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.