Best upgrade of a public eyesore
Metro Marché at the Port Authority

Until recently, the Port Authority bus terminal was jam-packed with 200,000 daily commuters who never had a reason to stop, much less eat, in the sketchy transport hub. But last October, restaurateur Simon Oren (Marseilles, Nice Matin, Café D’Alsace) changed the landscape by opening a gorgeous French brasserie in the station, on the corner of Eighth and 41st—a spot that was better known for public urination than destination dining. This 5,000-square-foot sanctuary replaced a generic saloon (the Silver Bullet) with Art Deco lamps, comfortable red leather chairs, terrazzo floors and a zinc-topped bar from Paris. Oren underscored his commitment to the enterprise by hiring Spice Market chef Simon Glenn. The food may not win awards for creativity, but now you can have a delicious salad or steak frites—and a bottle of bordeaux—while waiting for the 5:30 to Philly. 625 Eighth Ave at 41st St (212-239-1010)

Best jack-of-all-trades
Iacopo Falai

He slices. He dices. He tempers chocolate. He rolls pasta. He makes the dough rise, and ensures that the soufflés don’t fall. Ice creams and éclairs? They were done this morning. And don’t forget all those savory dishes: octopus with candied celery, seared foie gras with chestnuts, braised short ribs… This isn’t an informercial. We’re talking about none other than Iacopo Falai, the onetime Le Cirque pastry chef who has slowly built himself a mini hipster-café-and-restaurant kingdom south of Houston Street—Falai, Falai Panetteria and now Caffe Falai, which opened this past year. His entrepreneurial skill impresses, but what really gets us is that, in a city of specialists, Falai, a chef-owner-baker-pâtissier, does it all. Caffe Falai, 265 Lafayette St between Prince and Spring Sts (917-338-6207)•Falai, 68 Clinton St between Rivington and Stanton Sts (212-253-1960 )•Falai Panetteria, 79 Clinton St at Rivington St (212-777-8956)

Humm (right) at Eleven Madison Park

Best changing of the guard
Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park

Last year, restaurateur Danny Meyer made the culinary equivalent of a first-round draft pick, luring Swiss-born Daniel Humm from San Francisco to New York. Overnight, the wildly creative chef transformed Eleven Madison Park from the most stolid restaurant in the Meyer stable into the most exciting. Tasting menus arranged around conceptual themes have given way to dozen-course processions of miniature bites as pricey and rewarding as similar meals at Per Se. Humm has a flair for combining contrasting textures and tastes—mixing sweet sea scallops with briny sea-urchin foam or encasing melt-in-the-mouth sweetbreads in crisp spring-roll wrappers. We were always partial to the restaurant’s comfortable Art Deco digs. Now its inspiring food and generous spirit—from the amuse-bouches to the take-home cake—offer even more reasons to dine. 11 Madison Ave at 24th St (212-889-0905)

Best modern-day soda fountain
Stand

Though oddball refreshments like rosemary-ade might scare the bejesus out of the folks in Pleasantville, they’re perfectly suited to this progressive diner’s NYU milieu. Stand’s burgers are nothing to sniff at, but it’s the long, distinctive list of house-made potables that thrilled us with retro favorites, reimagined. After all, no ’50s diner would make floats with strawberry gelato (from Il Lab, of course) crammed into a glass of celery tonic, or the deep-pink blackberry soda, dense with fruit pulp. Traditionalists, take note: The milk shakes do come in classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate malt. But why go there when you can sample the superthick pumpkin, ricotta-pistachio or toasted-marshmallow concoction, the latter served with a pillowy, fire-roasted sweet on top? It would be like walking into Best Buy and asking for their finest black-and-white TV. 24 E 12th St between Fifth Ave and University Pl (212-488-5900)

First Annual Blatant-Sucking-Up-So-We-Can-Score-a-Table Award
The Waverly Inn

The caste system is alive and kicking at the Waverly Inn, the West Village restaurant brought to (the most elite, well connected of) us by Eric Goode, Sean MacPherson (Maritime Hotel, Bowery Hotel) and Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. Waverly has no listed number, though there are rumors of a secret VIP line and e-mail address; how else do the likes of Anna Wintour, Kirsten Dunst and Alan Cumming get their tables? Although the hysteria has nothing to do with the food, the chef does turn out well-executed standards like roasted chicken and flaky potpie, and the peachy Bellini martini makes it worth fighting for a spot at the bar. For those of us (that’s most of us) on the outside looking in, reservations can be made in person, up to two days in advance. Only then could you dream of getting a spot in the low-ceilinged dining room, filled with cozy red leather booths, iconic murals and rickety wooden floors (and yes, A-list celebs). Most plebs who do score tables are stuck in the rear indoor garden, a.k.a. “Siberia.” Don’t complain—you’re lucky you got in at all. 16 Bank St at Waverly Pl (no phone)

