The Blossoming of Brooklyn's 5th Avenue: Belleville and Red Cafe

It's no wonder that so many people are moving to Park Slope, with new restaurants like Belleville and Red Cafe opening almost daily. This weekend, I had the delightful opportunity to visit both hotspots.

Red Cafe, a hospitable father-son operation, offers a dynamite assortment of sandwiches as well as a small menu of entrees. I thoroughly enjoyed the spice-crusted salmon sandwich with fried and sauteed leeks, lemony black olive tapenade, and hard-boiled eggs. My friends devoured their cheeseburgers with Stilton, and we all split the irresistible buttery-crusted three-berry pie, which was slightly warmed and topped with two scoops of vanilla-bean ice cream.

If you can't secure a table at the tiny Red Cafe, walk over to Belleville, an inviting bistro at 5th Street and 5th Avenue. Park Slopers waited for months for this place to materialize; many among us wondered if the endless renovations would result in an actual restaurant. What a wonderful addition it is to the neighborhood! Last night Belleville celebrated the arrival of the new Beaujolais with a light and fruity version. I drank a toast to the Parisian salad of shredded carrots, haricots verts, hard-boiled eggs, white beans, cauliflower and aioli, the tuna nicoise, the classic Gruyere fondue, scrumptious French onion soup, and the warm chocolate torte and tart with thinly-sliced apples. Whew!

Red Cafe: 78 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 789-1100. Belleville: 330 Fifth St., Brooklyn, (718) 832-9777.