Tamari Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar (CLOSED AS OF 6/09)

Good Japanese food is almost impossible to find in Brooklyn. Although there are exceptions (Geido comes to mind), the rule is often: tea and soup that taste like hot water; oversized, gristly slabs of sushi; and tough chicken teriyaki in a sickly-sweet brown sauce. That is why we were very pleased to discover Tamari, a tiny Japanese restaurant with a large sake selection.

On the waitress’s recommendation, we sampled the chilled Kaori sake (very smooth). Our appetizer was the hiya yakko, chilled tofu with ginger, scallion and dried bonito. We then tried the salmon donburi, topped with glistening pearls of salmon roe. When the sushi order arrived, it was artfully presented with mitsuba leaves adorning the plate. It included two pieces each of tuna, fresh and smoked salmon, yellowtail, whitefish, eel and one piece of crabmeat. Everything was fresh and of good quality.

Not wanting to finish the meal with the usual green tea ice cream, we ordered the shiratama zenzai, a bowl of sweet red beans with chunks of pineapple and warmed mochi. The entire meal for two came out to less than $40.

Tamari: 201 5th Avenue, Brooklyn. (718) 230-5636.

Grimaldi's Pizza and The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Last night's culinary adventure was a trip to Grimaldi's Pizza and The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, both located by the river in Brooklyn. If you haven't been to Grimaldi's, let me tempt you: the thin-crusted pizza is topped with fresh mozzarella, not the shredded Velveeta that you find at so many Brooklyn pizzerias. Our favorite toppings are the sweet roasted red peppers (fresh, not canned) and the salty whole black olives (no tinny sliced olives here)!

We abstained from dessert (the usual suspects: tortoni, spumoni and cannoli) in order to visit the now-legendary Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, which has only been open since September 2001. Various neighbors are protesting the existence of the Factory, so if you want to support good ice cream, sign the petition. We already lost Pete's, open for 25 years, to a landlord who raised the rent by 75%; the Factory is a good alternative (although I miss the brownies at Pete's!).

The Factory is close to my heart because it uses Michel Cluizel Belgian chocolate in the hot fudge. So I went all out for the creamy chocolate chunk ice cream (HUGE dark chocolate chunks) with hot fudge and whipped cream! My partner chose the strawberry ice cream, a little milky and sweet for my taste. We will try the peaches and cream next time, as well as toppings like toasted almonds and caramel.

Grimaldi's: 19 Old Fulton St., Brooklyn. (718) 858-4300. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory: 2 Old Fulton St., Brooklyn. (718) 246-3963.