Carmine's

The back of Carmine's is a surprise- red checkered table-clothed red sauce joint with a hankering for the Yankees. The bread here is house-made and the bruschetta that comes with it a fun difference from just extra virgin olive oil served at so many new wave Italians. The food here is good and cheap. My eggplant parm. with spaghetti was $10 and generous. Tasty, real eggplant with gooey cheese on top was satisfying. Fresh broccoli rabe with garlic was made to order and super. The sauce here while good is not deeply inspired like Joe's of Ave U or La Palina- my personal fave red sauce joints, nevertheless, this is a fine nabe spot to chow down. When on Graham- GO!

Bubby's HIgh Line

Bubby's Highline son of Bubby's Tribeca is relatively new and the best Bubby's yet. A big, generous, corner space with a little area in the back for a quick coffee or light bight. All the purveyors Bubby's uses is listed on the back of the menu and it is impressive. The classic American grub is so well done here, I have been here several times recently and the meals are utter perfection. Spiced apple cider is a warm way to start a meal. Cornmeal encrusted whole trout with yellow potatoes and cherry vinegar peppers was tasty, and hearty for $26. There is great value for the quality of the food. House-made ice-cream- Rocky Road is no better way to finish a meal. Of course, Bubby's is known for their pies and their homemade desserts are a wonderful topper to a top of the line meal. Love the moist cupcakes. GO! GO!

Cafeteria

Back to the classics. While Cafeteria has been around since the 90's, it is far from a has-been. It maintains a popularity and with good reason. American comfort with value. Yes, there may be some attitude, but that is what you are paying for. I was there twice in the last two weeks and satisfied with both meals and ambience. The first time, we were seated by a big, beautiful drag queen and I loved it. The tomato soup with crème fraiche is delish. The biscuits that come with were a great surprise. Big bold flavor. You could go with a soup and half-sammie for $11 and be full. The mac and cheese for $9- cheddar and fontina was quite good. Especially loved the meatloaf with garlic mashed, green beans and tomato relish for $18. The entrees top out at $25 which is reasonable for prime Chelsea/Flatiron. The best part is the seating for four-tops on the corner and by the windowed front. Iconic! GO!

Beygl

The bagels at Beygl are exceptional, with floavor that you don't find in traditional bagels. The addition of brown sugar plus the kettle boil creates an authentic bagel with a unique flavor. I love Beygl's bagels. The bagels are divided into two types- traditional and artisan. I lean towards the artisan because of their originality. The sea-salt and cracked pepper as well as the rosemary, olive oil are my personal faves. The bagels are baked from light to dark so all bread mavens like myself can find one done to their liking Some yummy spreads and delicious coffee make this a great morning pit-stop, but if you don't live in "the Slope", these bagels are worth the trip. GO! GO!

Pastai

Pastai is an elegant restaurant on 9Ave. making it's own pastas near enough to Giovvani Rana at Chelsea Market that I was suspicious about it's food. The quality of the pasta and it's preparation is outstanding. The room is oddly configured with the kitchen in the middle, but no matter. The yeasty bread comes out with lovely fruity Italian olive oil. The insalata mista was a fine salad with romaine and radicchio was a fresh treat. We tried the strained pasta which is shredded with a pesto like sauce, the flavor was great, but loving my pasta whole I was not a fan. The buccatini Ametriana was the best buccatini, I have ever tasted. Thicker than most, with the sensational sauce- amazing. GO!

Hometown Barbecue

Hometown rocks the Red Hook scene with real deal barbecue with a Brooklyn twist. Sunday sandwiches are served on Caputo onion rolls. Pickles from Brooklyn Brine add mega flavor to the said sandwich. At $11 with a mini potato salad, it is a filling enough portion. Add on sides at $4 for even more Americana fun. The beans with pieces of meat is an intense flavor fest- deep red looking like a mole. Creamy mac and cheese and good smokey collards. There is good beer to wash down all that barbecue, I went with a Shiner from Texas- amber, fruity, and tasty. The spot is still not ready for primetime servicewise, but once they are you can expect warehouse sized crowds for slamin' Brooklyn barbecue. GO!

5 OZ

Do you like custard- I do. There used to be more custard in NYC, now the Shake Shack franchise is the number one custard seller. This is Midwestern style from a genuine Midwestern girl and true Midwestern milk products. Frozen custard is very popular in the Midwest and has a dense creamy texture due to the addition of egg yolks. 5OZ has a smaller batch flavor than Shake Shack. The chocolate is really chocolatey and you could customize your custard with yummy add-ons. Fudge, caramel sauce, fleur de sel, and homemade whipped cream. These extras make you a mad custard scientist and flavor combos comfort and rock your palate. The soothing farmhouse interior has a nice bathroom, plants and lovely place to devour your custard concoction. About $7 with add-ons.

