My Hometown

By Sean F. • 10 venues
Tonchin has never been quite like other ramen bars to begin with, and the Brooklyn outpost of this Tokyo-based chain proves that perfectly. Come here for all your ramen needs, as well as an extensive list of natural wines and delicious raw bar specialties that you can’t get over in Manhattan, like oysters on the half-shell and bright tartar. Pro tip: Don’t sleep on the vegan salad or the fried chicken wings.
Is this a sustainable fishmonger hiding a stellar counter restaurant, or the other way around? However you see it, Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. is an industry favorite that remains one of the best places in town for oysters on the half-shell slurped with a glass or two of sparkling wine.
Come to this Spanish seafood place, from the team behind the now-closed Alameda, for the sparkling-fresh raw bar, the fish and shellfish tapas, the conservas (high-end tinned anchovies, mussels, and the like), and, of course, the cool and quirky Greenpoint vibes.
Brooklyn-born chef Calvin Eng named his modestly sized Williamsburg Cantonese-American restaurant after his mom — who, he says, taught him everything he knows about classic Cantonese cooking, with a uniquely New York lens. Pro tip: Save room for the showstopping fish entrée.
Absinthe drinkers and oyster happy hour seekers, right this way: Maison Premiere and its horseshoe-shaped bar are back and better than ever. Lean on the seafood at this NOLA-inspired drinking den where a platter of briny bivalves are required eating, and if you can’t claim one of the bar stools to watch the bartending theatrics, a seat in the garden is your next best move.
Born in then-German Williamsburg in 1887, Peter Luger became one of the city’s quintessential steakhouses, where creamed spinach, German potatoes, and the imposing and sputtering porterhouse served tableside by a bow-tied waiter are required eating.
Take a trip to coastal Europe without having to buy a plane ticket. At Bar Americano, you can sip your house vermouth with orange foam and snack on your grilled octopus and Manzanilla olives without ever noticing the city bustle located right outside the door.
Dinner here is as lovely as the drinks from their trailblazing natural wine list.
After charming Brooklynites with their green chile cheeseburgers and breakfast burritos, Santa Fe BK owners Melissa Klein and John Watterberg now have a full all-day menu of Santa Fe-style favorites, including Christmas-style smothered burritos, green chile chicken enchiladas, pozole, a green chile queso dip, margaritas, and off-menu sopapillas, among other dishes.