Sixth Annual Award for Best-Tasting Dare
Pork margarita at Porchetta

It’s fitting for an eatery that puts pig on a pedestal to attempt to make quaffable swine. Behold: the pork margarita. At aptly named restaurant Porchetta, chef Jason Neroni (71 Clinton Fresh Food) and bartender Adam Kane choose cracklings over kosher salt to coat the cocktail’s rim. Neroni dries out salted slabs of pigskin for his homemade pork rinds, which Kane then pulverizes in a food processor with even more salt and dried chilies. This mixture gives the beverage its porkiness; thankfully, the remaining ingredients are devoid of animal matter. Two ounces of Don Julio añejo tequila is shaken with a squeeze of lime, Patron orange liqueur and a splash of fresh blood-orange juice, ensuring that lard and salt aren’t the only flavors left on your lips. 241 Smith St at Douglass St, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (718-237-9100)

Crispy sweetbreads at Degustation

Best place to stalk the chef
Degustation

There are 19 seats at Degustation, Jack and Grace Lamb’s Spanish-themed small-plates restaurant, and every one of them is the culinary equivalent of a box seat. The chairs are arranged around three sides of the tiny open kitchen, putting diners within feet of the plancha—and face-to-face with up-and-coming chef Wesley Genovart. Rather than guess what went into this sauce or that broth, you can personally press him for details on his phenomenal dishes: crisp, smoky croquetas perched on pimenton aioli; fried sweetbreads fired up with Thai chilies (and tamed with cooling yogurt); whole tender squid overstuffed with braised short ribs; deliciously fatty lamb belly. Design your own tasting menu or try his for $50—but whatever you do, show up hungry. As every groupie knows, the easiest way in with any chef is to order seconds. 239 E 5th St at Second Ave (212-979-1012)

Best reason to ride the Q train
The Farm on Adderley

Gary Jonas and Allison McDowell say they opened the Farm on Adderley simply to fill Ditmas Park’s culinary void. But they ended up creating an oxymoron: a neighborhood restaurant to which we’d happily travel. The reward for the Q train jaunt, aside from the rows of handsome Victorian homes, is a rustic space enlivened with quirky touches, like estate-quality wallpaper in the bathroom and a bowl of gratis plastic animals by the door. At mismatched wooden tables (and in the lovely garden, when weather permits), longtime Ditmas denizens and new-arrival tattooed moms and dads tuck into chef Tom Kearney’s seasonal comfort foods, like juicy roasted chicken with spaetzle, and hanger steak paired with mustard greens, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and chimichurri sauce. (Little ones apply equal gusto to hot buttered noodles and PB&Js.) 1108 Cortelyou Rd between Stratford and Westminster Rds, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn (718-287-3101)

Best rec room, reimagined
Union Hall

When tackling recreation, bars are typically content to tack up dartboards, drag in a pool table and stick Ms. Pac-Man in the corner. Amateurs. Clichéd time wasters are given no quarter at Union Hall, Park Slope’s sprawling, two-floor pleasure palace. Don’t expect Ping-Pong: Instead, bocce-ball warriors battle on matching clay courts, working up an appetite for Guinness-infused miniburgers and American microbrews. The bookshelf-lined anteroom (stocked with musty encyclopedias and obscure titles) is ideal for decompressing scholars who sprawl across couches, gab and spin pre-Glasnost globes. Every rec room needs a killer basement, and Union Hall’s taxidermy-adorned lair doesn’t disappoint. The downstairs stage presents touring indie-rockers, all-star comedians and even a monthly science presentation channeling Mr. Wizard’s benevolent spirit. Not even beer-pong could outdo that. 702 Union St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-638-4400)

Sea urchin and lobster gelée at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Best Paris-to–New York transplant by way of Vegas
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

