Lunch in the Green Dome

Green Dome Garden (North 12th Street between Driggs and Union Avenues, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

Oasis Restaurant (161 North 7 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211)

Mere blocks from Cafe Drake, hidden on a quiet side street just off Williamsburg's bustling McCarren Park, sits a "secret garden", a space so densely landscaped within its tiny square footage that the city seems miles away, not 3 feet. Cheekily playing with the notion of adding hilly topography to the surrounding supreme flatness, mini-mounds have been constructed through which tiny narrow paths meander amidst. Some must be trekked on foot while others (esp. near the entrance) are wheelchair accessible. Did we mention this all occurs within the space of an average-sized living room? Amazed as always at what we can do with minuscule spaces here in NYC, even more amazing to Cafe Drake is the garden's complete maintenance by volunteers and free, 7 days/week access from morning till dusk. To get involved contact: greendomegarden@yahoo.com

So enchanting is the Green Dome that Cafe Drake forgot all about the smoggy air, slate gray skies and chilly winds while lunching there on take-away from nearby Oasis, still the single best Mid-East fast food joint in the hood. The $6 Falafel Platter remains the steal of Williamsburg - 5 fluffy mounds of warm falafel balls drizzled with tahini and hot sauces, 2 whole wheat pitas, dollops of thick, creamy hummus and baba, a small green salad and pickled cukes and red cabbage.