A new Thai restaurant just opened on the Upper West Side, along with several other eateries and businesses.

A new restaurant called Thai 72 just opened in the former home of Lime Leaf Thai restaurant on 72nd Street near Columbus Avenue. “Staff was friendly and the menu extensive,” wrote Rebecca, who sent photos. Shots of the menu are here and here. “Food is great, service is excellent and the vibe is very hip. Excellent small bar inside as well. Great date night spot,” Leo added.

Panda Express opened this week at 2852 Broadway at 111th Street and looked to be pretty packed on opening day. See the menu here. Thanks to Flash for the photos, and brokers Cory Zelnik & Jason Turner of Zelnik & Company for the tip.

Sandwich and salad shop Pret a Manger opened last week on Broadway between 115th and 116th. Thanks to Christopher for the tip.

Turkuaz, the Turkish restaurant that closed in August after 17 years on Broadway between 99th and 100th Street for 17 years, has opened a new location at 255 W 55th Street. “We were sad that we hadn’t been able to say proper goodbye to our previous customers and heard that they were asking around if we were opening again,” said Deniz Kocak, wife of owner Ali Kocak.

The old Millennium deli on 96th and Broadway looks like it may get replaced by another deli. Paul sent the photo above showing what look like deli cases.

Momentum Fitness and MICCASS Physical Therapy are moving to 246 Columbus Avenue, the former home of the Columbus 72 nightclub. They’ll be having a grand opening party on December 11. “Momentum Fitness offers one on one personal training and small group fitness classes while Miccass Physical Therapy provides one on one rehabilitation for orthopedic and sports injuries,” wrote Marco Guanilo, the owner of Momentum. His wife owns MICASS so he says they are truly a “mom and pop.”

Lucciola just opened at 90th Street and Amsterdam, and Rag correspondent Krista Carter was on hand last week for a special preview:

“The Bologna-based team behind Piccolo Cafe softly opened the doors of their newest ristorante, Lucciola (621 Amsterdam Avenue), greeting unsuspecting passersby with free wine and buffet bites.

Taking its name from the Italian word for “firefly”, Lucciola is adorned with light fixtures dispersed throughout the modest space that are meant to resemble (you guessed it) fireflies. The decor pays homage to Pupi Avati’s Festa di Laurea, from which Lucciola gets its inspiration. The cinematic and romantic backdrop serves as the perfect setting for an intimate dinner (Date night, anyone?) with every detail, from the silk wallpaper to the repurposed apartment tiles and warehouse door, ornately thought out. The level of craftsmanship is impressive, to say the least. Even more so is the food.

Executive Chef Michele Casadei Massari describes the cuisine as “authentic, but with a twist.” He adds, “If you go to Bologna, you will taste the same dishes, but what makes ours stand out is attention to the market.” Co-owner Erica Monti identifies Lucciola’s signature dishes as the homemade pastas, specifically, the Hand-made Fettucini Bolognese and the Classic Lasagna Bolognese, both of which will run you $17 a pop. Head Chef Gianluca Capozza was dishing out servings of the saucy specialities and this lucky West Sider snagged a bite. The verdict? Molto bene! In a land where bagels and smoked fish are king, we should welcome Lucciola with open mouths.”

The restaurant tweeted out a photo of the menu:

https://twitter.com/lucciolanyc/status/936607257931997184