Cafe Cubano stays still my favorite to have a delicious Philli steak sandwich.
El Kiosko beach bar on the road from Sosua to Cabarete is popular amongst the ex-pats who live close by, good drinks and good food.
Embocca in Cabarete is a nice restaurant but on the expensive side but worth it.
The new taco bar in Cabarete is a huge success and rightfully because their burrito's and taco's are to die for and not expensive.
Disappointment in the new owners of the El Choco restaurant, food has gone downwards really badly.
The Thai in La Mulata is still a favorite of mine and you can take out, its descent packaged and still very hot when you come home unlike the Chinese place in Cabarete.
New shops? If you are talking about food shops, city market has improved a lot with a lot of choice now in imported products, some reasonable in price, others ridiculous expensive but their meat (beef and pork) is crap so I buy that at the German butcher, bit more expensive but worth every penny.