Commissary
When Matthew Kenney's original restaurant, Matthew's, closed after a fire last year, Kenney kept busy at Canteen and Commune, his hip bastions of haute comfort food in SoHo and the Flatiron district. This week, he restores his uptown presence by reopening Matthew's as Commissary, with a new circular bar, glass façade, and continuous service from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. The kitchen revives some of the Mediterranean flavors Matthew's was known for in dishes like polenta with mascarpone at breakfast; panini of prosciutto, pear, blue cheese, and white-truffle honey at lunch; and lamb loin stuffed with goat cheese, mint, dates, and almonds, served with saffron fregula, at dinner.
1030 Third Avenue, at 61st Street
212-339-9955
· Cuisine: Modern American

Papillon
Just when macaroni and cheese threatens to put post-September 11 New York diners into a permanent sleeper hold, along comes former Atlas chef and rude-food warrior Paul Liebrandt, the Ornette Coleman of free cuisine, to loosen its starchy grip and wake -- or shake -- us up. Reports of his exile to Europe have been greatly exaggerated; in fact, he's resurfaced downtown at Papillon, determined to thrill us with his self-described "extremely high-quality cuisine in a very relaxed setting with very relaxed prices." That means a $45 prix fixe with no caviar, no truffles, and only one foie gras dish, in which the ubiquitous goose liver is ingeniously pickled in brine and crowned with écume de mer (clam foam). Other examples of Liebrandt's high-concept cuisine include langouste tartare with a sablé made from its roe (pictured, left), and entrées like côte de boeuf baked in hay with coffee-cardamom jus. Like-minded pastry chef Will Goldfarb ensures that the meal ends on a suitably avant-garde note with desserts like a liquid chocolate tart with a sheet of pulverized and baked Halls Mentho-Lyptus. Chicken soup, watch your back.
575 Hudson Street
646-638-2900
· Cuisine: French


Notable Closings
Though not a comprehensive listing, here are a few dining spots that have bid adieu...
City Eatery (The, bar and lounge, however, are still open)
316 Bowery, at Bleecker St.
Bar Odeon (Luckily, its progenitor, The Odeon is still alive and well)
136 W. Broadway
Clementine
1 Fifth Avenue, at 8th Street
Virot
52 E. 41st Street, at The Dylan Hotel
Peacock Alley
301 Park Avenue, at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Meigas
350 Hudson Street
Q Bar
267 W. 4th Street