By FoodTyrant

A few years old, this city off-shoot of a Carroll Garden's mainstay is a worthy LES staple, and especially notable for this stretch of Clinton that seems to always have places coming and going (with few to ever write home about).

Reason this stands out is due to the 2 Franks behind this mini-empire. They'll always deliver on price, taste, vibes and--most importantly--consistency. So expect perfect-every-time Italian fare (with a snacking/sharing focus) and a setting you could visit every night of the week. They've also recently changed their extra dining room into a day-time offshoot of Cafe Pedlar, their Stumptown / Viennese cafe. 

So: Italian dinner, daytime espresso, and apparently soon to be full-on breakfast... there's no reason not to re-kindle love for this place (save the fact you might have to wait for a table).

Espresso, perfect salads (seriously), crostini, rotating hot-plates, wine-list

By FoodTyrant

Losing Good World was a tough one for us, and apparently everyone (?), but luckily its sister (opened mere weeks before the older's demise) has finally gotten its full-menu act together.

For the un-initiated, White Slab Palace serves what could easily be called "dirty" Swedish fare. Not of the Ikea cafeteria ilk, but un-hyper-refined raw bar goodies, small plates of smoked fish on toast, and more aquavit options than most know what to do with. It also happens to be served in a minimal LES concrete bar setting. We stress that eating here is certainly more "bar" than place-setting.

While it's more apt for social nibbling met with an extra amount of drinking, we think White Slab isn't a bad contender as a grown up and hipper version of Good World. And hipper isn't a bad thing, it just means enjoy Sunday - Wednesday for best results.

Grand Plateau raw tower (shit's loco), beer list, 4 kinds of herring, new Good World burger, loudness, the dichotomy of densely crowded or perfectly quiet.

By FoodTyrant

The seaport gets a branch of formerly west-west village locked restaurant Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Aside from being quite culinarily close to its sister spot (but with a slight fried seafood bent) this is basically the seaport's version of Milady's, or Mama's--a perfect gathering spot who's main attraction is its somewhat low-key aesthetic, cheap booze, and bountiful portions from a pub-grub menu.

It won't win any James Beard awards, but the neighborhood couldn't need a down-to-earth meeting place more. Come if the band you're seeing at the seaport sucks, if you're at the Fulton Stall Market, or if you've spent the day watertaxing to Ikea.

Simple, satisfying.

$2 PBR/Miliwake's Best/and a few other rotating cans, fried seafood galore, gratis Texas caviar & chips, that giant plate of nachos.

By FoodTyrant

The country trattoria that this part of the west-west side never seems to have (but exists for every other hood). Maybe you think neighborhood Italian is an old hat, but remembering the good ones is what makes all the difference. 

Malatesta's one of the good ones, and a place we inevitably linger, drink, pay in cash... and then linger even longer in the wood hewn room run by 30-something proper (aka actual) Italians. It's as casual, comfortable, and as solid as you'd want for a perfect neighborhood haunt. Think Max but better, think Frankies, think Nonna.

We always forget Malatesta's over here, and now we won't.

Piadina, pasta specials, sidewalk dining, lingering, chatting and people watching, large-group friendly

By FoodTyrant

The Harrison has been churning out some of your favorite chefs for 8 years--previously, oh, you know, Joey Campanaro from Little Owl--and now hosts Amanda Freitag as executive chef, mixing her italo-cooking roots within the mod-American bistro created by now veteran nyc chef/restauranteur Jimmy Bradley.

Think of this place as the authentic version of a Keith McNally restaurant, a true neighborhood standby which instead of being scene-&-seen serves un-pretentiously-perfect, refined-rustic fare at a steal in what's usually a more expensive nabe.

You might know Freitag as a sometimes-judge on FoodNetwork's Chopped (fyi, she'll also be competing for an Iron Chef spot in 2010). We say eat here now before we witness another star chef leave this kitchen.

Because this should be your neighborhood staple, english cut lambchop, ricotta gnocchi, grilled sardines, crispy baby trout w/ creme fraiche, duck fat fries

By FoodTyrant

Former chef from Savoy has created his own haven of hodge-podge American cooking--which comes off like a more masculine version of prune. By that I mean heavier meat dishes, more cocktail focus, but still a beautiful, small restaurant cranking out impressive and creative dishes with a relaxed heart.

