The tuna carpaccio at Zenkichi is fresh and tart. The miso black cod is as rich and flavorful as Nobu's, for a fifth of the cost. The sake selection covers an impressive range of choices from fruity to dry, filtered to unfiltered. But the reason to journey to this gem of Williamsburg is the exceptional interior design, which feels less like a restaurant than a set from an Orientalized David Lynch film. You wait for your table in a dramatically-lit little alcove framed by bamboo trees, with polished black rocks underfoot. Then the hostess leads you through a dark labyrinth of little cubes, each intimately lit by a japanese paper lantern. You snuggle into your cube, and the hostess unfurls a wooden shade, covering the entrance and creating a private cocoon just for you. The effect is like dining in a serene little cabin in the middle of nowhere, though you're three feet away from the next table. You peruse the menu, a fusion of Japanese and French cuisine, and summon the waitstaff to place an order by pushing a button on the corner of your table. Throughout the meal, invisible hands slip under the shade to deposit towels, remove dishes, and refill water glasses, discreetly and soundlessly.

Impeccable design, comfort in spite of tight spaces, attentive yet unobtrusive service, fresh and superb cuisine – these add up to the most memorable dining experience I've had in a while. Swing by the 'burg soon and check it out: 77 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211. And the word has gotten out, so make sure to reserve a table: (718) 388-8985.

<-  that's stephen. along with his partner, sarah, stephen runs the coolest little restaurant in williamsburg, pies 'n' thighs.

devotees of good southern cooking and homestyle baked goods, these guys turn out the most amazing down-home food in brooklyn, all cooked in a 5 x 5 - foot hole in the wall, under the williamsburg bridge. the seats are splintery and the table cloth is plastic, but who cares, when you can see God through the rhubarb pie?  if i were forced to choose the manner of my own death, i would do it by ingesting a hundred of their grilled cheese sandwiches -- each one  a gooey, delectable, cardiac-arresting piece of heaven.  oh, and did i mention that a gut-stuffing meal costs about a whopping $6? 

finally, stephen is dr. doolittle with dogs -- i swear, he can read chauncy's mind -- and pets of all persuasion are welcome at pies 'n' thighs.  they even get a free doggie bowl, on hot summer days (do NOT fill it with PBR).

finally, we williamsburg foodies won't have to sojourn across the river into manhattan, just for a grown-up meal. dressler, created by restauranteur colin devlin, is named for the title character of steven millhauser's 1997 novel. martin dressler is a 19th-century new york entreprenuer, who rises through the ranks of society to become the model capitalist, iconic of the american dream.

echoing this theme is the richly adorned, old-world interior. my dinner conversation revolved for 20 minutes around the chandeliers alone: flat steel panels, stencil-shaped and pressure-cut, then cleverly constructed into 3-dimensional objects. loyal to his borough, devlin commissioned these from artisans at the brooklyn navy yard.

the menu is styled as refined americana:  fish, fowl, and steak, cooked simply but with rich, comforting flavors.  i had the striped bass, cooked to a perfect lightness, and served on a pillow of swiss chard and yukon gold potatoes, and encircled by a little entourage of cockles.  tomorrow night i think i'll try the duck.  :)

this is wylie dufresne.
the pollock of poultry, the fragonard of foie gras, the duchamp of duck. wylie's restaurant, wd-50, located in new york city's lower east side, provides one of the most decadent experiences in a city of decadence. it's one of my favorite spots in the world, where i take only those people on whom i want to lavish affection, or from whom i'm begging forgiveness for something.  :-P

try the octopus (shown here), garnished with bean sprouts, green beans, and escorted by a smear of orange puree and a dusting of caraway.  and for a really superb evening, order the chef's tasting menu – a marathon of 11 courses, each more delicately textured and richly flavored than the last, which will leave you comatose with joy.