Corton

I've been meaning to get to Corton ever since I heard that chef Paul Liebrandt had a new home. Tonight, I celebrated my umpteenth birthday with some relatives, and this lovely cream-and-gold restaurant was the venue. Liebrandt's dishes are thrilling landscapes that inspire the diner to explore every nook and cranny. Even a vegetable plate ("From The Garden") is full of delicious surprises! But more on that in a bit.

While we sipped glasses of 2006 Chavy-Martin Puligny-Montrachet, my relatives mentioned that they had been chatting with owner Drew Nieporent - apparently, he always wanted to be in the restaurant business, and even watched the Galloping Gourmet as a child. (He's a friendly presence at his latest restaurant.)

We munched on gougeres and fluffy green olive breads, and smeared green-flecked seaweed butter on mini-baguettes. Then, the server arrived to answer questions (what is kalamansi? an Indian fruit resembling a kumquat. what about cobia? a meaty, firm, sharklike fish). We decided to order the $75 three-course meal, opposed to the $120 tasting menu.

Our amuse-bouche was a chilled oyster nestled in gelee, anointed with nutmeg oil and sprinkled with grains of buckwheat (my relatives aren't shellfish fans, so I was the lucky recipient of three of them). I ended up paying them back in king crab tempura; my velvety kuri squash soup featured two pieces of it, as well as a non-fried chunk of sweet crabmeat sprinkled with gold leaf. Other dishes were a beautiful circle of Nantucket Bay scallops, baby greens and raw radishes with an orange sea urchin sauce at the center, and the marvelous "From The Garden." (I don't think I've ever been so excited by a vegetable plate.) Various tiny root vegetables, potatoes, caramelized onions, greens, tapenades, dried vegetable powders, and the odd fruit were arranged in such a way that the tastes changed depending on where your fork landed - here was a patch of sweetness, or a tangy zing, or a paper-thin crispness.

Then it was time for the main courses. Succulent Label Rouge chicken was accompanied by a polenta cake topped with a slice of black truffle, artichokes Barigoule, and a breaded chicken meatball with a compote of diced autumn fruits. Golden amadai, a bream-like fish, was the centerpiece for a ring of sweet onions and melt-in-your-mouth ricotta-parmesan gnudi. Razor clam chowder, added at the last minute, added even more richness. Portions were not overpowering, however.

A coconut sorbet in a blood orange foam, which hid pearls of black tapioca, announced the dessert course. The sweets were excellent, and the artisanal cheese plate was a selection of perfection! It showcased the creamy, sharp, sweet and pungent flavors of Stilton, Langa La Tur from the Piedmont region, Comte, an award-winning Pleasant Ridge Gruyere from Wisconsin, and a wonderful goat cheese. Salted focaccia and cranberry toasts came with the plate. I was momentarily distracted from my gooey-centered, warm chocolate fondant cake with its scoop of ice milk in a sea of cocoa nibs, and a caramel apple dessert with walnuts.

Fortunately, there were two more opportunities to appreciate the chocolate creations of pastry chef Robert Truitt. Milk chocolate/ginger, white chocolate/blackberry and dark chocolate/lime discs soon arrived, and then the server brought by actual drawers full of goodies. One drawer held chocolate towers filled with curried peanut butter, another contained tiny lemon, caramel and espresso macarons, and yet another held a collection of spiced fig/red wine and jasmine-grapefruit chocolates, palets d'or, and salted butter caramels. If only I'd been allowed to take home a box!

Corton: 239 West Broadway, (212) 219-2777.

Bar Breton

The new Bar Breton has a winning formula for these troubled times: galettes (buckwheat crepes) in the $10-$15 range and lots of alcohol! Small plates run about $7, and as I found out, at least one of them is hearty enough for a meal. (There are also a few mains around $20.)

In more of an eating than a drinking mood, I tried to go in on Tuesday, but was told that dinner wasn't served until 5 p.m., although the bar is open all day. (I had a similar experience when Bar Milano first opened; not everyone goes the Bar Stuzzichini route of all-day dining. Oh well!) I'm quite determined when I have to be, so I returned yesterday at 5 p.m. sharp. Chef Cyril Renaud was explaining the origin of the multi-colored glasses that hung from the lighting fixture to some inquisitive diners (journalists?). I tried to eavesdrop, but was soon led to a little booth.

Several galettes looked enticing - according to the menu, the buckwheat flour used to make them is organic and gluten-free. I was going to order the Black Forest ham with Gruyere and egg, but then opted for the wild smoked salmon galette. Instead of being spread out over a plate, it was served like sushi. Rolled-up sections of chocolate-brown crepe were stuffed with a mild horseradish-onion cream and assembled in a neat row upon a stone block. Each piece was topped with a slice of smoked salmon and some red onion.

I wolfed it down in about a minute, realizing that I was going to have to order something else! My eye traveled between the "niac" (small plate) section and the desserts. Profiteroles? Pot de creme with chicory? Nutella crepe? Sardines? Or pate? I settled on the salt-baked potato with oxtail and grey sea salt ($7). This was quite a hearty dish, even more so than the galette. A peeled potato had its insides scooped out, replaced with a rich, delicious oxtail stew. Now I was too full for dessert.

But I'm almost afraid to go back, because I've a feeling I'll be a goner once I try the Nutella dessert crepe.

Bar Breton: 254 Fifth Ave., (212) 213-4999.

Katsuno Restaurant

If you're a regular at Midtown's Restaurant Seo, you might be wondering where Chef Katsuyuki Seo is. It turns out that his fans out in Forest Hills are borrowing him for a little while. Seo, who just opened Katsuno in the former Ran space on Metropolitan Avenue, is arranging lovely plates at the sushi bar while his kitchen turns out specialties like grilled miso-marinated beef, steamed Asari clams, eel with cucumber vinaigrette, and those noodles everyone has come to love at Seo's original restaurant.

There are eight tables in the front of Katsuno (seven of which were full tonight), and two semi-private tables in back. Tonight, people around me were indulging in oshitashi, sea urchin sashimi, and chawan mushi. To start, I ordered a bowl of miso soup (the menu features both red and white versions) with seaweed, scallions and nice big chunks of tofu. My next course was three half-moons of sweet stewed pumpkin in a light dashi. The hearty orange vegetable was sprinkled with bits of yuzu zest.

My main course was a generous portion of grilled miso-marinated cod, its skin lightly charred. A dab of sweet white miso sauce complemented the rich fish, which was served with a big bowl of rice. (Next to me, a couple consumed a plate of rare sliced beef with daikon and citrus ponzu sauce.) Although I was tempted by the sushi menu ("Please ask for today's imported fresh fish from Japan," it said), I had no more room... maybe I'll go back tomorrow.

If you want to try out Katsuno for yourself, you might want to visit on Saturday, Dec. 20 from 5-7 p.m., when the restaurant is throwing a "grand opening party." You'll be able to eat all you want for $25! The menu will include cold soba, grilled chicken in lemon sauce, shrimp tempura salad, and sushi, among other dishes. Bring your own wine and beer - Katsuno expects to receive its liquor license in the next few months.

Katsuno Restaurant: 103-01 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills, (718) 575-4033.

Holidays 2008

We're all trying to "tighten our belts" this season. But some of us are also planning on loosening our (literal) belts a few notches! So if you and your friends are still indulging your palates, here are some holiday gift recommendations:

• Those who give home-baked gifts should peruse this extensive online cookie encyclopedia; Gourmet Magazine has made 50 years of Christmas cookie recipes available.

• If you have no time to bake, let Chuck "The Baker" Pierkarski bake for you! Every batch of his brownies helps benefit God's Love We Deliver.
  

• Your friend who wants to learn to cook will love a copy of Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook.

• If you want to splurge on that special someone, Petrossian offers a mouthwatering brunch basket filled with caviar, smoked salmon, duck breast prosciutto, blini; toasts, creme fraiche, honey, cinnamon raisin bread, cranberry ginger cake, chestnut jam, coffee and tea. But even Petrossian is getting into the economizing act; there are several delicious gifts for $100 and under.

• Send a Murray's Cheese Greenwich Village Supper basket to a friend (and then slyly ask to be invited for dinner). (Alternatively, send over a Zabar's Deli Sampler.)
  

• Online retailer Norm Thompson offers adorable, inexpensive holiday sweets.

• Is your friend a restaurant-goer? Then s/he'll appreciate a gift certificate to Hill Country (buy a $25 gift certificate for only $10 at restaurant.com!) or the always-rewarding Picholine, which is now offering a special "menu d'economie."
  

If I think of anything else, I'll post it! Happy holidays.

Demel

It's pouring out today, but if you can bring yourself to leave the apartment, there's a cozy new bakery-cafe you must check out. About a week ago, Austria's famous Demel (founded 1786) set up shop down in the depths of the Plaza's retail area. If you go, I recommend that you order a double espresso with whipped cream (all coffee comes with sugared, chocolate-covered hazelnuts) while you make your selection from one of the most enticing dessert menus in the city. Then, sit back and hope your selection hasn't already been consumed by another lucky patron! When I visited yesterday, I delighted in the warm milk souffle cake with a flask of thick vanilla cream, the dense chocolate truffle cake, the yogurt cheesecake layered with raspberries, and a slice of pound cake topped with strawberries and kiwis. But the signature Viennese apple strudel, Sacher torte and chocolate nougat cakes were but a memory.

Apparently, pastry chefs Edward Jemal and Rahout Michael make daily deliveries to Demel, but if this insatiable demand continues, they will have to deliver on the hour!

Demel: The Plaza Retail Collection, 1 West 58th St., (212) 572-0989.

