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Toward the back of Sidecar’s handsome, minimalist interior, a bare brick wall bears a faded advertisement for a long-forgotten cure-all, a trace of old Brooklyn that brothers Bart and Johnny DeCoursy savor in their joint venture, a speakeasy-inspired neighborhood hangout. Bare lightbulbs and metal ceiling fans hang over a long bar, where youngish locals watch sports and sitcom reruns. Dark-wood wainscoting and plain wooden booths seat the dinner crowd. The American comfort food menu is a step up from pub fare, thanks to chef Johnny DeCoursy, a veteran of Blue Ribbon’s famous raw bar. Typical is the cubano sandwich, featured on The Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, with marinated roast pork, ham, swiss, and pickles. An indulgent buttermilk-battered fried chicken has a perfectly crisp coating. Brother Bart, a popular former bartender at the Brooklyn watering hole O’Connor’s, serves up old-timey quaffs such as Pimm’s Cups (Pimm’s No. 1, gin, ginger syrup, and lime); gimlets (Plymouth gin, lime, simple syrup); and, of course, the Sidecar, a strong brew of cognac, Cointreau, and lemon. — Laurel A. Fantauzzo

Buttermilk fried chicken, $19