Cookshop

In a city full of restaurants with limited square footage, cramped tables, and long waits, a place like Cookshop is a godsend. It’s comfortable and spacious, with ample seating indoors and out, and they take reservations for brunch. Veteran restaurateurs Vicki Freeman and Marc Meyer have created an ideal neighborhood restaurant — casual enough for a drop-in and polished enough for a special occasion. The food, which skews farm-to-table, can still surprise after all these years. Cilbir — a spoonable plate of poached eggs over sweet-potato hummus, yogurt, and smoked-chile oil — is the most memorable brunch dish to come along in a while. More traditional offerings, like flaky biscuits, warm glazed cinnamon rolls, and a breakfast sandwich made with homemade sausage and a runny egg on brioche, manage to be so much better than basic.