Zenkichi

In its own simple way, Zenkichi is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Brooklyn. The dark, wood-paneled triplex is a labyrinth of hushed, narrow hallways lined with semi-private dining rooms. Each little room is separated by a bamboo curtain, which the server opens and closes. (If you order the multi-course omakase, as my companion and I did, there's a lot of opening and closing!) The place reminded me of Higashi-Yama Tokyo.

The $48 omakase menu changes every five weeks, and can be accompanied by a flight of sake. Our sakes were arranged in order of sweetness, and contained notes of dark chocolate, citrus and cantaloupe. My favorite was the Shichiken Junmai Ginjo (the chocolatey one). (There is also an assortment of dessert sakes, but I'll have to save those for the next visit!)

Our first course was a bowl of soup made hearty with strips of fried tofu. Then it was time for sashimi: slices of seasoned bigeye tuna atop a bed of julienned peppers, carrots and onions, rich monkfish liver seasoned with Japanese lime, and clean-tasting sea bream.

A yuzu-dressed baby arugula salad featured small chunks of free-range chicken and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms from Shizuoka. Disks of sea-urchin-stuffed fluke tempura were so tasty that we later ordered another tempura dish from the a la carte menu: tiger shrimp oozing with melted squares of Camembert. The tempura was accompanied by sprays of green tea salt and bowls of tentsuyu. (I love green tea salt and wish they served it on popcorn in movie theatres.)

Luscious black cod was lovingly prepared, marinated in salt for one night and Kyoto miso for two. The sake-scented fish was sweet and melted like butter. Tiger shrimp shinjo were two small shrimp/fish cake balls in a subtle broth. (For this course, the diner has a choice between shinjo and slow-cooked pork belly.) The final course before dessert was a plate of seared Mishima beef sushi, accented with ginger garlic soy sauce.

We really indulged in dessert, ordering three more items in addition to the dense chocolate cake with yuzu-topped yogurt-honey ice cream! My companion dug into a soft kabocha pumpkin pudding with ginger syrup and toasted pumpkin seeds, I finished off the nutty kinako cheesecake, and we both cleansed our palates with a grapefruit half filled with bright red grapefruit jelly. I suppose we'll be back in five weeks to see what else the chef has in store for us!

Zenkichi Modern Japanese Brasserie: (718) 388-8985, 77 North 6th St., Brooklyn.

Pure Dark

Does the cold weather have you craving a pick-me-up? You'll find one at the new Pure Dark chocolate shop on Bleecker. Open since the beginning of October, the rustic store sells only the highest-quality, highest-cocoa-content (50% and up) dark chocolate. You can buy it in a slab, a nib or a hunk of bark. But the most unique way to consume it is at the mixing bar! Four different blends of chocolate nibs, fruits and nuts are sold, but you can also hand-pick your own "custom mix" of, say, chocolate, walnuts, and cranberries. This delicious yet nutritious trail mix will give you plenty of energy for your holiday shopping. And if you plan to do your holiday shopping at Pure Dark, here's a cool gift idea: layer a clear, multi-tiered vase with different chocolate mixes.

(Note to bloggers: Apparently, the taking of photos is strictly prohibited inside this store, as I found out when I tried to snap one with my cell phone. This is a shame - if more restaurants and shops institute this rule, it's going to make our job a lot harder!)

Pure Dark: 350 Bleecker St., (212) 367-0920.

Al Di La

To visit Al Di La on a Sunday night is to enter a world where there is no recession. People angle for a good spot in the line out the door, and pepper the host with endless questions about the optimal time for scoring a table. "I'm very sorry, but I don't know what the wait will be at 7." It has been this way for ten years, ever since the little Italian restaurant (arguably the best in Park Slope) opened. The no-reservations policy and cramped communal tables dissuade no one from luxuriating in the wonderful tastes and smells that emanate from chef Anna Klinger's kitchen.

My last dinner at Al Di La had been about five years ago, but I noticed that the menu still listed those delicious malfatti and casunziei, and the hanger steak with arugula that is my companion's favorite. What to order? Rabbit with creamy polenta and olives? Risotto nero? Along came the waiter to make our decision more difficult: anchovy-dressed green salad, homemade spaghetti with lamb ragu, oh, and "there are only two more orders of short ribs." My friend and I started with the special saba-dressed greens, which arrived with fresh rosemary-scented focaccia and a small hunk of buttery Taleggio. The light, sweet, grapey dressing matched the plump cooked white grapes in the focaccia.

I ordered the linguine with clams - simple is beautiful! Lots of minced garlic and the perfect amount of red pepper (my mouth was pleasantly warmed after each bite) made this one of the best versions ever. My friend let me try her spaghetti with lamb ragu - lots of sharp pecorino and pepper livened up the rich, stick-to-your-ribs meat sauce. Our side dish was a bowl of red beets with creamy goat cheese dressing.

We were stuffed, but skipping dessert at Al Di La is a grievous offense. Although the specials included an apricot almond tart, a lime-leaf panna cotta and fig ricotta gelato, I remembered that incredibly buttery warm pear chocolate tart with the big melted dark chocolate chips and the dollop of fresh whipped cream, and that is what I devoured. My friend, who normally doesn't do dessert, finished off a tall glass of large blocks of frozen chocolate-hazelnut fudge (gianduiotto). Two glasses of port, and I wondered why I don't make the trip out to Park Slope more often. (Port makes the R train a little more bearable.)

Al Di La: 248 5th Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 636-8888.

Sweets News

• If you want to consume a lot of sweets while simultaneously burning off the calories, do I have an event for you! Bruce Scher of Walking Tours Manhattan will be leading a "Free NYC Dessert Fest" chocolate/gelato/cupcake tour on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 am. Meet at the West Village's Magnolia Bakery (401 Bleecker St.), and look for the guy wearing a red baseball hat with the "Free NYC Dessert Fest" logo. The tour will last around 2 hours, but the sweet memories will last a lot longer.

• Looking for that unique Thanksgiving dessert? The Chocolate Room Brooklyn is baking up a limited amount of their spectacular chocolate pecan pies. Call (718) 783-2900 to place an order.

The 11th Annual Chocolate Show

Pulsating music courses through the speakers, and giant glossies of red-lipped models decorate the entrance to Pier 94. But don't worry, you haven't wandered into a fashion show by mistake; this year's Chocolate Show just has an extra emphasis on style. The visual focus extends to many of the chocolates!

Virginie Duroc-Danner of France fashions extraordinarily beautiful confections in many different colors. Her bright crocodile boxes filled with truffles make a great gift, and children will clamor for her ladybugs and teddy bears filled with salted butter toffee.

Christopher Michael and Christopher Norman also offer ornate, multicolored chocolates. The Mary's of Japan exhibit showcases a new line of ganaches decorated with delicate Japanese flowers - you can watch the chocolatiers hand-painting them. Boissier is selling pink tins of little chocolate petals. Romanicos is selling smart-looking chocolate sushi. Those who covet an attractive wrapper as much as its contents will want to visit the Bloomsberry stand.

This year's chocolate-dressed mannequins feature Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Iron Man costumes. And if you want to see a master chocolatier create a work of art before your very eyes, don't forget to see Derrick Pho's homage-in-progress to our new President-elect! Pho's medium is Callebaut.

You might be thinking, "Yes, I want to see everything, but I also want to TASTE everything!" Here are my tasting tips:

• The Valrhona stand is verrry generous with the samples (dark chocolate orange peels, mmm). (Don't forget to visit the new Valrhona Boutique at the Food Emporium at 1175 Third Ave. In other openings, the new Lily O'Brien's Chocolate Cafe is opening at 36 West 40th Street in mid-December.)

• An absolute must-try: the Guido Gobino goodies. I had the opportunity to interview this master of gianduja for an upcoming article in Dessert Professional, and I can tell you that there is nothing on the planet like Gobino's olive oil/sea salt cremini. You can't find them at any store in the U.S., so stock up at the show!

• This year, you can find Mexican hot chocolate at the Chuao Chocolate stand, and espresso cocoa at Chocolat Moderne.

• Fairytale Brownies are back with Belgian chocolate cream-cheese brownies.
  

• One of the most exotic tastes you will encounter is the "Pig Candy" at Roni-Sue's - it's chocolate-covered deep-fried bacon! Roni-Sue also has a new line of pumpkin spice truffles - just in time for Thanksgiving.
  

• But if you're a chocolate purist, go for the single-origin, 67% cacao bars at the Republica Del Cacao. According to the vendor, the Maniba bar has a hint of mango because the beans are grown near mango trees. Also, make sure to snag a bunch of couverture wafers at Guittard. (Guittard is always forthcoming with the samples!)
  

Finally, if you plan to eat so much chocolate that you develop stretch marks, your last stop should be Palmer's, where you can pick up a jar of cocoa butter lotion.

The 11th Annual Chocolate Show: Pier 94 (12th Ave. @ West 55th St.)

New York Taste 2008

I've just returned from the 2008 edition of New York Taste, a/k/a "The Most Dangerously Gut-Busting Event in NYC." This year, the gala was held in the 18,000-square-foot Skylight. Somehow, in the midst of all the food and drink and fabulous people, I ran into HungryMan and Nosher, my buddies from NYCNosh. "So, Salli Vates, what is a must-try?" they asked me.

"Well," I began, "you've got to have Le Bernardin's brown butter cream topped with sweet potato caviar and pistachios, with a bottom layer of red wine caramel. Maybe you're not ready for dessert yet, but it's one of the most spellbinding dishes I've tried tonight." HungryMan and Nosher hurried over to the Le Bernardin table (well, as fast as you can hurry in a crowd as dense as the 6 train during rush hour). They heartily agreed with me. "What else?"