We were skeptical when Joël Robuchon—he of the umlaut, the three Michelin stars and the global chain of vanity-plate restaurants—branched out into New York City last year. After all, does the city really need another absentee high-profile chef? Robuchon would rarely be in the kitchen at the Four Seasons Hotel spot, and the menu amounted to little more than a knockoff of his Las Vegas eatery (itself a replica of Tokyo’s, which copied the Paris original). All of which proved that imitation is the highest form of flattery. The tapas-style dishes are simple and enormously memorable, designed to make each ingredient shine: Briny caviar offsets impossibly sweet tomatoes in a nest of angel-hair pasta; the surreally sharp essence of lemongrass saturates a delicate fried loup de mer. Like Paris, Tokyo or Vegas, L’Atelier is expensive, occasionally over-the-top—and imperative to visit. Four Seasons Hotel, 57 E 57th St between Park and Lexington Aves (212-350-6658)

Best raiding of the henhouse
Boqueria

Seamus Mullen loves his huevos. Free-range organic eggs from his parents’ farm in Vermont are all over the menu at Boqueria, his gleaming Flatiron tapas bar. And we’re not just talking variations on the tortilla española (his version of the Spanish frittata, by the way, is as thick as a book and features just the right egg-to-potato ratio). Mullen handles his eggs with kid gloves, cooking them gently and presenting them like edible jewels. Runny fried miniature quail eggs are combined with chorizo to create a perfect two-bite sausage-and-egg tapa. A hen’s egg poached in olive oil is lovingly draped atop a bright, crunchy vegetable hash. Another barely set egg is nestled between fried strips of serrano ham in a nutty bowl of truffled al dente lentils; the drippy yolk lends the dish an unctuous, golden sheen. Though brunch yields many more egg offerings, at Boqueria, they’re best eaten for dinner. 53 W 19th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-255-4160)

Sea urchin with whipped tofu and tapioca at Momofuku Ssäm Bar

Most hypeworthy
Momofuku Ssäm Bar

David Chang this, David Chang that… Will everyone please stop talking about David Chang already?!? Not a chance. The superbly confident, trendsetting chef-owner of the Momofuku fraternal twins (Noodle Bar and Ssäm) has garnered oodles of accolades from national and local press, diners and fellow chefs, rising and established types alike. It’s not that he’s building a downtown empire, like his colleague Iacopo Falai, or is a niche poster child, à la pastry maven Will Goldfarb. The easy brand of hearty yet nuanced, casual yet refined, unfettered yet disciplined Korean-inspired chow at Momofuku Ssäm Bar sets Chang apart from other It chefs. What gives him his shiny appeal is style, coupled with talent. If you’re a doubter, just make a meal of the custardy lobes of sea urchin nestled against whipped tofu and chewy tapioca balls; nam pla–doused roasted-garlicky baby brussels sprouts with shredded mint, and the heart-stopping house ssäm, overflowing with buttery Berkshire pork, kimchi puree, firm edamame and rice to catch the juices. Mouth too full to comment? We thought so. 207 Second Ave at 13th St (212-254-3500)

Best small fry
Petite Crevette

Unassuming in every way except for the phenomenal food, Petite Crevette is a refreshingly humble anomaly—but if chef-owner Neil Ganic wanted to crow, he could. The seafood maestro made his name at Bouillabaisse 126, one of Brooklyn’s most beloved fish destinations. Lucky for us, this latest, teeny-tiny venture (it’s called Petite Crevette, i.e., “little shrimp,” for a reason) is all about him: The only thing that separates Ganic from the 20-seat dining room is a refrigerator case full of poissons and a hanging menu. The quirky space, with its turquoise-painted walls, netting and butcher-paper table coverings, along with some of the simpler fare (hot fried oysters, lobster rolls), evokes a surfside fish shack. But it’s Ganic’s more nuanced preparations that amazed us. Corn-and-crab chowder was a generous bowl of refined cream broth proffering tender chunks of meat, and red snapper arrived hot and crisp-skinned in a saffron-scented fish stock (he makes it from scratch daily). Ganic is an avid fisherman himself, and this summer you might be able to sample his very own fruits of the sea. That’s some catch. 144 Union St at Hicks St, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (718-855-2632)

Onion rings at Dressler

Best defense for Billyburg gentrification
Dressler

Even New Yorkers who never knew a brown line existed jumped on the J, M, Z to visit this South Williamsburg gem from Colin Devlin (DuMont, DuMont Burger). His latest, most upscale venture is that alluring: Chefs Polo Dobkin, a Gramercy Tavern alum, and Cal Elliott prepare beautifully executed creative-American dishes in a space glossy enough to foster a Manhattan-in-Brooklyn vibe. Patrons nosh under elaborate, inky chandeliers in the luxe dining room, appointed with serpentine Gothic metalwork and black-and-white tiled floors. Butternut-squash-and-ricotta ravioli flourish in a wild-mushroom broth, swollen golden onion rings resemble savory doughnuts, and we couldn’t think of a single way to improve on a brunchtime dish of tart orange and grapefruit sections tossed in mint simple syrup. It’s a meal that (almost) justifies the ’hood’s increasing priceyness. Gotta love progress. 149 Broadway between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-6343)

