Cafe Regular

Although Brooklyn seems to be a controversial subject lately, even the borough's detractors must admit that one of NYC's best cappuccinos can be found there. Where, exactly? At Cafe Regular, on 11th Street off of 5th Avenue.

This tiny cafe, so narrow that you can almost reach an arm across it, offers only the bare essentials: a few beverages, baked goods, and hard-boiled eggs. But what essentials they are! La Colombe Nizza beans, which are billed as boasting a "sweet flavor and a softer Northern Italian style," provide the basis for the cafe's espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. Cappuccinos sport a thick layer of fluffy foam. You can accompany your drink with a slice of cinnamon-striped pound cake from Marquet, or just a copy of the London Review of Books (several editions are draped across the doorway for your reading pleasure).

Cafe Regular: 318A 11th St., Brooklyn, (718) 768-4170.