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This venue is closed.

Despite the brand-name hype of nearby South Street Seaport, Dodo is remarkably homespun. The meals and snacks here could pass for something out of mom’s kitchen. And like mom’s, the menu here isn’t unlimited. Chicken, salmon, and a vegetable dish are the only steady entrées; most preparations change weekly. Salmon might be topped with stewed grape tomatoes in plum wine or served teriyaki style; the chicken can be capped by mole or lemon-grilled with a mushroom sauce. Portions are modest, until dessert, when the kitchen really shines: Red velvet cake is thick and moist; tart sugar-free apple pie sports a crisp crust. In hand with the homey vibe is a neighborhood bulletin board on a back wall, and locals chat over fair-trade organic coffee. The vibe may be seventies rec room, with handy board games like Scrabble and Trouble, but the building itself dates to 1807. The Seaport-oriented café features wood paneling, stone columns, and mullioned windows; artful, marble-filled light fixtures overhead look like Chinese checkers sets. Thick, salvaged wood tops the half-dozen tables. Views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights are even better from the sidewalk seats, though the FDR traffic detracts from the coziness. — Ethan Wolff

Free wi-fi is available.

Blue pear salad, $7.50; prosciutto panini, $7; apple pie, $4