"Hmm. Well, I really liked the two chefs from across the pond, Tom Aikens and Anthony Demetre. Aikens has a delicious salt cod brandade salad; it looks like a miniature English garden with dill, scallions, cucumber and yellow edible flowers. And Demetre is serving a tender smoked eel with horseradish. Oh, and you must eat Adour's chocolate-hazelnut croustillant with orange granita!" Nosher thought the granita had a bit too much ginger, but everyone agreed about the brandade.

Some other dishes I really enjoyed were: The Spotted Pig's flavorful haddock chowder topped with a homemade cracker; the goose breast with chestnut dumplings of Table 8, a restaurant due to open at the Cooper Square Hotel in December; Anita Lo's subtle tea-smoked salmon, Allegretti's Provencal deboned rabbit; and Eighty-One's plump seared scallop with truffled celery root puree in a chestnut bacon broth. Wait, I'm forgetting something. Well, Craftsteak was serving up Wagyu brisket and truffled grits, and Riingo had a miso-cured salmon, and Craig Koketsu featured some wild savory caramel apples in bacon, pumpkin seed and sage flavors.

Of course, there was alcohol galore, both edible and drinkable. Chef Carmen Gonzalez, who is releasing an exciting new cookbook, served a full menu using Bacardi flavored rums. I loved her flan with orange Bacardi-spiked salsa. Her other offerings were pork bites, seared tuna and coquitos. I had to be careful, though - last year, I indulged in too much drink. So, even though there was a lot of Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and red wine, I mostly stuck to the Fiji water! All the better to eat it with, my dear.

Finally, it was time to focus on dessert. HungryMan, Nosher and I missed the presence of Payard, but we made sure to dig into Oceana's rectangle of chocolate/peanut butter mousse with green apple gelee and the one-bite hot chocolate "lollipop" donuts from Blaue Gans. HungryMan dared me to have another helping of the brown butter cream - but I couldn't.

However, I made sure to enter the Virgin Atlantic raffle. If I win two tickets to London, I'm heading straight to Tom Aiken's restaurant! By that time, I will have regained my appetite.

Terroir

Attention Terroir fans: as of last weekend, the ultra-popular wine bar is serving brunch! So you'll have another chance to grab one of the bar's coveted seats. There are four new dishes: French toast with warm maple syrup and pork sausage, bacon egg and cheese on ciabatta, a rapini-bacon frittata, and smoked salmon sandwich with capers and hard-boiled eggs.

I took my seat at the bar this past Sunday morning, anxious to try one of the new brunch items. But I was distracted by the regular menu, specifically the fried mozzarella and the white anchovy panini. All sandwiches are served on Sullivan Street Bakery bread, and while it would be almost impossible to make a mediocre sandwich with that bread, mine was particularly delicious. The crusty toasted ciabatta was splashed with a bit of balsamic, and then topped with crunchy frisee, delicately sliced hard-boiled eggs (more yolk than white), sweet pickled red onions, and marvelous white anchovies. Everything was sprinkled with a bit of black pepper (it's the details that are important!). I also devoured a bowl of parsley-and-Parmesan-dusted fried bocconcini in a hearty tomato sauce. (Next time I intend to take advantage of the charcuterie and cheese; I'm curious about a cheese with the name "Constant Bliss.")

It was too early for me to have some wine, but I enjoyed reading the funky little book of a menu - it contained a history of Chateauneuf du Pape, a large list of Rieslings with residual sugar, and a tongue-in-cheek poem entitled "Wine In A Box."

The restaurant owners, Marco Canora and Paul Grieco, have such a fixation with sherry that they serve free glasses of it from 5-6. They've also employed a designer to create a line of temporary "Jerez" tattoos! "I think I'm going to cover my entire body with them for Halloween," the bartender told me. He also informed me that there was a special bacon crumb cake dessert (I think I saw something similar to this at the Dessert Truck), but I was too full.

I find it interesting that the coasters implore the customers not to waste their food. At Terroir, how could you?

Terroir: 413 East 12th St. No phone.

Sweets News

Here are your Sweets News items for October 30, 2008:

• Kyotofu, the Japanese bakery, is celebrating its second anniversary by handing out free sweets! Stop by today and pick up some shiso-coconut and yuzu-vanilla cupcakes. (705 9th Ave., 212-974-6012.)
  

• Are you looking for some scary sweets for Halloween? Silver Moon Bakery has just what you need: pumpkin shortbread cookies, orange-iced chocolate and vanilla buttercream cupcakes, and "ghost cakes!" There's also a "bread of the dead." (Spooky!) (2740 Broadway, 212-866-4717.)

• As you may know, Chocolatier Magazine, and its sister publication, Pastry Art & Design, have been consolidated into the new Dessert Professional Magazine. If you pick up the September/October issue, you'll see my little guide to eating all of the chocolate in Torino, Italy.
  

Lucky Cheng's

Lucky Cheng's, which might be described as a meeting between China Grill and La Cage Aux Folles, is something of a New York institution. Since 1993, it's been famous for its impossibly fabulous drag queen waitresses and risque dinner shows. There's lots of entertainment: off-color comedy routines, balloons fashioned into shapes you'd never see at a children's party, souvenir thongs, and a tableside tarot reader named Angel Eye. (I don't know if she gives financial forecasts.) The three-course dinner-and-show combo is $32, with supplements for certain items.

When I visited this weekend, the couple next to me was utilizing Angel Eye's services. The music was such a volume that the boyfriend didn't hear his date ask the psychic about marriage. No matter, he was soon pulled onstage by "Rhapsody In Blue," an amazingly athletic dancer with glittering blue eyeshadow. Rhapsody announced the start of the amateur lap dance competition. An entire table of 21-year-olds dissolved into giggles as the boyfriend was relieved of his shirt. (He wouldn't be the last victim!)

As for the food, I found the fried-er, the better! My favorite dish was a plate of three jumbo shrimp encased in a thinly fried crust. Other items seemed to differ from the menu descriptions; there weren't any black sesame seeds in the black-and-white sesame salmon, and a Thai basil pesto was more like a black bean sauce. (But who really cares when you've having so much fun? Besides, there's cheesecake with raspberries and whipped cream for dessert.) The couple next to me enjoyed their fried rice and pan-roasted duck, although the boyfriend was too busy dancing to eat most of it.

The lap dance winners were chosen, smiles abounded and my mood was much lighter than it was at the start of the evening. (Have to stop watching that C-SPAN.) I went over to the host to thank him for a fun night, and when I told him my pseudonym, he said, "Salli Vates - that's a great drag name."

Lucky Cheng's: 24 1st Ave., (212) 995-5500.

A Sweet Trip to Beacon, NY

Beacon, a sort of Williamsburg-on-the-Hudson, is known for its spectacular modern art museum and countless small galleries. It's also a great place to enjoy the fall foliage. Best of all, the town offers many opportunities for serious sugar shock!

Beacon is home to Dutchess County's oldest candy store, the Alps Sweet Shop (269 Main St., 845-831-8240). Alps sells all the old favorites like champagne truffles, fruit gels, almond turtles and licorice, but it's the Halloween candy that is truly impressive! Chocolate witches, jack-o-lanterns, bats, eyeballs, spiders, skulls and ghosts will delight your trick-or-treaters. If you like your sweets less macabre, treat yourself to one of Alps' amazing "Ultimate Apples." (Don't worry, they're not that virtuous - heavy layers of chocolate and caramel have robbed them of most nutritional content.)

After you've filled your goodie bag, go across the street to Max's on Main (46 Main St., 845-838-6297). There, you'll find two of the most decadent desserts known to man: the Fi-Doh-Doh (a blondie covered with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, white chocolate and caramel glaze) and the Fi-Dah-Dah (the chocolate bundt cake variation).

The Upper Crust Cafe & Bakery is no more (it will soon be an upscale cafe), but HomeSpun Foods (232 Main St., 845-831-5096) is a wonderful stopover for pastry. Crumbly, buttery pear/raspberry jam scones, fig tarts, bread pudding and fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies are some of the delights served at HomeSpun. Also, check out the small gift section; it features beautifully-designed Ludomar chocolate bars.

Now I've got to tell you about something really special: the artisanal popsicles at Zora Dora (201 Main St., 646-206-3982). Have you ever tried a vanilla-beet tie-dye popsicle? Or a chocolate-chipotle chunk? How about Italian coffee bean, or roasted bananas with saffron and pistachio (out of this world). Zora Dora, which uses Ronnybrook Dairy and local produce in its ices and creams, has been open since June. The store is already producing ice cream for restaurants all over Beacon and nearby Cold Spring.

So now your lips are chattering. Put down that popsicle, and before you get back on the train, warm up with a cup of cocoa at Muddy Cup (129 Main St., 845-831-1003). The cafe serves just about every variety imaginable, from cinnamon-chocolate to chocolate-cherry to peppermint patty cocoa.

(Note: Be advised that when visiting Beacon on a Monday, you won't be able to enjoy a pierogi at Marlena's, a pad thai at Sukhothai, or a cup of tea at The Cup & Saucer Tea Room. However, there are plenty of other goodies!)

Oh, Olana!

Last week's NYC Wine & Food Grand Tasting was packed with people. I was tripping over wineglasses and bumping into briefcases while I tried to grab all the goodies. There were Kobe beef hot dogs, cups of carrot ginger soup, truffled pizzas... in my excitement, I tried to take a butternut squash root beer float before it was ready, evoking a stern rebuke. "This stand is all about please and thank you!" "I'm sorry, please," I mumbled.