Ganso

Ganso is a mega popular ramen joint in the once bargain land of Downtown Brooklyn. They also have killer Japanese food and a great lunch special for $12. I have been there twice and both times have had the lunch bento plate. The choices all sound great- Tonkatsu, chicken cooked under a brick with a special sauce, wings, but I had the salmon teriyaki both times. The salmon is of high quality with a sauce that is not over-sweet like some of the cheaper joints. The plate, not box is served with a generous and tasty salad, a Japanese yam, seaweed and rice with black sesames. The food here is a welcome respite from the fast food joints in the area. The mega- thrift Unique or huge Goodwill or emptyish Macy's makes Ganso a fun weekend destination if your not brunching. GO!

Picnic

Picnic showcases regional American food from the Midwest in a lovely corner East Village restaurant. I went when they were just opened a few days and service was very new, and friendly. Went with a sandwich was one of the best values on the menu. Pulled pork, rootbeer barbecue, corn and coleslaw. One side comes with and I went with sweet potato casserole. $13 for the combo. The sandwich was good, but the sweet potato casserole was velvety goodness. Lots of great American fare on the menu here with good value to boot. GO!

Marco's

Franny's redux is the uber cool retroish designed Marco's. The big oven went to Franny's and Marco's dishes small plates Italian or trattoria style as they say. The Italian fare is top of the line, but so are the prices for teeny portions. Their is no bread service which seems ingracious at these prices, but a request for bread brought a small grilled piece for two people. The two of us shared the entire meal. Spedino alla Romana($) is a tiny albeit flavorful Italian grilled cheese. The tagliatelle with prosciutto di Parma($18) was amazing- carbonarra like also a teeny tease. As a main the wood grilled lamb chops($28) were so well seasoned and cooked to perfection it was a meaty dream. The accompanying veggies- Sicilian charred eggplant($6) with pine nuts, raisins ricotta salata and Summer Squash in a lemony butter sauce($6) were a fine compliment though the generously portioned squash was way overcooked. We left this pricey establishment for their offshoot grocery store Brooklyn Larder for dessert and the chocolate caramel pudding for $6 and the chocolate caramel bar ($3) really satisfied. GO!

The Blue Stove

The Blue Stove on Graham Ave is a retro-Americana bakery serving house baked goodies featuring pies. The corner space in Williamsburg is welcoming and friendly and of course the smell of their baked goods is enticing. The Blue Stove has gained some notoriety for their pies. They are sexy, sloppy and delicious. More rustic than Four and Twenty Blackbirds, the buttery crust of the Strawberry-Rhubarb, slightly sour filling combines to take you to pie heaven. Many pies of the day are available and you can linger over pie and coffee as many do. AT $5 a slice for a pie, that is a bargain. The retro bathroom with it's giant sink reminds me of my childhood. Eat Pie or die! GO! GO!

Maison Kayser

The French have landed on our shores and more Maison's will follow with a new one in Chelsea soon. Eric Kayser trained in France and traveled the globe utilizing French training and natural leavening. The breads and pastries are baked by Frenchmen utilizing French techniques and are impressive. Lunch began with a bag of beautiful breads- baguette, an unusual chestnut bread with walnuts colored by turmeric was a sweet, exotic treat. For savory, I went with a corn soup with feta and tomatoes- a light puree with tasty feta, but a little underseasoned with less than crunchy corn. A hot chocolate was a dense French concoction made more summer-like with requested ice. The citron/milk chocolate cookie tasted like a Madeline more than a cookie, but was delicious nonetheless. Pastries look divine, but in the middle of summer, I must postpone major sampling for awhile. The space is very modern with cramped seating. Still- GO! GO!

Sweet Chick

Want some Sweet Chick, chicken and waffles are the specialty here and it is a mega popular brunch spot. Now the menu features Southern style food with a nod to chicken with or without waffles. We ordered a bunch of food to share- heirloom tomato salad, collard slaw, mac and cheese and fried chicken and bacon/cheddar waffles. The waffles are a standout- light, airy with great flavor. The chicken on the other hand though dark is over battered and not flavorful. Collard slaw also fared well with lots of tasty bits. Heirloom salad is full of bread crumbs and didn't wow and mac and cheese is lacking a crust. The other food star was the special pineapple/upside down cake, though not as refined as Mayfield's on Franklin it was super tasty with vanilla & a touch of chocolate ice-cream. SLOW GO!

Fushimi

Flashy, funloving Fushimi is like Las Vegas meets Williamsburg. It's lunch menu at $12 is an amazing value-period! Add on a beer or wine for $5. You get four courses including a soup, a salad a daily appetizer and either cooked food(teriyaki) or sushi rolls. The rolls here are inventive and yes this is fusion so not actually authentically Japanese, but delicious nonetheless. The salad is big with romaine, radishes and grape tomatoes with generic ginger dressing. Miso soup has noodles and carrots and is fusion style, I have had both the Angry Dragon and Out of Control roll and both are soooo tasty. The Dragon roll has shrimp tempura, avocado, king crab and sweet miso. The Out of Control roll has rock shrimp, wrapped in salmon- outta control. Ice-cream is generic, but at that price- who cares. Walking to the bathroom with it's purple mirrored carnival entrance must be trippy when intoxicated. Fushimi should not be taken seriously- it is a fun spot. GO!