Best reason to look past a name
Goblin Market

The name sounds like a theme-park eatery, or something from The Smurfs. Informed New Yorkers, however, know that Goblin Market, at the westernmost end of Prince Street, is a serious dining destination. Past the French doors, you’ll see fancy china plates mounted on one wall, exposed lightbulbs and a crowded bar—this was an insta-hit in the neighborhood, and for good reason. Chef Richard Pelz, who trained at La Caravelle and La Grenouille, prepares excellent seasonal American fare, which feels particularly cared for (perhaps because he can feed only 28 people at a time in the small dining room). As with any great market, prices play a part: Fans of roasted chicken breast and miso-marinated hanger steak will be happy to hear that entrées generally hover in the low-to-mid-$20s. And yes, this Goblin does brunch, too. 199 Prince St at Sullivan St (212-375-8275)

The break-a-plate-and-shout-“Opa!” award
Michael Psilakis

Despite a recent string of bad luck and poor timing that cost him two restaurants (Onera and Dona), self-taught chef Michael Psilakis’s Horatio Alger ascendancy shows no signs of abating. (He was first discovered by New York foodies while slinging pasta on Long Island.) Three years ago, he began the rather ambitious project of reinventing Greek food as we know it at Onera. Endowed with the culinary equivalent of perfect pitch, he transformed the flavors he grew up on into elevated creations that are catnip for critics—whether it was lobster poached in avgolemono (egg-lemon sauce) at the ill-fated Dona, deconstructed moussaka at the vanished Onera, or a gorgeous selection of classic spreads, like tsatsiki and taramasalata, at his new casual spot, Kefi. His just-opened venture, Anthos, yields a fresh slew of delights. Watch this space next year.… Anthos, 36 W 52nd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-582-6900).•Kefi, 222 W 79th St between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway (212-873-0200)

Highball Berry at Aces

Best spot for a nightcap in Queens
Aces

Too many bars dispense the alcoholic equivalent of 7-Eleven Slurpees: hypersweet liquid sustenance to hold you till dinner or your next flirtation station. Astoria bistro Aces slings strong, sophisticated cocktails that amount to more than booze-infused sugar boosts. Miguel Aranda, who prefers the title “bar chef” to “mixologist,” nixes prepackaged fixings like margarita and sour mixes in favor of making his own ingredients. His booze infusions include fig rum and jalapeño tequila; exotic fruit purees branch out into cassis, strawberry and passion fruit; flavored syrups show off tastes like cinnamon, hibiscus and star anise. And forget those silly Cosmo glasses. Aranda favors tough collins tumblers that are all about a generous pour. Beats a Big Gulp. 32-07 36th Ave at 32nd St, Astoria, Queens (718-278-0143)

Best S&M interior
Zenkichi

Noirish lighting, narrow passageways lined by trompe l’oeil mirrors that turn a small bamboo garden into a forest, seemingly endless twists and turns—you’re right to wonder just where you’re headed when the host at Zenkichi leads you to your table. Fortunately, the quixotic journey, which begins at a concealed entrance, has a happy ending. The destination is a private booth—complete with tatami shades—that is your intimate dining alcove. When you’re ready to choose from the sake and small-plate izakaya (that’s Japanese pub grub) menus, simply press a button at the edge of the table. It summons the server, who promptly appears as if from out of the ether. The whole experience is confounding, in a good way, and in perhaps the most surprising twist, the transporting setting doesn’t outshine the equally enchanting food. 77 North 6th between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-8985)

