Easy Street

Until recently, Kenmare Street--only five blocks long--was nearly all hardware shops and lost tourists looking for Little Italy. But thanks to several crowd-drawing additions, this diminutive thoroughfare has become Nolita's main drag.

And the future only holds promise. Two highly anticipated restaurants are slated to open this spring: Kenmare (with the Little Owl's Joey Campanaro in the kitchen) and a yet-to-be-named project in The Nolitan hotel from Red Cat owner Jimmy Bradley.

Don't wait for the melee to ensue; now's the perfect time for a Kenmare crawl:

Dinner Start at Travertine's twinkling dining room (pictured)--an unrecognizable revamp of the Little Charlie's Clam Bar space--and seek out the handmade pastas of Babbo and Top Chef alum Manuel Trevino. Delicate, moon-shaped mezzaluna surround a cheese-tinged squash filling and flaunt a sprinkling of amaretti crumbs, while the earthy garganelli yokes humble brussels sprouts with shiitake mushrooms and brown butter. Opt for an early dinner and save room; your next destination closes at 9 p.m.

Dessert Walk three blocks west to Village Tart, the new café (and soon-to-open wine bar) from star pastry chef Pichet Ong. The environs recall a Viennese café, and the counter displays an array of tarts both sweet and savory: Make the tough choice between a dense chocolate-Nutella tart and a tangy-sweet grapefruit and frangipane number.

Nightcap Where Kenmare turns into a dead end at Lafayette Street, you'll find Café Select. Take a seat at one of the counter stools and go for the Cilantro Whif--made with coconut rum, cilantro, mint, and bitters--or the Select Fashion, a foamy, orange-tinged spin on an Old Fashioned. And the excellent pastries--like a flaky, cheese-topped Swiss-German Chäschüechli--will curb any late-night hunger pangs.