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Delia's
Lounge | 9224 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Flourishing in the shadow of the Verrazano Bridge, Delia's is a little
like Saturday Night Fever's Tony Manero: cocky, but likeably earnest.
Nine-dollar specialty martinis scream "big city," while Brooklyn
accents, such as valet parking and a larger-than-life Mona Lisa over the
bar, remind you that you're in Bay Ridge. Godiva chocolate liqueur, Stoli
Vanil and heavy cream flow freely, but don't worry about looking effete.
In these parts, even the young Travoltas grooving on Eminem sip key lime
martinis and share plates of chocolate-covered strawberries.
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Peggy
O'Neill's | 8123 Fifth Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Pink Houses, Bad Medicine, the Unforgettable Fire…It sounds like
the makings of an '80s jukebox, but these are just a few of the cover
bands that perform most Saturday nights. Despite wind machines and echo
effects, the bar is unlikely to draw a crowd beyond the usual Bay Ridge
singles, but you get the feeling that's fine with them. The music tributes
aren't only for the pros–during Monday-night karaoke, anyone can belt
out bygone Top 40 tunes. The rest of the week, this Irish pub feels more
like a typical sports bar: TVs are blared, beer is swilled, and darts
and pool are de rigeur.
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Sunny's Bar
| 253 Conover St, Brooklyn, NY
Lore-choked McSorley's and the White Horse Tavern may get the attention,
but an evening at Sonny's feels like history in the making. On weekends,
this unassuming wharf-side tavern buzzes with intrepid curiosity seekers,
a mix of middle-aged and new-generation bohemians (the latter distinguished
by their cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon), and the odd salty dog (canines, not
sailors). Despite the nautical feel, you're more likely to hear bossa
nova or bluegrass than sea chanteys. This is the East River, after all
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Rising
Cafe | 188 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY
On some nights men nearly outnumber the gals at this easygoing lesbian bar.
Folk and bluegrass lovers show up for the live music, while neighborhood
families fill up on ribs and fried chicken. The Southern cooking is complemented
by down-home touches such as 1940s farmhouse furniture and a big metal tub
filled with Red Stripe and Brooklyn Lager. Lest you forget this a women's
meeting place, Tilt-a-Girl mixers are held on Tuesdays.
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Basta
Pasta
37 W 17th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-366-0888). Subway:
F, V to 14th St; L to Sixth Ave; N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St-Union
Sq. Mon-Fri noon-2:30pm, 6-11pm; Sat, Sun 6-11pm. Average main course:
$23. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Originally part of a
Tokyo-based chain, Basta Pasta draws a predominantly Asian clientele to the pink-linened
dining room, facing an open kitchen. Seared foie gras perched atop a brilliant saffron
risotto cake mimics a luxe piece of sushi (it’s too small but dazzling). Mussels, clams,
shrimp and squid are bathed in tomato sauce and piled over spaghetti; lobster salad with
snap peas and a lemon aioli is charmingly springlike, and a nice preface to heftier entrées
like grilled sea bass or braised short ribs. Service is gracious and personable, and
thank-yous from the staff abound.
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Cafe
Centro
200 Park Ave at Vanderbilt Ave. and W. 45th St (212-818-1333). Subway:
Average main course: $25. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
At this sprawling brasserie, looks matter. Rotisserie chickens spin in a giant
hearth; the curved, glass-enclosed kitchen demands attention; and streamlined light
fixtures create a clubby feel. Chef Franck Deletrain’s menu is heavy on surf and turf for
the expense account crowd. Nods to Morocco include a just-sweet-enough chicken b’steeya
with a hint of orange-flower water and garnished with spiced candied almonds. Raw-bar
choices are popular, as are meaty crab cakes and the butter topped filet mignon. Many of
the showy desserts are crowned with arabesques of spun sugar. A more casual meal is
available at the moodier adjoining Beer Bar.
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Cafe
Lalo
201 W. 83d St between Broadway and Amsterdam Aves (212- 496-6031).
Subway: . Average main course: $9. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Carbophobes, beware:
You’re in serious sweet-tooth territory. Upper West Siders and tourists mob this café,
especially on weekends. Brunch is served until 4pm daily, and light sandwiches and salads
are always available. But the real draw is the sugary siren song of display cases packed
with cookies, brownies, cakes, pies and more. Art Nouveau posters, exposed-brick walls and
French windows attempt European flair, though many of the desserts are unabashedly
American, from apple brown Betty to chocolate-covered Oreo cheesecake. It's no surprise
that scenes from the syrupy Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks comedy You’ve Got Mail were
filmed here.
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Cyclo
203 First Ave between 12th and 13th Sts (212-673-3957). Subway: L to
First Ave. Average main dish: $13. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Although less
trendy than the newer Bao and Boi, Cyclo is hardly a pho-slurper’s hole-in-the-wall.
Soothing pale hues and unobtrusive New Agey music allow quiet conversation, and the food is
mellow too: Papaya salad is more peppery than spicy, its piquancy balanced by salty dried
beef strips. Fresh DIY summer rolls require a deft hand (to manipulate the
sugarcane-skewered grilled shrimp with the accompanying pile of vegetables, herbs and
fragile rice-paper wrappers), but the results are worth the effort. Chilean sea bass,
cooked in a clay pot with creamy bean curd, eggplant and lemongrass, is hearty without
being heavy.
