JD "osakasteve" L.'s Profile

The high ceilings, exposed kitchen, and open floorplan all create a sufficiently buzzing environment that feels perfectly European. The floor-to-ceiling windows make watching the downtown hustle quite entertaining.

Complimentary sparkling water is a nice touch, and while the table bread is clearly fresh, the effect of it being served cold seems out of place.

The watermelon and heirloom tomatoes were dressed lightly in vinegar and olive oil, and they made the pink sea table salt more than a fancy decoration. The BLT had meaty tomatoes, fresh lettuce, warm buttered toast, and soft avocado. All of those though were simply there to support thick, crisp, salty strips of heavenly bacon. The most powerful thing on the table though were the hot and juicy portabello fries, which were simply large mushroom slices, lightly battered and served with plenty of pesto aiole.

The cheap paper towel dispenser in a restroom of white marble and brass stuck out like a sore thumb. My only significant complaint was how neglected we were once the wait staff began their dinner prep meeting. In their defense, I suppose the dining room is not for those with a brief timetable.

Just a block from the Broadway-Lafayette subway stop is a basement bar that has some surprisingly serious cocktails with a privateer bent.

The London (read: gin) Lemonade was an excellent way to combat the last gasps of the afternoon sweltering. A terrifically simple way to start the ball rolling.

After sunset the Yum Yum Ginger will remind you why you wanted to go drinking on a Tuesday night in the first place; vodka, ginger ale, and a spoonful of fresh minced ginger all blend together for a buttery glass of awesome.

Finishing off the pre-dinner drinking with a Dark & Stormy couldn't have set the night's tone better. Again with a spoonful of fresh ginger, this glass mug of ice, rum, and ginger beer leaves you properly quenched, with a sharp taste on the tongue to go looking for the night's [second to] last meal.

The cramped room and rather long line for a Wednesday at ten in the morning may put some people off, but clearly it's just the price of admission into one of the most committed eateries to be found in Brooklyn.

Converting an ancient deli into a bakery, without losing the original deli capabilities, is quite a feat. Pre-packaged salad, along with prepared pastas, fish fillets, roast beef, and veggies, are all the first things to see from the end of the queue.

Once those who have made it to Choice ahead of you have shuffled along, and the cupcakes and tarts and sweets have passed by, there's still some exceptional coffee and baked breakfast items to take with you.

An egg sandwich with bacon, goat cheese, tomatoes, and eggs on perfect grain bread grilled to perfection. Such a breakfast sandwich, which in what is probably a nod to the place's history, is the size of a traditional deli sandwich. Along with a smooth and sublime chocolate croissant, along with a strong iced Americano, this place, as Ferris would say, "It is so choice."

The chicken was sublime and dusted with a touch of what tasted like Lowry's. The cucumber salad has enough fresh n' vinegar attitude to make you feel healthy. This spot gets enough cred for being a reliable place to get your poultry fix without ever having to deal with Popeye's again.

If there's a downside, it's paying ten stones for three pieces of chicken, a handful of some side dish, and some root beer to wash it all down. That said, it's on par with the market price for food in this city.

Turns out they weren't open for lunch today, so I had to wait until dinner time for the socio-culinary event of the month. An adorable woman and her infant child served Lizzy and I a couple of sweet and sparkling agua fresca.

Upon being seated, our waitress served us some roasted, salted chickpeas (which for some reason came with a teeny side of more salt). The little nuggets helped us through our menu decisions, which arrived in just a shade under ten minutes.

Lizzy's ceviche was fresh and tart, while my pork and roasted corn stew was savory and filling. We also split a very smooth tamale filled with fabulous fungi. Both of our plates were served with great tortilla chips that we watched get made by hand about ten feet from the bar.

Our check came with two halves of some powdered sugar-coated cookie, and we were out the door for twenty bucks a head. It remains to be seen whether that unforseen tax paid in order to eat 'local and slow' is worth it, but it's certainly a quality meal.

Taking a bag on the run, only to sit down on the bench down the street at Mojo, I settled in with a pint of Big Daddy and a poor pair of chopsticks. Thankfully, the low-quality utensils are the worst part of the meal; Thai Spicy Noodles with prawns absolutely deliver on their promise. The noodles are cooked to perfection, the mushrooms and bell peppers are tasty, and the prawns are soft and succulent. The plastic package of glory has just the right amount of spice to make a savior of the cold brew.

Wrapping up dinner on the sidewalk with that Thai dessert we all know and love made for a fantastic meal. The chill of big mango slices, dripping with that so so slippery (and warm) coconut syrup, make the sticky rice damn near euphoric. It's rare that the sweet part of a meal lasts as long as the savory, but this fill of the jungle's bounty leaves me wanting for nothing but more beer.

At first you think the evening's going to end with a friendly game of Midnight Monopoly as a come-down from the cinema, courtesy of Mad Dog's stock of board games.

For some strange reason though, you inhale your opening round of icy Blackthorne and impatiently belly back to the bar for a sequel, which the strawberry blonde pulls effortlessly. Only after your Jackson's broken does she mention that while one round is four dollars, upgrading to a pitcher sets you back a far-too-reasonable fifteen.

Fast forward to the next morning when you've spent thirty minutes shaking your head in the cafe and apologizing to the cute barista for not going firecracker from the triple cap she served up in a pint glass. Somewhere between that morning's opener and the David Cronenberg siesta you silently thank Mad Dog for it all.

Thank you Mad Dog.

Holy hole-in-the-wall Batman! If you fancy wandering down the significantly less popular side of the street, you'll find this place and never look for Thai pleasure anywhere else.

Menus painted on slabs of wood and a seating area that has got to be the legally allowable minimum distance from a half-dozen firespitting woks?! Tom's has got intimacy in the same way that standing over your mom as she cooks your dinner does, only here your mom is a sweating skinny Thai man who never stops moving and has an implicit understanding of how to take into account the percentage of ingredients that only make it to the floor as he throws them into the fire.

Around $7 will get you a banana leaf-shaped dish jammed with a portion equivalent to probably three servings of the same grub you'd find in Bangkok. For those who have dedicated themselves to the lifetime study of Scoville, a four on Tom's spice scale won't kill the flavor, but you'll definitely by looking to your Thai iced coffee (tea is for rookies) to keep from sweating.

Vivace's new location across the street from REI's hq is the business. This is the first cafe I've been to that offers training courses from the owner David Schomer, who has also published a series of training manuals!

There's two thousand square feet of space, so it's relatively easy to find a spot to sit down. Massive glass windows look across into REI's mini-forest and provide great natural light.

The only thing keeping this place from top marks is it's lack of consideration for the net crowd. While the wifi access is free, the electrical outlets are few and far between. That's only a minor complaint, as it encourages you to get on with your day after your battery expires.