Esca

The little green-and-white dining room was looking a little threadbare the last time we dropped in, and it’s possible that after more than two decades in business, Dave Pasternack enjoys fishing for increasingly elusive stripers under the Verrazano Bridge more than he does slaving away in a hot kitchen. But Pasternack’s seminal crudo creations (red snapper with Meyer-lemon oil, mahimahi seared with fennel pollen) are as fresh and bountiful as ever. The roster of Southern Italian seaside pastas and fish dishes (grilled octopus with giant, gently cooling Corona beans; linguine with clams and pancetta; the ageless salt-baked branzino for two) remain stolidly satisfying, especially for this culinarily challenged neighborhood. And who can resist a helping of big-city fritto misto, made with deep-fried New England steamers, delicate tempuralike monkfish cheeks, and, for added effect, a helping of crispy fried blowfish tails?