Easily overlooked on chef Cal Elliott's (formerly of Dressler) menu of artichoke stew, pork-belly sliders and slow-roasted chicken is a meat-loaf sandwich that's far finer than anything Mom ever yanked from the oven. The glorious, two-handed sandwich comprises a half-pound tablet of ground pork, veal and duck cooked in its own reduced braising juices and planted between a chewy, crusty roll. Golden haystack onions spill out atop the meat loaf, while a layer of horseradish-dressed frisée packs serious zip, and briny, thin-sliced pickles temper the opulence. Often, meat loaf can be Sahara-dry, bland as a McDonald's burger and tough as jerky, but not this lovely loaf. Each bite of this hedonistic stomach-stuffer is crunchy and juicy, tangy and luscious: transcendent comfort food fit for any era.

No. 7 / Brooklyn Dish to try: Pumpkin-Seed-Crusted Tofu with Lemongrass Broth, Rice Noodles and Poached Eggs

looking to expand our Bushwick "gourmand" experience, my honey and I took a chance on a review of Roberta's Pizza...and we took the plunge! What we experienced was a friendly somewhat Brooklyn warehouse rustic interior with the most ...‎

While most of the city's cantinas serve the same old stuff (you'd think Bloomberg required all Mexican restaurants to sell mole poblano), Fonda offers contemporary cuisine rooted in traditional and flavors, but not bound by them--food you're more likely to find in Santibañez's native Mexico City than in Sunset Park. As a result, the menu features modern creations like hazelnut mole, which adds an aromatic punch to shrimp enchiladas ($15), and other uncommon dishes, like braised duck tucked between two corn tortillas ($9) and coated with a spicy roasted tomato-habanero salsa. All of Santibañez's flavors are so bold--and so very Mexican--that even the requisite enchiladas suizas ($12) and made-to-order guacamole ($9) are a marvel. Eat that, L.A.