The two Frankies who run this casual family style restaurant — Frankie Castronovo and Frankie Falcinelli - are much loved in their Carroll Gardens neighborhood. As much for their lively personalities as for the simple and flavorful Italian dishes they serve nightly from the home country. Frankies 457 has proved such a hit that the Frankies have opened a satellite branch, Frankies 17, on Clinton street in Manhattan.

New York's classic saloon bar since 1868.

Few places have the vibe and verve that make this sprawling, cavernous space shimmy and sparkle. A former theater, Tao features a giant Buddha firmly towering over the dining room. A certain aura makes Tao stay exciting, so it's no wonder the specialty cocktails go down fast and the food all seems pleasantly attractive, though nothing particularly outstanding. Tao still keeps going strong after a number of years, having magically achieved a successful formula early on: fetishize the exotic and push the pretty cocktails. Recommended appetizers are the chicken satay, the squab lettuce wraps, lobster wontons with shiitake ginger broth, and crisp lobster and shrimp dumplings. Best entrees are Hong Kong XO shrimp, wasabi-crusted filet mignon and soy ginger glazed salmon. Don't miss the XO Chinese long beans either. A big hit with tourists and the Midtown business crowd alike.

At Nomad you'll feel the charm of the Mediterranean cuisine and the North African desert. The fire of the people, the warmth of the hues and the passion in the cooking. The heart of the menu offers the choices of grills, couscous and tajines. Yet a visit to Nomad must include savoring on the "brik," a flaky Tunisian turnover filled with tuna and egg; chakchouka, an Algrerian sausage stew; or boureks, an Algerian lamb stew. The wine list has unique choices of Algerian and French wines.

A charming restaurant from Laurent Halasz, one of three branches of Fig & Olive featuring superb Mediterranean cuisine. This hugely popular branch of Fig & Olive swells with local crowds, especially early evening and weekend brunch time. Uptown always has its own personality, and this location caters to those who prefer to stay well above 23rd Street. The Mediterranean inspired fare is thoughtfully designed around specific ingredients. Each dish is prepared with a special olive oil. The selection of Extra Virgin Olive Oils includes some of the finest olive oils of the Mediterranean region. Enjoy the authentic, fresh and flavorful ingredients in these simple yet refined dishes, along with the health benefits of the olive oil and the Mediterranean diet, and antioxidant quality of figs and olives. Olive oils, vinegars, tapenades and other products are also offered for sale.

Churrascaria is the name used in Brazil to describe a restaurant that serves mostly grilled meats. And Churrascaria Plataforma lives up to its name, and in a large lofty space with leather chairs and brick walls, serves up an authentic Brazilian rotisserie steak house atmosphere and cuisine. Amidst of the festive atmosphere, once seated, each person will be presented with a coaster-size "chip" turned on the red side, giving you time to enjoy the first course, the amazing salad bar that sits proudly in its marble casing in the center of the dining room, featuring almost every sort of vegetables you can imagine, so vegetarians will find ample nourishment and will not be disappointed. The main course, the highlight of the meal, will start when you flip your coaster-sized "chip" from the red side to the green side, signaling the meat cutter that you’re ready to be served. The neatly dressed meat servers then parade around with endless skewers of meat and urge you to eat just a little bit more!