by the singular vision of St. John Frizell, a talented writer and former bartender at Pegu Club. Nightly, he's in charge of making drinks like the old-school Trader Vic's Mai Tai and a supersize Tom Collins (called a Sumo Collins). Frizell lived in New Orleans for eight years, which means there's an on-the-money muffuletta sandwich, as well as deviled eggs, a spicy Vietnamese bánh mì and Italian tuna on ciabatta. The café-bar feels like a beachside saloon, done up in pale, soothing colors; oak and birch wainscoting; and hobnailed oilcloth tables crafted by Linden Elstran, Frizell's prop stylist wife. After Con Edison turns on the gas—expected in a few weeks' time—the dinner and brunch menus will expand.

Organika
89 Seventh Ave. South, 212-414-1900, West Village, Manhattan
On a busy strip of the West Village is an oasis of calm: a small, sweet Italian-Mediterranean spot with an open kitchen and a small bar. Chef Melissa Muller relies on local, sustainable ingredients to make whole-wheat lasagna with pesto, béchamel, zucchini, grape tomatoes and eggplant or pizza with mozzarella, mushrooms and ground beef. Then there are imported, fabulous cheeses like Northern Italy's creamy, tangy robiola on bruschetta with roasted peppers or on pizza bianca with mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The wine list, focusing on small producers from the United States and Italy, is 90% organic. Lunch and brunch will feature organic egg dishes, pancakes, imaginative salads and sandwiches.

Xie Xie
645A Ninth Ave., 212-265-2975, Midtown West, Manhattan
Say "xie xie" (which means "thank you" in Mandarin and is pronounced "shay shay") to Angelo Sosa (ex-Yumcha) for this stylish new Asian sandwich shop in Hell's Kitchen. Combinations are flavorful and fresh, at turns spicy and sweet, such as the Vietnamese barbecue beef on a bun with basil mayonnaise and carrot kimchi. The braised, tea-smoked chicken on a baguette spills over with smoked egg salad, pickled red cabbage and cilantro. Sandwiches are meticulously built, so it's not exactly fast fast food, but you can sit and sip from juice-size Bandit boxed wines or cans of Sofia Blanc de Blancs (the sparkling-wine-in-a-can named after the director of Lost in Translation) while you wait.