But then I saw the welcoming face of Al Di Meglio, chef/co-owner of newcomer Olana. He was dishing out pumpkin tortelli with crushed amaretti. The delicious pasta, and Mr. Di Meglio's charming manner, convinced me to check out the restaurant. I brought a friend there just a couple days later.

The service was just as welcoming as Mr. Di Meglio had been. "We've been waiting for you," smiled the host. We requested a table in the back, away from the noisy, sceney bar.

Olana is located in the former Mad 28 Italian restaurant. It was completely renovated; the pizza oven's stone wall was knocked down to make way for a pretty private room that seats 35. The bar features elderflower mojitos, little bites like crispy onion rings and lamb burgers, and plenty of people-watching! But if the bar is Dos Caminos, the restaurant is Blue Hill. All ingredients are sourced from farms, and the butter, ice cream and pasta are homemade. Right now, the menu includes all those wonderful autumn tastes: butternut squash, chestnuts, celery root, nutmeg and spiced pears.

Although my friend and I were tempted by the trio of pasta (mint tacconi in lamb sausage ragu, cauliflower ham risotto and squash tortelli with shaved Grana Padano), we decided to go with the $48 prix fixe. Our server brought by four different rolls and two different butters, and then we went at our pork shoulder terrine amuse-bouche.

My butternut squash soup was a delightful little spectacle. The server produced a flask of bright orange puree, and poured it into my small glass dish, which contained mushrooms, bits of mushroom flan and a flourish of smoked cinnamon cream. My friend chose the ricotta-stuffed chestnut crespelle in a sauce of sage and brown butter. The crepe was moderately sized but deliciously rich.

"Is this nutmeg?" asked my friend as he tasted the spaghetti squash that came with his roasted free-range chicken. The chicken had been completely deboned except for one decorative drumstick. I dug into the roasted local brook trout... crispy on top and meaty, it lay next to a little pile of herbed baby artichokes, little red onion curlicues, black kale leaves, baby carrots, and a surprise: shrimp dumplings the size of small scallops.

Mr. Di Meglio came over to inform us about a special event on Oct. 27 where he'll host the upstate farmers that provide Olana's ingredients. He also talked about his upcoming Thanksgiving menu. Mains will include slow-cooked turkey breast and leg confit, roasted prime rib, spice-glazed heritage ham with quince mustard, and herb-crusted salmon. Diners will be able to order the side dishes (pecan candied yams, black truffle mashed potatoes, orange-cranberry sauce) family style. (If you come with my family, you'd better make sure you get some of the potatoes before we finish them all.)

My friend and I then attacked our intensely butterscotchy sticky date pudding. The warm pudding arrived next to a scoop of bracing pomegranate sorbet - I imagine the sorbet is supposed to help you get through the rich pudding! The final touch was a plate of homemade mint marshmallows, a cute ceramic pot of dark chocolate fondue, and some butter cookies.

I never get enough of the local/seasonal food craze, and Olana's elegant yet comforting cuisine will have me coming back for more.

Olana: 72 Madison Ave., (212) 725-4900.

Cooking With Bettina Fisher

My kitchen smells amazing right now - it's filled with the aromas of foaming butter, fresh basil, and garlic. This is because I just had a visit from Bettina Fisher. And who is Bettina Fisher? A talented food stylist, caterer, and chef who just happens to teach at-home cooking classes!

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time since its inception in 2002, you probably know that I love food. However, this love does not translate into cooking expertise; I'm not the sharpest tack in the kitchen drawer. Hence my call to Bettina! She sent me a short questionnaire about my likes, dislikes and cooking goals, and then suggested some delicious dishes like halibut in fragrant lemongrass tomato broth, bacon-wrapped trout, whole striped bass with a chunky pistachio relish, and apple blackberry-cake.

But after doing some thinking, I realized that my needs were more in line with Remedial Cooking 101. I wanted to learn how to make an enviably fluffy omelette, to cut and dice vegetables evenly, and to be able to whip up a delicious tomato sauce in a few minutes.

Bettina arrived right on time, and I set about searching for that knife set I registered for 3 years ago. She gave me a brief tutorial on the knives (paring, boning, serrated, chef) and showed me how to sharpen them. She then gave me some recommendations for vegetable peelers and an over-the-sink cutting board (the kitchen is tiny!).

We started by cutting some onions and potatoes, which would later be used for a hearty potato soup with rosemary and Parmesan. Bettina showed me how to cut in halves and halves again for perfect dice. (Hard work!) Then we chiffonaded basil, cored and cut some tomatoes, and sliced and diced some garlic (so satisfying to mash it in one fell swoop with the knife).

After we indulged in large bowls of pasta, it was time to make omelettes. Bettina produced her copy of The Making of a Cook and I learned about three different techniques: beaten, shaken and scrambled. (The book is a hoot! It specified "only a couple turns of the pepper shaker, and a few grains of salt.") Bettina demonstrated, and then I made my own... dee-licious. (Don't tell Bettina, but I finished hers, as well as mine, after she left.)

I need to practice cutting, but I'm already thinking about the next lesson. Maybe we can make that apple-blackberry cake!

Bettina can be contacted through her Website. Highly recommended.

Curry-Ya

I just want to eat the block of East Ninth Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues up whole. Chikalicious, Chikalicious Dessert Bar (love that chocolate pudding), Dieci, Rai Rai Ken, and Curry-Ya are located there. But it's getting harder to score a seat at one of these precious little eateries, because half the student body of NYU has discovered this economical and delicious street.

With this in mind, I made plans to meet a friend early in the evening at Rai Rai Ken. But it was a little bit hot in there, so we went next door to the spotless white bar at Curry-Ya, home of the Japanese gourmet curry in regular/hot/extra hot varieties. There are few dishes as comforting as a big portion of rice smothered in that thick brown sauce! We sipped oolong tea and white wine as we investigated the options. An organic raw egg over the curry? Corn? Fermented soybeans? And should we have a Berkshire pork cutlet in our curry, or giant deep-fried shrimp, or some grilled chicken? Price wasn't an obstacle, because everything at Curry-Ya is $15 or under. (Plain curry is only $7, and you can add some other little dishes and dessert to your meal for $6.)

We both decided on a hot, hearty vegetable curry, full of sweet kabocha squash, green beans, long strips of shiitake and large chunks of potato. Big plates of rice arrived with circular indentations in the middle, into which we poured our individual pots of curry. I ordered a raw egg and slathered it all over the rice. Although I enjoyed sprinkling the diced crispy onions over top, the prospect of mixing in the accompanying dish of raisins was not appealing to me. But as the nights grow colder, I know I'll often be angling for one of the coveted seats at Curry-Ya.

Curry-Ya: 214 East 10th St., (866) 60-CURRY.

Three Fabulous Fall Foodie Events

Three of the most exciting food events in New York take place within a month! (I'm glad it's no longer bathing suit season.)

• The NYC Wine & Food Festival. (Oct. 9-12) Tickets are going fast for this multi-faceted festival; the talk with Ferran Adria and Anthony Bourdain is already full, as is the Bobby Flay Chelsea Market tour. But if you want to tie one on, check out the Meatpacking Uncorked wine tasting, and if you crave "the ultimate gastronomic adventure," attend the Grand Tasting (Session 2 is already sold out!). (Proceeds benefit the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength.)

• The 10th Annual New York Taste. (Nov. 3) Last year, it took me about a week to recover from this amazing eatathon. So I'm really looking forward to this year's version, which will feature culinary delights from restaurants like Craft, Blue Hill, Telepan and Morimoto. (Proceeds benefit City Harvest.)

• The 11th Annual Chocolate Show. (Nov. 7-9) Three whole days of chocolate and nothing but chocolate. Need I say more?
  

The 15th Annual Japanese Food & Restaurant Show

This year's Japanese Food & Restaurant Show was an exciting event, with sake tastings, premium food samplings and people-watching galore (I caught sight of folks from Haru, Morimoto, Sushi Den, Takahachi and Soba Totto). Japanese cookbook celeb Hiroko Shimbo was on hand to sign cookbooks (you can find her recipe for tuna tartare here). I enjoyed tasting many innovations: Yamamoto-yama tea in apple and mint flavors; "Super Frozen Tuna" sashimi, boiled cut wild octopus from Azuma Foods, coffee gyuhi crepes, and white peach Sakura Muromachi dessert sake.

But the highlight of the show for me was the "History Of Sushi" lecture given by Eiji Ichimura, who was introduced as "the sushi chef's sushi chef." He passed out marinated tuna in bamboo leaves and salmon roe as he gave us a crash course in sushi.

We learned that sushi came into being when a mild vinegar, akazu, became popular; people used to eat a dish of fermented fish and rice. In the 1800s, a gentleman named Yohei Hanaya apparently created the nigiri-zushi that is so widely enjoyed today. Sushi used to be consumed in much larger portions (three pieces were enough for a meal!) and the prized toro, or tuna belly, was once routinely thrown away. Speaking of tuna, it was not generally consumed as sushi until the 1940s. Salmon roe and sea urchin are also relatively recent additions to the sushi menu. Old-time sushi lovers commonly ate clams, shrimp, whitefish, and silver-skinned fish such as mackerel.

Are you hungry? Well, so was I! After the show I headed over to my beloved Hasaki, where the special, coincidentally, was an Edo-Mae sushi plate. Mmm.

Free Pie In Times Square

I usually avoid Times Square like the plague, but I'll go almost anywhere for free pie. And according to an E-mail I just got from ABC, there will be a free pie truck around Good Morning America's Broadway Studios today! The so-called "Mobile Pie Hole" has been traveling the country, serving up apple pie, blueberry pie and Georgia peach cobbler to promote the new season of Pushing Daisies.