Apparently Joseph Dobias (get it, Joe Doe) also built this place with basically his bare, talented, hands. And while it is pretty, it's also less crowded than it should be--and will be the next place people stand in line for brunch in this nabe.

Veal chop & pea gnocchi, cocktails, "conflicted jew" sandwich, brunch, lines shorter than Prune, "opinionated" chef

By FoodTyrant

Instead of chef Paul Liebrandt's previous wacky-gastro genius of restaurants past, he's put into the world of fine, completely orgiastic, dining.

The young British wunderkind's now backed by Drew Nieporent, and serving what we guess is haute-french with a heavy seasonal slant. Other professions would basically call this selling out, but in the food-world it just means get the most complicated ways a man could make a handful of impeccable, last-meal-worth dishes.

You'd never touch food this good, in a restaurant this insanely austere, for their price fixe of $76. I know we say "serious" a lot, but we mean it here.

Smoked pasta with truffle, diver scallops with uni cream, cheap winelist (!?), eating in an insanely-white, no-windowed space

By FoodTyrant

Tarralucci e Vino is Gramercy's godsend. Perfect espresso, breakfast, 20-plus bottles of vino (by the glass) hooked up to some kind of future-vacuum-tap, the list goes on and on.

It's the European cafe/restaurant-morphing vibes Italy's had foreve, and which we can't recommend enough for any circumstance: quiet breakfast, business lunch, cafe pop-in, drinks and light fare... even a 3 course dinner.

Day is full of chattering Italians, standing and drinking machiattos, post-work a mix drinking and groups dining on refined Italian fare. In between a lingering cafe seekers and FoodTyrant types.

Espresso, egg dishes at breakfast, wine by the glass w/ complimentary snacks, outdoor seating

By FoodTyrant

The relaxed version of Kurt Gutenbrunner's restaurants--always churning out reliably delicious, homey Austro-German food, any day or time of week.

Anything sausage, golden fried chicken, brunch, Austro-German winelist

By FoodTyrant

Classic American home cooking, running styles from roadside BBQ to old-school NYC diner--and all made from scratch and brought to you by a former pie company.

The pies are still amazing, but most come for Brunch (which is a warzone), and worth the wait. Dinner as American, diner-esque and relaxed as you can get in the neighborhood.

Brunch anything, homemade chips, matzoh ball soup, smoked brisket

By FoodTyrant

A Voce may have been on your radar when previous chef Andrew Carmellini opened it to more than high (as in NYTimes 3 star) critical acclaim.

Now chef Missy Robbins heads what used to be former Daniel Bolud's right hand man's first solo venture--a refined take on rustic Italian. She also happens to make it somehow better.

So trust us, trust the hubbub, and if you're in the area and looking for a worthwhile expensive meal: do it.

Octopus terrine, quadrati, lamb chops and lamb neck

By FoodTyrant

Michael "Bao" Hyunh's been cranking out the best Vietnamese restaurants in this city for a while... and then abandoning them, and immediately starting new ones.

His latest creature is his take on a bahn mi shop--the Vietnamese baguette sandwiches filled with delicious meats, or fish, and cucumber, cilantro, hot stuff... you know... those things.

Even if you don't, trust us that these sandwiches are completely awe-inspiring. His take on the classic bahn mi, the "Baoguette," also happens to be PERFECT. And at $5, almost insultingly perfect.

Come here before 6pm or you're screwed.  

Baoguette, any daily specials, Vietnamese coffee fix

By FoodTyrant

A neighborhood favorite. Eclectic menu, everything sustainably raised or locally sourced, and just big enough to always be both bustling and inviting.

"Modern American Heritage" is really what you'd have to call it, but we get tired of trying to describe what you already know. Just think of this as Chelsea's version of Prune--meaning exciting simple food, lively sophisticated atmosphere, and the place you always want to go to when in the nabe.

Any "snack," daily oyster selection, rabbit and any other game meats

By FoodTyrant

Here you can actually taste baroque grandiosity. 3 NYT Stars and worth every... last... decadent... golden-dipped... penny.

Think we're lying--try any of the "longer" reviews below.

Glorious opulence, tasting menu, fritto misto, barolo rissotto, wine list

By FoodTyrant

If Ikea's food court was nicer, more uniquely varied, and focused on hotdogs, then you'd have F&B.

Amazing, quick food when it seems like there's nothing around for blocks. Feels like a healthier Criff Dogs, but not when you realize you're stuffing your face.

Viking roll, fries, champion dog, beignets