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Dean Street debuted to great fanfare in January 2011—a swine-tinged spotlight followed opening chef Nathan Smith from his previous gig at the Spotted Pig. He left shortly thereafter, and with him went reports of 90-minute waits; hype was replaced by an easygoing watering-hole vibe. This grub is not likely to go down in history—the plain-Jane burger here won’t be hysterically gushed over, nor will the basic, seasonally updated pastas attract as crazed a following as the Pig’s gnudi did. But chef Kelvin Zamorra, most recently of Marlow & Sons, turns out a small menu of enjoyable, mostly American dishes such as free range chicken, BBQ shrimp and grits, and the like. Simon Glen, from the Williamsburg ‘Nawlins pop-up Tchoup Shop, lends recipes including frittered brisket balls. Brunch heads south (geographically) with the Carolina Sunrise—biscuit, pulled pork, fried eggs, and thickly textured buttered grits—a plateful of food-coma woe, and during the day, baby buggies line the barroom where parents caffeinate and graze on freshly baked scones, muffins, and coffee cake. At night, taps flow with Kelso and Spaten. With extras like housemade dill pickles and home-churned ice creams, this comfortable corner earns itself go-to status for its neighbors, even if it's not the foodie destination it was originally hyped to be. — Edna Ishayik

Carolina sunrise, $11; Tchop Shop brisket balls, $7

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