The University of Coffee

According to the National Coffee Association, U.S. consumption of coffee now surpasses that of soft drinks. Every day, Americans drink around 350 million cups. With all this consumption comes more sophistication - we're no longer satisfied with a mug of diner dishwater. Starbucks, which has been instrumental in spreading coffee culture (if not universally acclaimed), recently acquired the company that makes high-end Clover machines. (The Clover is responsible for the delicious brew at serious coffee shrines such as Cafe Grumpy.)

But long before there was Starbucks, there was Illy. Founded in 1933, the Italian company is involved in every step of coffee production from the selection of beans to the perfection of espresso machines. Since 1999, Illy has taken on yet another role - that of educator. Illy's University of Coffee, which already includes 11 international campuses, is about to set up shop at New York's International Culinary Center. Classes will begin in February 2009.

I had the privilege of previewing the course, and came away - "chock-full o' information" - and caffeine! The top two baristas in Italy, Giorgio Milos and Michele Pauletic, expertly prepared cappuccinos and espressos for all the students. (I asked Mr. Pauletic, "How long did you study this art?" "Five years!" was his reply.)

The class was divided into morning lectures, complete with slides and movies, and an afternoon hands-on session. Lecture topics included an international history of coffee, production from the bean to the cup, and the physiological effects of coffee. The history lecture was fascinating to me; I learned that coffee was consumed by Yemenite monks as early as the 13th century - it helped them stay alert for prayer. At first, people boiled the green, unroasted beans. Nomads in Africa mixed their crushed beans with animal fat as a sort of trail mix! And here's a bit of cultural trivia; Turkish law once stipulated that a husband's inability to provide enough coffee was - ahem - grounds for divorce.

The history course went on to cover the different types of coffee machines and the foibles of early models. Did you know that the French press was an English invention? Or that espresso machines were once so complex that a barista couldn't even decipher their operation? And with one unfortunate model, levers suddenly hit people in the face, sending them to the hospital. The stove-top espresso pot, invented by Bialetti in 1933, brought coffee-drinking from the cafe to the home. (Here, our instructor digressed, giving us a helpful mini-tutorial: when using a moka pot, don't tamp down the grounds in the filter! And try to pour out the last 20% of coffee, as it's bound to taste burnt.)

The afternoon sessions featured a tasting of 15 espresso blends, and a lesson on how to make the perfect cappuccino. Mr. Milos and Mr. Pauletic created the most beautiful cappuccino art, mesmerizing us with rosettes, leaves and hearts. We learned how to pour the foam to create the best milk canvas for coffee painting - and how to create the best foam! (Some tips: always use whole milk, never reuse the milk, and if there are visible bubbles instead of an even, velvety white layer, it's wrong!)

Mr. Milos reminded us that the perfect cappuccino requires the perfect espresso, and he taught us about all the variables to create it: the amount of coffee, water temperature, water pressure, time of extraction, amount of water, and tamping technique. We also learned about the four important components of coffee beans: bitterness, acidity, sweetness and aroma. (Did you know that when roasted, a coffee bean quadruples in aromatic elements? Or that Ethiopian beans are added to sweeten a blend?)

This morning, after my customary stove-top espresso, I Googled "how to make a good espresso." There were 5,270,000 results; something tells me there's going to be a lot of interest in the University of Coffee.

The International Culinary Center: 462 Broadway, (888) 324-2433.

Salli Vates' Third Anniversary: Adour

For our very special occasion, my companion and I chose a very special restaurant. Fortunately, an intimate table for two on the left side was available (when I'd called, the reservationist said she couldn't guarantee it, so I guess we were lucky). It may sound strange, but one of the first things we noticed about Adour was the near absence of background music. The resulting serenity allowed us to focus all of our attention on a superb tasting menu. (We were going to order a la carte; the tasting menu listed a "strawberry composition" and I wanted the apricot souffle. But Guthrie, the elegant gentleman who took care of us for the evening, happily accommodated the substitution!)

We toasted the occasion with glasses of sauvignon blanc and merlot, spread some salted black olive butter over our green olive rolls, and awaited our amuse bouche: a teacup of gazpacho topped with a layer of watermelon foam. As we drained our cups, the tastes and textures changed; the watermelon foam was clean, sweet and light, and then there was the spicy soup with tiny watermelon dice, and a final crunch of croutons at the bottom of the cup.

Next up was the cucumber vinegar marinated hamachi - what a beautiful dish. An intricate latticework of green apple, avocado, cucumber and crouton matchsticks was surrounded by a flourish of green apple mustard. It lay next to a healthy portion of buttery yellowtail crudo, which was sprinkled with a dark green kaffir lime condiment. At first glance we thought it was crumbled nori, but it had an intense citrus flavor.

The next course, a multicolored vegetable composition, was even more visually arresting; it resembled a modern geometric painting. A background of tomato-colored liquid framed an upward-facing assortment of orange, yellow and green vegetable stalks (this was my companion's analogy: "It looks like a city of vegetables!"). Each tender stalk of potato, fennel, leek, carrot, baby artichoke, carrot, celery and zucchini maintained its own distinct taste.

A lobster "lasagna" consisted of three triangular pockets of pasta (one of which was mottled with strips of chervil, another dark with black olives), heaps of sweet lobster meat, zucchini, and an oven-dried tomato - all in a delectable brown sauce. (Now I was beginning to think I shouldn't have asked for seconds on the rolls.) The main course was a rich breast of duck with a trio of red and white radishes and a caramelized shallot, with a cup of polenta topped with the brown jus and a sliced nicoise olive. We tried to linger over the duck, but it was just too delicious, and we polished it off in short order.

Guthrie then wished us a happy anniversary and presented us with a candle-adorned strawberry composition in addition to the two desserts we'd ordered. Delicately sliced strawberries surrounded a creamy fromage blanc center, and crunchy cookie crumbs lay underneath. But I could not get my spoon out of my gorgeous apricot souffle. Golden and puffy and sugar-dusted, it had a small surprise of warm apricot brandy and ladyfingers at the bottom. I also managed a few bites of my companion's multi-textured cherry chocolate dessert with gianduja sable; layers of icy cherry granita and dark cherry gelee lay in between dark chocolate squares. Then came a plate of raspberry and coffee macarons, and another of dark and milk chocolates. What a meal and an anniversary to remember!

Adour: Adour Alain Ducasse at The St. Regis New York: 2 East 55th St., (212) 710-2277.

Nizza

The folks behind French Roast, Cafe D'Alsace, and Nice Matin have brought us another crowd-pleaser: Nizza. And on my recent visit, the crowd definitely seemed pleased. But as I watched them ooh-ing and aah-ing over their bountiful bowls of pasta and pizzas scattered with basil strips, I had the sneaking suspicion that I'd ordered the wrong thing.

I'd struggled mightily over my choices, too, because the menu couldn't have appealed to me more than if I'd written it myself. It had burrata, fresh pasta filled with greens and herbs, meatballs with polenta and hot peppers... you can see how it would be hard to decide. But my suspicions were confirmed when I was presented with my appetizer, a plate of panisses. The chickpea fries were underdone and gooey on the inside, although the accompanying paprika aioli had a nice kick.

Fast forward to dinner. The couple at the table next to me were happily trying each other's pasta al pesto and spaghettini with shrimp. I'd chosen the marinated swordfish in a "salsa gialla"; the small portion of fish was dry and charred. All was not lost, however; after wondering about the semolina pistachio pudding, I ended up with a dessert winner: the orange-chocolate crostata. It was a hot, flaky pie crust layered with candied orange slices and little bursts of bittersweet chocolate. Now this was something I could enjoy from start to finish!

I'm definitely going to give Nizza another chance; all those Campari-drinkers and pizza-eaters can't be wrong.

Nizza: 630 Ninth Ave., (212) 956-1800.

Borigogae

The transition between summer and fall can sometimes challenge one's immunity. A Korean friend told me that when she felt ill as a child, her mother would prepare her a bowl of jook, or hot rice porridge.

This comforting dish, which is similar to Japanese okayu and Chinese congee, is the specialty at Borigogae, a tiny Flushing storefront. Eight flavors are served there; my favorite is the thick, nutty black sesame, while my sweet-toothed companion favors the sweet pumpkin. We still have yet to try the pine nut and the abalone varieties. But I have to wonder if the restorative properties lie not in the porridge, but in the very spicy, garlicky homemade pickles served on the side.

When I visited Borigogae the other day, the owner not only gave me two kinds of spicy pickles to try, but she unexpectedly gifted me with a large, greaseless scallion pancake. I was glad I had no dinner plans for that evening!

Borigogae: 40-10 Union Street, Flushing, (718) 888-1644.

Free Food and Jazz on East 11th Street

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over. But you can send the season off in style by attending the last two installments of this delightful summer concert series: the 11BC Garden's Summer 2008 Jazz Series. Various local restaurants, including nearby Matilda's, Cafecito and brand-new Panificio, have taken it upon themselves to donate food for concertgoers! (Last Saturday, there were prosciutto quesadillas from Matilda's. Unfortunately, the series' arrangement with Back Forty fell through.) The performance of the standards is just as tasty as the food.

(11BC Community Garden: 626 East 11th St., between Avenues B and C. The remaining performances take place on Saturday, September 6, from 3:00-5:30 pm, and Saturday, September 13, from 4:30-7:00 pm. I'll be sitting next to the sunflowers.)

