Mini Restaurant Round-Up July 2008

Tiffin Wallah (127 East 28th St., New York, NY 10016)
Relish (225 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)
Papa Lima (362 Bedord Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)


Cafe Drake returned this week to Tiffin Wallah, the South Indian buffet lunch spot that so entranced upon our premier visit. All that glitters is real gold in terms of a follow-up re: food quality, but a disappointment was the exact same line-up of dishes on offer. With a chef so talented it would be welcome to see his repertoire expand; nonetheless, the food was stellar and spiced with an expert's touch and the staff accommodating as usual.





Many a moon has passed since Cafe Drake opened the 50s-era aluminum diner/trailer doors of Williamsburg's stalwart beacon Relish. Once a mainstay for brunch and dinner, Relish has been eclipsed in recent years by the explosion of new restaurants in the crowded neighborhood offering similar "New American" menus. Jen Lazzaro and I still loved their burgers ($10) however, and the fries remain among the very best in Brooklyn. Especially good was a lightly fried appetizer of Calamari ($8), boasting tender and moist squid and an unusual (and fiery) dipping sauce of tomatoes embellished with roasted poblano peppers.





Designer sandwich shops, perfected in model by that grumpy old curmudgeon Tom Colicchio when he opened the fairly revolutionary small chain of Craftwich shops, have made few inroads within the local restaurant scene. Recession-era yuppies and displaced Bear Stearns employees - tragically the new demographic of Williamsburg - are now thinking twice about coughing up a 10-note for a gourmet grilled cheese. Cafe Drake greeted the Southside's Papa Lima with a similar pragmatic skepticism, only to be won over 20 minutes later after the final bite of a perfect Grilled Reuben ($9). In a trendy yet bold move, Papa Lima switches out pastrami for smoked turkey breast, then piles on aged provolone cheese and a dense, house-made Russian dressing. Best of all is the tart red cabbage coleslaw, substituting for the traditional sauerkraut. People, this combo will tear your Uncle Sol away from Katz's or 2nd Avenue Deli for good!