Those silent sentries are rarely as buttoned-down as they seem.

Cafe Asean’s upscale sister, Jefferson, is a welcome addition to the block. Just don’t call it Asian fusion.

For a certain kind of eater, nothing less than a pot roast will do. But Annisa, with its intimate setting and delicate flavors, scores a convert.

Danny Meyer’s MoMA restaurant and café are studies in dining excellence.

Tuscan Steak
622 Third Avenue, at 40th Street (212-404-1700O).
Jimmy's Uptown
2207 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, near 131st Street (212-491-4000).

DB Bistro Moderne
55 West 44th Street (212-391-2400).

Prouvé chairs. Fine china. Organic poultry and produce. Mas brings refined French-countryside quaintness to the West Village.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, on the old Rockefeller estate 30 miles up the Hudson, delivers country dining with city sophistication.

Lamu—named for an island off the coast of Kenya—is African only in name. But maybe an exotic moniker is exotic enough.

Adam Platt’s favorite desserts.