An Astoria Wine Bar Crawl

The wine bar/small plate trend has spread to Astoria. Many options now await the oenophile who takes the N/W to the last stop (Ditmars Boulevard):

• (4/29/09 NOTE: I've just received word that the following wine bar has just discontinued its live music, and intends to close at some point to become a catering facility. Sad news.) At one of my personal favorites, Vino di Vino (29-21 Ditmars Blvd., 718-721-3010), you can try 18 varieties of Italian cheese, five cured meats, or a delicious brick oven pizza while you quaff from a truly encyclopedic wine menu that includes everything from South African sauvignon blanc to Portuguese cabernet port. For jazz lovers, the terrific Jed Levy Group entertains a couple nights a week. (Note: Vino di Vino serves no dessert or coffee, and it's closed on Sundays!)

• Alas, today was Sunday. My friend and I attempted to go to the above wine bar, but it wasn't open. So we ended up at an unnamed (yes, it truly has no name - 2009 NOTE: And now it is closed!) wine bar at 31-13 Ditmars Blvd. (212-777-0012). Unnamed used to just be a coffee shop, but underwent a drastic change a month ago. Now, you can order the most delicious white anchovies with garlic, or cannellini beans flecked with dill and parsley, or a plate of three cured meats and cheeses with onion jam and fruit, or some house-cured olives with preserved lemons. You can order the olives by themselves, or they also come with the excellent sandwiches on toasted Pain D'Avignon bread. We had the leek/Swiss chard with herbs and crumbled manouri cheese. There are lots of Mediterranean wines, and coffee is from Porto Rico Importing Co. And there's baklava, too!

• About a year ago, the cozy little Crescent & Vine set up shop at 25-03 Ditmars Blvd. (718-204-4774). It serves up a nice selection of charcuterie and cheese like Serrano ham, Stilton and Gruyere, as well a couple salads and a Nutella sandwich for dessert.

• If you like sangria, and you fancy some live singer-songwriter or classical music, you will definitely want to visit Waltz-Astoria (23-14 Ditmars Blvd. 718-95-music). There are live performances several nights a week, as well as cheesecakes from Junior's, both red and white wine sangrias, and wines from Chile, Spain, France, Argentina and Australia. What more could you want!
  

Kampuchea Restaurant

"Do you mind if I have just one more bite?" I asked my friend, somewhat ruefully.

We'd both ordered the Cambodian Num Pang tasting plate - three hefty toasted baguette sandwiches with a choice of eight different toppings. I'd already managed to work my way through the tiger shrimp, the crispy ginger-rubbed catfish, and the grilled tofu. Not to mention, we'd already chowed down on large ears of corn slathered with chili mayo and shredded toasted coconut, and some blue crabs, sticky-sweet with honey ginger soy sauce. Yet here I was coveting my friend's house-cured bacon sandwich with pickled Thai chilies, and her Duroc pork.

"Well, will you let me have some of your pickles? I love these pickles," she answered. I ceded some of the prized pickled cucumber slices. It was a deal.

Kampuchea Restaurant has always served 11-inch num pang, along with noodles, crepes and small plates like crispy pork belly, seared monkfish liver with spiced apricots, and tamarind baby back ribs. But in April, Chef Ratha Chau started offering the sandwiches in smaller sizes, because diners wanted to try more than one kind. They've since become a runaway hit. According to the manager, the most popular variety is catfish, followed by shrimp, bacon and oxtail. (My favorites were the catfish and the bacon; I'm all about the crunch!) All sandwiches arrive on toasted Parisi Bakery bread, with sweet julienned pickled carrots, thinly sliced cucumber, pungent cilantro and chili mayo. (Parisi was the only place that would give Mr. Chau hands-on access to the bakery, where he could experiment with different ratios of wheat and semolina, eventually producing the perfect baguette for his tasty toppings.)

Although I was familiar with Vietnamese banh mi, I hadn't been exposed to the deliciousness that is Cambodian num pang. But now I see why there are so many devotees!

Kampuchea Restaurant: 78 Rivington St., (212) 529-3901.

Allegretti

On my way to Lunetta last night, I spied Allegretti, the brand-new brainchild of Le Cirque alumnus Alain Allegretti. The menu looked so enticing that I had to return today! Although it was only the restaurant's second night, everything went swimmingly. By 8 pm, there was barely an empty table in the house, and people kept stopping by to look inside.

The room was elegant, with hardwood floors, silver light fixtures, cream-colored walls and navy banquettes and chairs. Soothing instrumental music emanated from the speakers, but the restaurant soon became loud and lively with excited patrons. What were they excited about? Well, bigeye tuna tartare, Colorado lamb with spinach ricotta gnocchi, tagliolini with baby cuttlefish and almond pesto, duck breast with honey-lavender vinaigrette, and Perugina sausage with sweet peppers. See, I told you this was exciting!

After choosing a pesto roll (there were also plain and olive varieties), I munched on a complimentary goat cheese/sunchoke toast, and then decided to begin with the waiter's suggestion of heirloom tomato/burrata salad. Often, when eating a Caprese, I end up picking at the tasteless tomatoes while devouring the mozzarella in total. But Allegretti's indescribably delicious rendition showcased intensely juicy, variegated red and yellow tomatoes which equalled the rich burrata in flavor. Sharp-tasting scallions were scattered over the creamy cheese, which melted milkily into little pools of tomato or basil coulis, and the whole dish was seasoned with sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil. A salad to remember.

My main course consisted of four rafts of bright rouget fillets atop a bed of paper-thin zucchini coins, nutty pignoli and red peppers. Woodsy-tasting fried parsley adorned the fillets. The server brought by a thin sauce which tasted of the sea; it was shot through with saffron threads. He poured the sauce on the plate at the last minute, so the full-flavored fish maintained its crisp top layer while being moist on the bottom. (By the way, Allegretti will soon have a working brick oven, which will be used for another exciting fish dish.) I drank a glass of 2007 Convento Muri Gries Muller Thurgau white wine with dinner.

Dessert was a tough choice. Jasmine semifreddo? Licorice panna cotta? Lavender-honey creme brulee? I usually can't resist chocolate, so I chose the grappa chocolate fondant. The dome of dark chocolate mousse was covered by a thick layer of chocolate ganache and served with a scoop of ricotta ice cream, which was studded with almond slivers. Just when I thought I'd had enough, a plate of meringues and anise-scented butter cookies arrived at the table.

Hurry up; soon, you won't be able to get in!

Allegretti: 46 West 22nd St., (212) 206-0555.

Sweets News

First we had free money, now we have free brownies. On Wednesday, August 13, from 11 am to 4 pm, Greyston Bakery will offer free "Do-Goodie" brownies made with Belgian chocolate and cage-free eggs at Columbus Circle (Central Park South @ Central Park West). You can try four flavors, including walnut fudge and espresso bean!

Lunetta

I'm a semi-regular at Bar Stuzzichini, but tonight I decided to try Lunetta, another Italian restaurant a block away in the former Mayrose Diner. (Both restaurants serve a personal favorite: fried artichokes.) I met a favorite dining partner; we ended up being alternately delighted and disappointed with our various choices.

The meal began fortuitously; we had the aforementioned fried artichokes, which were really wonderful. Four delicately crispy artichoke halves were served with fried rosemary and sage, and a lemon slice (no herbs at Stuzzichini). "Artichokes are the most crustaceanly of veggies, aren't they?" I pondered. Next was a salad of baby greens, lightly dressed with anchovy vinaigrette. "Just the right amount of anchovy!" exclaimed my friend. (Stuzzichini serves a much sharper-tasting chicory salad with anchovy dressing; I quite like it as well.)

My friend's linguine with eight Wellfleet clams and roasted garlic was terrific - the pasta was livened up with a bit of hot pepper. I ordered the Monday special: spinach malfatti with brown butter and sage in a tomato sauce. I realize this is a rich dish, but I was expecting something like the ricotta malfatti at Al Di La. The Lunetta rendition consisted of five leaden packets of butter-laden spinach; I couldn't finish the dish.

Dessert was also a mixed bag. A blood orange panna cotta suffered from an overwhelming excess of vanilla, but contained no blood oranges. "Out of season," explained our excellent, helpful waiter. "Would you like something else?" "How about the strawberry-rhubarb crostata and chocolate torte?" "Sure thing," he said, and these two desserts were a perfect ending. The crostata sported a light buttery crust and lots of summer fruit, while the warm chocolate cake was deep and rich and topped with curlicues of candied orange peel.

Lunetta: 920 Broadway, (212) 533-3663 and 116 Smith St., Brooklyn, (718) 488-6269. Restaurant week continues through August 29.

Urban Rustic

My horoscope was certainly off-base this weekend:

Be picky. Spread before you is a magnificent buffet. However, if you try to take a little bit of everything, you’ll be stuffed before you’ve sampled half of it. You need to recognize the limitations you’re stuck with and pick and choose which things you’ll pick up to taste, and which you’ll have to regretfully pass by. Sure, you might accidentally miss out on something that looks horrible but tastes great, but that’s always a risk. Being choosy now will make you more likely to discover the flavors your soul is craving than being gluttonous ever could.

How can one be picky, and not gluttonous, when visiting Urban Rustic, Williamsburg's "farm-to-market" cafe and grocery? Caeriel, the writer of the above horoscope, couldn't have been aware of the freezer full of Adirondack premium ice cream or the produce section overflowing with beautiful berries and apples from Red Jacket Orchards, sugarplums, heirloom tomatoes (both miniature and regular-sized), Satur Farms arugula, and zucchini and summer squash from Bruno Farms. And she couldn't have known about the wealth of maple products like Toad Hill maple syrup and double maple yogurt from Evans Farmhouse Creamery; and the natural-casing chicken-apple sausage from Aidells, organic skirt steak, Hardwick grass-fed beef patties, and center-cut smoked salmon.

