Profile

This corner restaurant on a busy stretch of Bedford Avenue has a relaxed, welcoming feel, as though it's been around a long time. Country inn touches abound, like the large rectangle-paned windows, swatches of mismatched calico wallpaper, and, in the center, a candelabra light fixture that wouldn't look out of place at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, the menu from Spotted Pig veteran Nate Smith is less consistently charming. The lineup changes daily depending on what's available at the market, a practice that is perhaps more fun for the chef than for the customers. On a recent night, the bill of fare included a salad of mustard greens, Satsuma, and persimmon salad—nice enough in flavor, but more like a collection of raw produce in a bowl. Grilled sardines had an unwelcome gummy consistency and fishy flavor, and were better forgotten. Still, things improved with the entrees: Chicken proved nicely moist, with delicious browned skin, served in a plate of its own juice. And the winner of the night was mussels in tarragon-beer broth with a side of olive-oiled grilled bread; with tender mollusks and a nice hearty bitterness to the broth, it was just the thing for a cold evening. — Jenny Miller