Pepe’s Pizza, famous in New Haven since 1925, is now at Mohegan Sun.

The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer

Bobby Flay has arrived from New York. Frank Pepe is in from New Haven. Eleven Forty Nine has a new sibling in Seekonk. A new-wave BYOB Mexican restaurant has come to Newport, and Vanderbilt Hall has a new dining room. Oakland Beach has another spot for clam cakes and more, and a family opened the doors for Italian food and hot dogs in Cranston. Providence’s North Main Street has a new Asian Palace. Little Compton’s Stone House opens with two eating establishments. And that is hardly all the news.

Recession? What recession?

Yes some restaurants are closing, but more are opening proving again that hope springs eternal in the hospitality business.

Here’s the latest.

John Picerne and Tom Wright have opened Eleven Forty Nine East in Seekonk. It’s their second stylish, suburban spot with a large menu sure to appeal to every taste and budget (from raw bar to double-cooked meatloaf) by director of culinary development and executive chef Jules Ramos. The original serves West Bay out of Warwick and this one brings the solid food, service, atmosphere (and valet parking) to East Bay.

Picerne and Wright purchased the former Bickford’s location a year ago and transformed it into a showplace with two bars, dining room, private dining room and two fireplaced patios hidden from busy Fall River Avenue by arborvitae and fencing.

The spa-like rest rooms include flat screen televisions. On opening night they were set on sports news on ESPN, my personal favorite channel. But Wright said his diners already put in a request for Sex and the City or Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

The menu includes Ramos’ signature clam and corn chowder, brick-oven baked pizza, pastas, burgers and sandwiches, and entrees including yellow fin tuna, chicken paillard, short ribs and filet mignon.

Learn more at elevenfortyninerestaurant.com.

New in Newport is Diego’s at 11 Bowen’s Wharf, a “lighter, healthier Mexican restaurant” according to owner Scott Kirmil. That means a fish taco made with grilled cod and paired with jicama slaw and house aioli.

“We want to be the cheapest and healthiest food on the wharf,” he said.

The restaurant is BYOB and if you bring your own wine, they’ll mix sangria right at your table.

Kirmil serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and believes he may be the only spot open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

His Web site will be up soon at diegosnewport.com. With his schedule, we’ll forgive him his digital transgressions.

Mohegan Sun opened three new dining venues last week at the renovated Winter Entrance.

Bobby’s Burger Palace is celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s new concept for American’s favorite food.

“Burgers are part of the American table,” he said during a visit to his fourth burger-themed restaurant and first in New England.

He’s updated the corner burger joint of America’s youth with cool serpentine tables, mod orange lighting and bar seats. There’s nothing retro here but the flavors. A big, juicy burger (prices start at $6.50) served with thick milkshakes made with 11 ounces of ice cream ($5). Spiked milkshakes include Vanilla Caramel Bourbon and Pineapple Cocunut Rum or Mocha Kahlua Vodka ($9).

Jasper White’s Summer Shack Express has opened with live lobsters packed to travel; how fun is that! Also on the menu are cooked lobsters and other items like chowder, lobster rolls, clam rolls, fish and chips. There’s also a raw bar (four seats to sit) with a selection of oysters.

Finally, we don’t have to drive to New Haven anymore because Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana has opened a 3,800 square-foot dine-in and take-out eatery. Pepe’s serves the signature New Haven-style thin-crust pizza baked in coal-fired brick ovens. Try the white pizza topped with freshly shucked clams or my favorite, an original pie with tomato and mozzarella.

The New Haven restaurant was opened circa 1945 (but dates back to 1925), and you’ll appreciate the more modern look here. And you don’t have to wait outside for a table in the cold or the heat.

Learn more at mohegansun.com/dining.

The Carousel Grille has joined the restaurant row at Oakland Beach Avenue in Warwick (No. 859). The executive chef is Tommy Ruggieri, whose credits include the Governor Francis Inn, Cowesett Inn & Tommy Ruggieri’s Kitchen.

The place bills itself as family friendly and serving popular summer fare.

Learn more at thecarouselgrille.com.

Fabrizi’s Fast Food & Lounge, 32 Gansett Ave., Cranston , was recently opened by Luigi and Tina Fabrizi. They opened Vechia Roma on the same site some 25 years ago but rented out the space when they “retired” to Merritt Island, Fla., in 1992, said son Ezio. But boredom set in, and the couple has re-retired back to Rhode Island and have again set up shop in Cranston but with a casual restaurant.

“His idea was to open a place where people could bring their family, friends, and get some quick eats for a great price and enjoy themselves without the stuffy restaurant feel,” said Ezio.

They offer a varied menu that includes Old World Italian dishes as well as chili dogs, he said. Apparently, Luigi’s passions for dogs grew while in Florida and they serve Arbetter’s Hot Dogs from Miami.

The restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner, is hosting bi-weekly bike nights for motorcycle enthusiasts and awarding trophies for best bike. They are also supporting a charitable endeavor to raise funds to buy a wheelchair accessible van for a local teenager in need.

Learn more at fabrizisfastfoodandlounge.com.

The Asian Palace, featuring Oriental Cuisine, has opened at 1190 North Main St., Providence. Specialties at this new Jason Yau restaurant include Bento lunch and dinner boxes with teriyaki or tempura (served with miso soup, sushi, salad, rice and vegetables); sushi and sashimi; Thai and Japanese dishes; and signature Chinese favorites like Peking duck. Yau most recently owned Little Chopsticks on Smith Hill and formerly owned A Taste of China restaurant in East Greenwich.

Open daily at 11 a.m. with luncheon specialties.

The Hourglass Restaurant is the newest dining room at Vanderbilt Hall Hotel, 41 Mary St., Newport. It is operated by chef Riz Ahmed, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute who most recently worked in Bermuda. He also cooked at Orrery and La Gavroche restaurants in London.

The menu offers modern European cuisine for breakfast, cocktails, bar fare and dinner. A glass-enclosed conservatory offers an outdoor feel with no bad weather. There’s also a private terrace with teak furnishings.

Learn more at vanderbilthall.com.

The Stone House in Little Compton is a restored inn with two restaurants that opened last week. Pietra restaurant will feature Tuscan culinary traditions blended with local seafood and farm offerings of Little Compton by executive chef Paul Wade, former chef de cuisine at The Four Seasons Wailea in Hawaii and Little Nell in Colorado. Wade All bread, granola, mozzarella, ricotta, yogurt, limoncello and pastas will be made in-house. The restaurant will also cure and smoke bacon, Canadian bacon and prosciutto as well as plant and care for the botanical spa and culinary herbs. Stone House’s second restaurant, 1854, was once known as the Tap Room and evokes a Prohibition-era speakeasy, serving evening drinks, wines and comfort food.

Learn more at goosewinghotels.com.

Long Shots Bar & Grill opened at 293 Providence St., West Warwick, (401) 828-3340. The restaurant features lunch and dinner specials, as well as live entertainment from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

gciampa@projo.com