first taste
Beekman's World
Mom and Pop's thriving China Fun chain helped put dumpling heir Albert Wu through the Culinary Institute of America. So when the ambitious grad wanted to flex his American muscle, the folks moved downtown to give him room for the wood oven that is the heart of Beekman Kitchen. With a pair of cooks he met on duty at Bouley Bakery, Wu is already wowing the neighborhood with his gently priced home cooking-burgers, pasta, grilled chops, and seafood, with a modest wine list to match. We're knocked out by the tuna tartare's seductive tangle of flavors in a portion to share. An equally generous Caesar is fine. Our gargantuan pork chop emerges from that oven sweet, tender, and amazingly juicy. Savory hanger steak with roasted sweet onions and a side of sensational fries has the fussy Road Food Warrior raving, though I'd prefer my meltingly pink salmon without its mustard-seed coverlet, and desserts less sweet. It's not our Zip Code, but we'll be back. — GAEL GREENE
Beekman Kitchen
1239 Second Avenue, at 65th Street
212-308-0600

best of the week
The First Annual Saké Summit on May 4th
The nation's top wine-and-spirits writers will be at the Rihga Royal for tastings and contests, all in the name of finding the best sake in America. Reserve early — and have a large meal before you arrive. ($50; May 4; for information, visit www.sakes.com.)

new menu
Name Brandy
D'Artagnan's cozy new copper-topped bar, which has replaced the downstairs dining room, is the only place we know outside of Gascony where the barkeep passes a plate of fritons (duck cracklings) in lieu of peanuts. If crunchy fried fat isn't your idea of happy hour, the new bar menu is larded with duck in many other succulent forms, including confit-and-cabbage soup, pasta with foie gras, and, for the health-conscious, a duck salad. Counteract all that cholesterol with a glass of Gascon red, or something stronger, like an Armagnac-based cocktail. With apologies to P. Diddy, Busta Rhymes, and the Ladies Man, we predict that the Gascon brandy is poised to become the new Courvoisier: We have it on good authority that David Chase, a D'Artagnan regular, is working on an episode of The Sopranos where Tony's introduced to the Armagnac business. The research, we assume, was thorough.
D'Artagnan
152 East 46th Street
212-687-0300