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If you squint, there’s a hint of Keith McNally brasserie at this airy café bar. Yet instead of holding bottles of Pernod, the compartmental floor-to-ceiling shelves are unpretentiously stocked with bottles of Tecate and Manischewitz Apple Juice. Basic espresso permutations and mixed-berry smoothies can’t compete with omnipresent Starbucks but the homier atmosphere can: an array of books for browsing and children doodling their own Fauvist works while inspired by the local artwork. On tap, Brooklyn Brewery’s pilsner and lager assert hometown pride while consigning Guinness to the bottle. The food menu—unassumingly scrawled on a chalkboard instead of the big mirror behind the bar—favors pressed sandwiches (such as a greasy melt of mozzarella, proscitto di parma, and cracked pepper) and simple, Italian salads (using tuna, roasted vegetables, or grilled chicken). The wine menu is similarly simple: six reds and five whites. — Daniel Maurer