Urban Rustic also features a small cafe, where you can tear into a Mission fig-arugula-goat cheese sandwich and accompany it with a bag of North Fork potato chips. Or maybe you feel like ham and Swiss, and you'll finish your meal with a bittersweet chocolate brownie or a Mast Brothers chocolate bar (locally produced from bean to bar) or even a chilled coconut ("We drill, you drink!"). Then again, you might be intrigued by the "Santanoni," an egg/tempeh bacon/pico de gallo wrap, which you'll consume with a bag of Urban Rustic's own banana chips, or pineapple rings, or milk-chocolate raisins...

I'm no astrologer, but I think that a trip to Urban Rustic might be part of your destiny.

Urban Rustic: 236 North 12th St., Brooklyn, (718) 388-9444.

Single-Origin Chocolate Ice Cream!

"Single-origin" is quite the buzzword these days; not only you can buy coffee beans from Colombian farms, but you can decide whether you want your chocolate bar to be Venezuelan or Ecuadorian. Now, you can eat chocolate ice cream from Costa Rica, Ghana, Dominican Republic or Borneo! Choctal, a company which claims to offer "an essential chocolate and vanilla experience," distributes single-origin chocolate ice cream through Trader Joe's. I picked up a package of four cups today at the Queens location. Apparently, the Costa Rica cup features caramel notes, the Ghana has undertones of tropical fruit, the Dominican is aromatic and dark, and the Borneo has a "long, sumptuous finish."

Unfortunately, I'm only going to be able to try three cups, because the fourth is mysteriously absent from the freezer. I'm going to have to ask my companion about this.

Hideaway Restaurant

It's hard to believe that a place as idyllic as Ocean Beach exists. Spotless, carless and litter-free, this Fire Island village is kept that way through strict regulations - its popular nickname is the "Land Of No." (In 1977, two people were famously arrested for eating cookies outside.) But after dining at Hideaway Restaurant, I propose a new moniker for Ocean Beach: the "Land of Yes, Yes, Yes!" Craig Attwood (formerly of NYC's Patroon and Islip's The Gatsby) is the Hideaway's executive chef, and he presides over an inspired menu with lots of seafood and a few Asian touches. (NOTE: As of 2009, Mr. Attwood is no longer at the Hideaway.)

Like Ocean Beach's other waterfront restaurants (Maguire's and Matthew's), the Hideaway features an outdoor dining deck. But diners can also enjoy the sunset inside, at a table decorated with fresh flowers and white votives in cornflower-blue holders. My companion and I sat by a window and watched people disembark from their boats to come and eat.

We sipped Shiraz and munched on warm focaccia as we waited for five-spiced baby back ribs and a beet and goat cheese napoleon. The six meaty ribs came with a refreshing salad of mint and lightly pickled watermelon slices. My napoleon was an imaginative creation - no puff pastry in sight, it was a little layered sculpture of beet circles, their juice painting warm goat cheese disks bright vermilion. The sweet beets mellowed the sharpness of the cheese.

I had considered ordering the yellowfin tuna sashimi appetizer, but figured this would be redundant with the coriander-crusted tuna. This dish was incredibly delicious; two seared pieces of tuna, their insides rare, lay atop a bed of buttered basmati rice interspersed with asparagus tips and slivers of shiitake. Green cilantro aioli encircled the dish. I finished every bite. My companion ordered the four giant diver scallops with watercress salad and oven-roasted tomatoes.

Fresh whipped cream was the final touch on each of our desserts, which were a zingy little Key Lime tart on an ultra-buttery crust, and a warm chocolate souffle cake accompanied by rum caramel banana pudding.

(I don't know how I had room for two Frisbee-sized banana pancakes at Rachel's Bakery the next morning. Maybe it was the effect of those ocean breezes.)

Hideaway Restaurant: Bay Walk, Ocean Beach, Fire Island, (631) 583-8900.

Free Money!

No, a spammer didn't get a hold of my login and password (at least, not yet). The free money I'm referring to is a promotion that Picholine is running to celebrate its 15 years of operation (and counting)! Just click on this link and you'll be awarded a $50 gift certificate. I think I'll use mine for a French wine and cheese flight.

Picholine: 35 West 64th St., 212-724-8585.

3 Veggie Lunches For $8 Or Less

Occasionally I receive E-mails from hungry readers seeking recommendations. This post is for the vegetarian East Sider who was looking for an inexpensive lunch.

• Zen Burger (CLOSED as of 12/12/08. I hope they reopen somewhere!) This environmentally-friendly answer to McDonald's serves an entirely vegetarian menu of "burgers," "hot dogs," and "chicken" sandwiches. The sandwich buns contain whole wheat flour, the coffee is fair trade, the napkins are 100% recycled, and all after-tax profits on bottled water are donated to the environment. A meal, which includes a sandwich, fries and drink, runs about $7. Personally, I found the burger to be more convincing than the grilled ZenChicken breast - the soy chicken had a strange texture. But after they slapped some cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on top of a Zenburger, I was hard-pressed to distinguish it from a "real" fast-food burger. (Aren't McD's burgers half-soy anyway?) (465 Lexington Ave., 212-661-6080.)

• Lan Cafe. To my knowledge, this tiny Vietnamese joint is the only place in the city where you can order totally veggie banh mi ($5.50). There are lots of rice vermicelli entrees (one question: why is the grilled lemongrass seitan on rice vermicelli $7.95 while the grilled lemongrass seitan on steamed rice vermicelli is $8.95? Random.). My rice vermicelli sauteed with little strips of seitan, bamboo shoots and straw mushrooms was wonderfully peppery. (342 East 6th St., 212-228-8325.)
  

• Dang Lai Palace. A newcomer to the East Side, this kosher dairy "world vegetarian" restaurant serves a lunch special for only $8, which includes an entree, taro spring roll and beverage. I have to confess that I haven't eaten here yet, but it falls under the $8-or-less criterion that my E-mail friend specified. So if you try it, let me know how it is! (180 3rd Ave., 212-505-2000.)
  

The Secret Capogiro Gelato Stand

Last year, I wrote about the intense chocolate gelato of Philly-based Capogiro Gelato. I was so impressed by it that I went on a flavor-seeking frenzy, eventually ordering a case of six different pints. Among them was an incredibly refreshing pineapple-mint sorbet, which I finished in no time.

A few days ago, when the temperature hit 89, I had an inexplicable craving for something frozen and pineapple. I trolled the aisles of Whole Foods and my local bodegas, but the most pineappley thing I could find was a pint of Haagen-Dazs pineapple-coconut ice cream. Rich with cream and eggs, it just wasn't the light treat I craved - and it didn't have that addictive hint of mint.

So I went through my mental archive of food cravings, and realized that my desire dated to that Capogiro shipment one year ago! I went over to their Website, saw my favorite flavor (ananas con menta), and promptly placed an order.

Now, I can understand why you might balk at ordering an overnight shipment of 6 pints of gelato or sorbet, even if you really want to try this flavor. The good news is, you don't have to! Capogiro apparently operates a "secret" gelato stand at Rockefeller Center, on the stairs above Rock Center Cafe. (I say "secret" because Capogiro is not allowed to put their logo on anything aside from cups, or have a sign advertising the origin of the frozen treats.) The stand is open from 11 am-8pm, and it serves three flavors: bacio gelato, limone sorbet and that wonderful pineapple-mint sorbet. The mint is farmed by Capogiro's own farmer.

Of course, you might get to the point where one cup of pineapple-mint sorbet isn't enough. You'll need to stockpile some at home. In that case, order a shipment and take this tip from Capogiro chef/owner Stephanie Reitano: a scoop is great in a rum cocktail!

The Secret Capogiro Gelato Stand: Rockefeller Center, 20 West 50th St., on the stairs above the skating rink and Rock Center Cafe. Look for the orange umbrella.

Chocolate Bar

(4/28/09 NOTE: The Chocolate Bar has now reopened again at 19 8th Avenue.)

The West Village's loss is the East Village's gain with the relocation of Chocolate Bar, which opened on East 7th St. this week. The attractive new space has barstools and tables, so you can now linger a while. And with so many delicious chocolate goodies, both edible and drinkable, you'll definitely be tempted to stick around. (NOTE: As of March '09, the news is that the Chocolate Bar is moving back to the West Village. It will reopen on April 28 at 19 Eighth Avenue.)

Chocolate Bar is known for its smartly packaged line of chocolate bars with flavors like coconut cream pie, malted milk, raspberry jam, key lime, salty pretzel and caramel apple. Some wrappers are inspired by pop art or graffiti, and owner Alison Nelson has plans for a line of tattoo-inspired wrappers. (She cutely informed me that she got her first tattoo in the East Village, so this seems particularly apt for the new location.)

Throughout the month of July, drip coffee and espresso (all from Gimme Coffee) is 1/2 off. I paid a visit yesterday and tried the espresso egg cream (there are also black & white and hazelnut ones) and an "iced buzzed" (mocha) that knocked my socks off. I used to crave the Mocha Choka at Gimme, but the Chocolate Bar iced mocha is much more chocolatey! Store manager Jack says that he uses 64% cacao chips in this drink. I already want another one; I hope he doesn't think I'm too weird if I stop by again today.

Besides, I didn't get a brownie yesterday. And I didn't get a chocolate-covered Oreo. Or a truffle. Or a chocolate peanut butter caramel bar. Or a chocolate-chip cookie. Or a chocolate-covered graham cracker. Or... did I mention, I really want another iced buzzed?

The Chocolate Bar: 127 East 7th St., (212) 367-7182.

