Desnuda, an 18-seat wine bar, serves Nuevo Latino food, like excellent ceviche accented with bodega-bought potato chips. And since the kitchen is “little more than a cutting board in the front,”

Nishihara's prix fixe menus ($50 for four courses or $70 for eight)--which change monthly--alternate between austere dishes, like a tangle of real-deal soba noodles (pictured) served with fresh wasabi and an umami-packed dashi sauce, and elaborate ones so artfully presented you'll hesitate before digging in. The chef suspends peas, okra and other farmers' market goodies in a rectangle of aspic, like some exquisite piece of sea glass, and adds little sprouts called junsai, a summertime delicacy in Japan and a rarity in the United States. It probably wouldn't surprise you to see grape-size fritters packed with sweet corn next to a mound of perfectly fried slices of zucchini on a plate at Gramercy Tavern. But Nishihara sends the dish eastward with the addition of grated daikon, tempura-battered, house-made nama-fu (a textural cross between mochi and tofu) and a lime cup filled with ponzu sauce.

Meg Grace, chef-partner of this personable East Village gastropub, gives her menu a strong Southern slant with buttermilk fried chicken and shrimp and grits, but the real signature item is the salted caramel "hoho" for dessert. — Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite Kitchen Hours Read more: The Redhead - East Village - New York Magazine Restaurant Guide http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/the-redhead/#ixzz0W5grGkRa