Old School Brooklyn

Old School Brooklyn is far from old school- foodwise. The décor is vintage and kitchey, with big comphy chairs, but the food is modern & eclectic. Start with bread with garlicky white bean dip- nice. The green gazpacho made with cukes, pineapple and mint was a refreshing warm weather treat. Cavatelli with spicy sausage and broccoli rabe was sitting on a lovely brood topped with parmigiano reggiano and ohhhhhhh so delicious. Pasta is so deceptively simple, but when done right really satisfies. Great retro bathroom, in a spot that mixes the best of both. There is homemade ice-cream in the dessert sundae that tops off a great meal-old school. GO! GO!

Mayfield

Southern food with French presentation on trendy Franklin Ave. This slender spot boasts "Manhattan minded" cuisine with "Brooklyn prices." The service is friendly and almost secondary to the amazing food. Dollar oysters from the West Coast(Malbecs) are available during happy hour and they did make me happy. The main dish of trout with fingerlings in a Bernaise sauce for $18 was worth at least double and was outstanding flavorwise and presentation wise. The dessert of pineapple/upside down cake with rum caramel sauce and Il Laboratorio ice-cream for $6 was divine. The flavors of the food here are so on point and the value bangs out this spot as a dining destination worth visiting and revisiting on Franklin. GO! GO!

The Nomad

Breakfast in the Atrium room was like eating in the living room of Louie the XIVth. A plush & posh baroque space with officious, cold service and disappointing chow considering the hype of the Nomad. Pancakes with ricotta butter for $16 was ok- Pancakes were flavorless and ricotta butter served separately in a plastic container- tacky. My dad's eggs benedict for $24 was pretty, but tiny and they tried to take it away way too soon. The Intelligencia coffee served in a copper beaker was impressive, but for a great hotel breakfast, nothing beats the Hotel Americano for food and service. Slow Go!

MD Kitchen

Son of DiFara's Dom opens a takeout/eat in shop around the corner from the famous/infamous DiFaras specializing in Italian/American favorites. What sets apart MD Kitchen is it's food is made to order. Your food comes out of the pan and onto a plate or warmed hero and it tastes of delicious nostalgia. I am a sucker for veal parm. so after going with the intention of shrimp parm., I made an about face. The veal came out of the pan- saucy and goey with cheese and onto my hero. $8.50. It is $.50 extra to make a dish a parm. The other pictured dish chicken and peppers looked equally delish. There is major value here for the quality, price and freshness of the food. Most dishes are well under $15. Worth a trek from Manhattan if you love your old-school Italian food. GO! GO!

James Beard Food Awards

Food & film, great idea for a food awards theme. While the show had some highs....lifetime achievement awards for Cecilia Chiang which was fascinating and the tribute to Prince's fried chicken in Nashville was also memorable. The lows included the JBF logo in back of the stage being quite hard to see and the script so small at the bottom of the screen you could not see the location of the restaurants up for awards. Also, did not see Like Water For Chocolate food scenes(among the best in film) in the mélange- hello production! Where were the best chef nominations for some groundbreaking Brooklyn restaurants like Battersby or revival of old school Italian classics at Carbone's. On the love side, also, loved that Danny Bouien won as rising chef of Mission Chinese Food. As usual the show went on too long and they would not start food service till 9, silly. Food highlights, sushi and sake by Todd English, Crispy foie gras duck cigars, with a coconut laced shooter by Douglas Rodriguez (loved the Scarface suit). My new food obsession is Mindy Segal's(Mindy's Hot Chocolate, Chicago) brown sugar Tcho chocolate chip cupcake with vanilla bean and malted milk liquid center(pictured). This explosion in your mouth with light brown sugary frosting ranks as one of the best things Frannyonthego has ever eaten. BRAVO! GO!

Alchemy Texas

Straight outta Queens and conjuring up the old Pearson's which was coincidentally in the same spot. Alchemy Texas focuses on the Texas style 'cue of it's namesake. The "sports bar" locale is dingy and local, but the barbecue is rightous and some unusual cuts of meat are to be found here in the international 'hood of Jackson Heights. Smoked prime rib and frog legs are not usually found on barbecue menus. The smoked prime rib which he gave to me before it was fully smoked was "outrageous" and a definite treat. The brisket was also pretty amazing especially the carmalized ends. The sides of "Boston Beans", creamed spinach and potato salad were all very good. This is one unusual destination in "multi-culti" Jackson Heights brought to us by the John Brown Smokehouse people and definitely worth the trip. GO!

Rosemary's

Five-star sourced modern Italian with roof-top garden meets rehearsed, rude & odd service. This perennially popular corner joint serves it all a la carte, but the flavors are tops. Focaccia- housemade served with lardo, caprese or with stracchino cheese($8) is simply delectable. The chopped salad Siciliana $11 is a lemony mix of escarole, dried chick peas, roasted peppers and caperberries is a good start. The spaghetti pommodoro with a lovely fresh tomato sauce is perfection. Try to get your server with some fresh cheese or pepper is a task. The raw calamari($8) with almonds, celery and chili peppers packs a tasty punch. I have been here twice and the service ranges from competent to fake, phoney and chaotic, but the food served is worth the spotty service and sometimes tight quarters. GO!