The 54th Summer Fancy Food Show

This year, I wasn't able to spend a lot of time at the Fancy Food Show; I got to the Javits Center shortly before the end. Fortunately, the vendors became very generous with their samples towards the close of the show - a woman was handing out bags of D.O.P. mozzarella di bufala campana! But I made sure not to load myself down with too many goodies, because there were people strategically placed at the exits to check through everyone's bags. (I did see a woman filling up her pockets with chocolates.)

Here are my highlights and bits of precious information:

• A Poilane representative, who was showcasing some wonderful sourdough with D'Artagnan duck pate, informed me that the famous French bakery has plans to begin distribution through Whole Foods. How great would this be!

• San Diego-based Chewy's, which makes gourmet pastries and cookies, has a really yummy crushed rugelach product. The company is marketing cinnamon-walnut and double-chocolate "Insatiable Crumble" as an ice cream topping or a cheesecake bottom. (More info at 800-241-3456.)


• Creative cheddars were a treat for the tastebuds. Grafton Village Cheese was offering up sage cheddar, garlic cheddar and maple-smoked cheddar. (I have a block of the maple-smoked and I'm not sharing it!) Cabot, also from Vermont, had chili-lime cheddar.
  


• There was a Belgian waffle stand, courtesy of Carbon's Golden Malted Waffles!
  


• There was also a lot of alcohol. In the Peru section, a man from CATB Liquor was handing out grape whiskey sours made with Pisco Queirolo. I also had a lime mojito but can't remember where.

• A man from Naturally Nora handed out three flavors of cupcakes. They were dairy-free, soy-free, kosher, and free of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and hydrogenated oils! (Truly a cupcake for Bloomberg's trans-fat-free New York!) The confetti icing was naturally colored with ingredients like elderberry.
  


• Fresh mozzarella was everywhere, not just at Fattoria Gaia. Lioni Latticini made an appearance; Antonio Mozzarella Factory handed out plastic cups full of bocconcini with basil; and The Cheese Works Ltd. had a mindblowing array of cheese including generous samples of burrata.
  


• Cypress Grove Chevre served up some wonderful chive goat cheese.

• My last stop was Venchi, the Italian chocolatier I became aware of when I visited Eataly this year. I wish the vendor had been freer with the samples; he gave me just one little triple-layered gianduja praline! Fortunately, many chocolate delights are available via the Website.
  

I'm going to end this post with a question for anyone who might know - at the end of the show, what happens to that whole pig at the Euro-USA stand?

Pomme De Terre

Whatever happened to the French fry craze in NYC? B. Frites and Le Frite Kot are history; only Pommes Frites remains - and here I am, constantly desiring French-fried potatoes. This past weekend, my search led me to Pomme De Terre in Brooklyn. Although the charming bistro serves much more than potatoes, I thought I stood a good chance of fulfilling my craving there.

"Since your name means 'potato,' are your potatoes amazing?" I asked the server. "Yes!" he said proudly. "We hand-cut our French fries, and then we soak them in cold water for a day." This sounded like the degree of potato-obsession I was seeking. Soon I was rewarded by a golden-brown mass of salty, crispy goodness. The ketchup tasted homemade.

I could've dined solely on French fries, but I also devoured a shallot-dressed green salad, a whole roasted branzino stuffed with herbs and served with fennel and sweet roasted tomato, and a warm chocolate cake shaped like a many-petaled flower with a vanilla ice cream pistil. (I ate all the petals. Next to me, a couple shared the banana creme brulee. What a wonderful idea!)

I am sure to be lured back to Pomme de Terre by the prospect of grilled dry-aged ribeye, pan-seared skate, and duck leg confit with homemade duck sausage. But above all, I look forward to another order of those French fries.

Pomme De Terre: 1301 Newkirk Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 284-0005.

Greenwich Grill

If you crave Italian food while your dining partner wants Japanese, I suggest an evening at Greenwich Grill - a lovely TriBeCa Italian restaurant where you can order sushi from the Japanese place below! I was unaware of this perk when I visited with a friend this weekend and was surprised to see chopsticks at the place setting.

After reading about the Grill in a local magazine, I was drawn in by the prospect of a restaurant similar to Basta Pasta, a Japanese-owned Italian restaurant in Chelsea. Although the menus are quite different, both places present moderate portions of artfully presented dishes, and the service at each is exemplary.

My friend pronounced her dirty martini "excellent" and I uncharacteristically ordered a cocktail, the "Glinda." (It sounds so "Sex And The City!") The Glinda was a mojito-like drink made with rum, mint, and sparkling wine, but with no lime.

The lime would come in when my friend ordered ceviche - a brightly colored melange of green avocado, red tomato, purple octopus with some clams and striped bass. The dish packed a punch of cilantro and a bit of citrus. I ordered a half-portion of gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce accented with Parmesan; there wasn't one ingredient or bite in that entree that I didn't like. The seven gnocchi were of the larger, more substantial kind, not the little melt-in-your-mouth puffs of potato you find at Hearth. The green olive bread went to good use, as I could not let one bite of sauce go uneaten!

My friend went the pasta route for her main course, ordering the fettucini in a Thai green curry sauce with Dungeness crab. The coconutty sauce was rather sweet and would have benefited from some spice, but the texture of the fresh pasta was perfect. I loved the deep-fried swordfish with herbed tartar sauce and frisee salad.

Time for dessert! The server was very accommodating when I asked for some whipped cream to go with my "seasonal berry marinade," which was something like a cool raspberry blackberry soup with a dome of fruit hiding a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My friend's tiramisu was incredible; a dusting of espresso and cocoa provided it with an intense flavor, and the dessert did not suffer from the unpalatable surplus of amaretto that I have found elsewhere.

Green kukicha tea was a relaxing and fragrant finish to the meal.

Greenwich Grill: 428 Greenwich St., (212) 274-0428.

Fornino

I was just about to slap a nice big slice of ripe tomato onto my sandwich when I heard about the recall. Oh well. Into the trash it went. But I still craved tomatoes!

At that moment, a friend called me to ask if I wanted to meet for dinner in Williamsburg. A light went on in my head... Fornino! A divine margherita pie, consumed in the backyard garden of this artisanal pizzeria, would be (cooked, and therefore safe) tomatoey perfection. I jumped on the subway and met my friend.

We began with a cheese-laden, creamy Caesar with two slabs of herbed focaccia, and then decided on a pie. The special included pesto oil and arugula. For those of you who haven't been to Fornino (this excludes everyone who lives in Williamsburg), the menu includes three "generations" of pizza, which become increasingly elaborate. Examples: a first generation might be a classic margherita pie; a second generation might be a margherita with the addition of some fennel sausage, and a creative third generation could be anything from a gorgonzola pie with rosemary and caramelized onions or a rock shrimp pesto zucchini pie!

For our part, my friend and I felt like luxuriating in melting pillows buffalo mozzarella, so we shared a large margherita D.O.C. A toothsome, slightly charred crust, a dusting of Parmesan, some basil sprigs and yes, that superlative tomato sauce made the pizza a pie to remember.

I had no room for the Capogiro sorbetto and gelato - next time. And if the tomato recall continues, that next time might be sooner rather than later!

Fornino: 187 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn. (718) 384-6004.

Sweets News

Belgian waffles are bursting out all over, and they're causing me to burst out all over too!

• The brand-new Sweet Melissa Cremerie (276 Court St., Brooklyn, 718-855-3410) is offering big Belgian waffles with two scoops of ice cream, homemade whipped cream and your choice of topping for $10.95. When I arrived there tonight, there was a big "SOLD OUT" scribbled on the blackboard. Darn it.
  

• Le Petit Belge (22 East 14th St., 212-807-7027 ) has been open for three weeks, serving Belgian waffles ("poffies") topped with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and of course, Belgian chocolate syrup. It's a to-go operation, so you can take your waffle and enjoy it in Union Square Park. (After I visited, I soon became La Grande Belge!)
  

Lokal Mediterranean Bistro

The apartment directly above me is being renovated from top to bottom. Everything is being ripped out, drilled, and reinstalled. This means a daily onslaught of unbearable banging, shouting and thudding, which chases me out of my own apartment. I need a vacation! Unfortunately, much as I may long to visit the French Riviera (or any foreign destination) a trip out of the country is not an option for me right now.

Yesterday, the farthest I could travel was Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I was planning to take a stroll around McCarren Park when I caught sight of Lokal, a small Mediterranean restaurant on the park's perimeter. As I walked closer, the soft sounds of bossa nova wafted into my ears. Stained-glass French doors opened out onto the street, and I could see couples relaxing on striped blue banquettes. Sighing, I entered and sat down. The tables were decorated with shells and blue sand. I could almost imagine that I was on some kind of exotic vacation, although the cross breezes originated not from the sea but from the traffic on Nassau and Lorimer.

Lokal's menu offers plenty of classic spa selections, if you'd like to share in this fantasy of staying at some exotic resort. Caesar salads, grilled vegetable plates and penne with shrimp will entice the calorie-conscious diner (although "Lokal" is not a pun on '"lo-cal"). I ordered some unsweetened iced tea and a tuna burger. Although the beef burgers looked much plumper and more substantial, there was no filler in my choice - the burger was all chunks of seared tuna. The puffy brioche bun was nicely smeared with wasabi mayo, and a good portion of rosemary-sprinkled shoestrings was included. (For those who want something larger for lunch, there are meatball or beef casseroles.) At dinner, the menu expands to offer roasted free-range chicken and grilled NY steak.

I finished my last French fry to the strains of "How Insensitive." Although this song might be particularly apt for the people working on the apartment above me, at least I can temporarily escape their cacophony at Lokal.

Lokal Mediterranean Bistro: 905 Lorimer St., Brooklyn, (718) 384-6777.