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Docks
Oyster Bar
633 Third Ave at 40th St (212-986-8080). Subway:. Average main dish:
$23. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
The cacophonous, multilevel space almost feels like a glorified chain
restaurant (it is, sort of—there’s an uptown location). But Docks is a notch above places
that serve bottomless baskets of popcorn shrimp. This is a candlelit, white-tablecloth
affair (with a buzzing bar scene). Oysters are from Maine and British Columbia. Fried
scallops and fish are surprisingly light (the accompanying shoestring fries, however, can
be overdone). The creamy, tart key lime pie is ideal for cleansing a breaded and battered
palate.
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Galanga
149 West 4th St between Sixth Ave and Macdougal St (212-228-4267). Subway:
F to West Fourth St. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Chopsticks? Broccoli in the curry? These are red flags to purists—but it would be
a mistake to write off sleek little Galanga. Ambient drum ’n’ bass and menu oddities like
lychee fried rice, merely veil the real deal. Tell your server that you want spice, and
there’ll be no pandering. The seafood salad of mussels, shrimp and squid is dressed with
just the right amount of sugar and lime, a perfect foil for the slow, creeping heat.
Curries, too, are appropriately rich with coconut milk and properly topped with the
shredded wild-lime leaves that are all too often omitted in Thai restaurants.
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Good
World Bar and Grill
3 Orchard St between Canal and Division Sts (212-925-9975). Subway:
F to East Broadway; B, D to Grand St. Mon-Fri 4pm-4am; Sat, Sun 11am-4am.
Average main course: $16. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
The occasional
shuttle bus to Ikea might be as close as most New Yorkers come to sampling
Swedish food. But there's more to the northern European cuisine than
cafeteria-style
meatballs and lingonberries. Good World's no-man's-land location on the
cusp of Chinatown and the Lower East Side doesn't deter anyone from seeking
out the stylishly scruffy alpine lair. Mismatched school chairs and moose
head above the bar lend appropriate quirk to the former barbershop. The
grill aspect is more apparent during lower key hours. A DJ-driven, clubby
scene sets in weekend nights and can make for claustrophobic dining, at
best. Many would be inclined to supplement the creative beer and aquavit
selection with tapas-style offerings like mustard sauced gravlax, lime
and chili marinated salmon cubes and herring served four ways. However,
ambitious mains are also worth more than a bite or two. Hearty, braised,
cinnamon and cardamom spiced lamb shanks with rich porcinis, parmesan
potatoes and rosemary spiked jus are satisfying. Morels, chanterelles
and truffles make woodsy appearances in many dishes, and beets and capers
gives the requisite burger added zing. Desserts aren’t afterthoughts,
a parfait constructed of Kahlua flavored ice cream studded with bits of
Dajm (a Swedish candy similar to Skor) and candied lime out-cools faux
Nordic Häagen-Dazs, any day.
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Izalco
6405 Roosevelt Avenue
718-533-8373
Cross Street: Between 64th and 65th streets
Pupusas
are quintessentially Salvadoran, and this whimsically decorated Woodside
restaurant serves wonderful examples. Take in pictures of the namesake
volcano and clay-tiled indoor roof inhabited by fake iguanas and an armadillo
while trying the stuffed, grilled corn cakes. Choose from chicharron,
cheese, frijoles or revuelta, a mix of all three. Curtido,
a pickled cabbage slaw (sometimes available with papaya), thin, lightly
spiced tomato sauce and a bottle of Suprema beer are necessary accompaniments.
This isn't light fare; easily sharable meat-based entrees are served with
rice, beans, cheese, sweet plantains and corn tortillas. Simple and satisfying
res con salpicon, beef soup, is a weekend favorite.
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La
Bonne Soupe
48 W 55th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-586-7650). Subway:. Average
main dish: $13. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
This midtown bistro
is full of French country charm (red-and-white-checked tablecloths, exposed beams,
waitstaff with accents). The clientele is perhaps less authentic: shoppers, out-of-towners
and solo-dining old-timers. Cheese fondue, quiche, crêpes and omelettes are satisfying, but
the raison d’être is, of course, the namesake bonne soupe. Whether you’re in the
mood for classic cheese-topped French onion or smooth and creamy tomato andalouse,
you can get your bowlful à la carte, or as a prix fixe meal with bread, salad, an
unmemorable dessert and even a glass of house wine for just $13.95.
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Pravda
281 Lafayette St between Prince and Houston Sts (212-226-4944) Subway:.
Average main dish: $16. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
The staircase opens
into a cavernous subterranean brasserie that almost resembles a Cold War–era movie set.
Everything is just so: a cement ceiling, riveted metal, stainless-steel toilet seats.
Stylish couples and the Soho working class sit in curved red banquettes and leather
armchairs, sipping from colorful martinis. The bloomin’ onion on the menu may give you
pause, but your fears will be laid to rest by snacky Soviet fare like spinach and cheese
piroshki and blini with a choice of fish. Smoked sturgeon scattered with dill and
accompanied by a dollop of crème fraîche is a toothsome choice. Caviar is, of course, found
in various guises, including an unorthodox application atop smoked-salmon pizza. Sturdier
eaters can choose chicken Kiev or beef goulash. The bracingly bourgeois molten chocolate
cake is hard to say nyet to.
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Remi
145 W. 53d St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-581-4242). Subway:.
Average main dish: $24. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Deep-black risotto,
colored by squid cooked in its own ink, is a typical Venetian dish, and it’s frequently a
special here. But the lively, playful space—designed by architect Adam Tihany—is your first
clue that Remi isn’t too bound by tradition. Chef Francesco Antonucci’s cichetti (Italian
tapas), presented in whimsical angular plates, include fried stuffed olives and marinated
octopus. His tuna-filled ravioli is a classic, and gnocchi with baby goat is spiked with
olives and artichoke hearts. Semifreddo and gelato grace the dessert menu, but why be
predictable? Choose the chocolate-banana tart.
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