Best pastry under pressure
Open pastry kitchen at InTent

Tossing pizzas in an open kitchen is one thing. But pastry, which requires an extraordinary amount of precision, is better executed in solitude. Pastry chef Eric Estrella—handpicked by legendary sugar spinner Francois Payard to make the desserts at his downtown restaurant, Intent—plays it cool in front of a crowd. In an unusual arrangement, Estrella churns out challenging, sophisticated sweets in plain view of salivating diners. A caramelized banana tart is an exercise in texture, topped off with a crisp sugar shell, Estrella’s trademark addition of Mediterranean ingredients (in this case, cotton-candy–like shredded halvah and smooth tahini ice cream) and a brittle, candied vanilla-bean stick. The perennial best-seller, warm toffee-apple cake, excites the palate with the contrasting temperatures of warm poached apple and cold sangria-prune ice cream. Leaning precariously against it is a thin stick of chocolate—a balancing act in every sense. 231 Mott St between Prince and Spring Sts (212-966-6310)

Ribs at the Smoke Joint

Best south-of-the-Mason-Dixon shout-out
The Smoke Joint

New York barbecue was an oxymoron until a few years ago, when Blue Smoke, Daisy May’s, R.U.B. (Righteous Urban Barbecue) and other pit joints opened during a frenzied ’cue boom. Now the city boasts a few excellent low-and-slow parlors, and our favorite newcomer is the Smoke Joint. Owners Craig Samuel (City Hall) and Ben Grossman (Picholine, La Grenouille) call the eats at the simple Fort Greene spot “New York Barbecue,” but let’s face it: If Brooklyn always had ’cue this good, we’d have been as famous for our ribs as Texas or Kansas City. But it’s not too late. Locals and foodie pilgrims come here for the deliciously smoky hacked chicken—perfected in a smoker custom-built for Samuel and Grossman by the folks from Cookshack in Oklahoma—while meaty ribs are slathered in a tomato-based house sauce and slow-cooked for up to six hours. 87 South Elliott Pl between Fulton St and Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-797-1011)

Best excuse to order a second bottle
Nish

At former restaurant March, tucked away near Sutton Place, partners Wayne Nish and Joseph Scalice spent the past decade as one of the city’s top dine-and-wine duos. They recently reopened the townhouse eatery as Nish, a name that emphasizes the chef, but it’s the newly affordable wine list that earns the kudos. Nish is designed to be far less pricey than March, and Scalice met the challenge by finding great, affordable vintages, which made an already formidable list better (there are 30 bottles that cost less than $40). By carrying pours from lesser-known regions and growers, Scalice can offer numerous decent selections (and not just whites!) in the high $20s. Those willing to go toward the high $30s will find it nearly impossible to pick just one—the Fife syrah from Mendocino; Cline zinfandel and viognier, respectively, from Sonoma; and an Austrian riesling from Weingut Hofer—and avoid happily stumbling home afterward. 405 E 58th St between First Ave and Sutton Pl (212-754-6272)

Best bite uptown—way uptown
809 Sangria Bar and Grill

Inwood is closer to Westchester County than midtown, but those who make their way to the vibrant 809 Sangria Bar and Grill will find the city’s new capital of Nuevo Latino cuisine. Yes, the sangria delivers, with whimsical blends like Malibu rum, peaches and mango, which has the vanilla–bubble-gum taste of a Latin American standard, champagne cola. But it’s the innovative, elegant and often visually stunning dishes that pack in locals and culinary tourists alike. Our favorite: a whole fried red snapper that chef Ricardo Cardona splits down the middle and fills with shrimp risotto in a tomato-and-coconut sauce. 112 Dyckman St between Nagle and Post Aves (212-304-3800)

Hot dogs and fries at Ditch Plains

Best kids’ food for grown-ups
Ditch Plains

A nearly at-cost wine list (half bottles go for about as much as a glass elsewhere), a handsome interior and a raging bar scene could throw diners off the scent of this West Village fish shack’s juvenile appeal. Here, perennial kid-food classics are served up with just a dash of adultworthy finesse. The macaroni and cheese, with a crust broiled to nutty-brown perfection, is endowed with noodles large enough to hold copious amounts of gooey cheddar, Gruyère and American. Looking for a full-on nostalgia attack? Request the off-the-menu mac-and-cheese-and-hot-dog combo—a bed of french fries crowned by two hot dogs, tucked into flash-toasted buns and sporting a dollop of mac-and-cheese (their version of a chili dog). Don’t feel too self-conscious about regressing. The can of whipped cream that comes with all Ditch Plains desserts is the great infantile equalizer. 29 Bedford St at Downing St (212-633-0202)

Best place for a carnivore and vegetarian to break bread
Sticky Rice Thai Barbecue

It’s a common conundrum: finding a restaurant with compelling options for carnivores and the meat-averse alike. We recommend this BYOB Thai eatery because it caters equally to both camps. Grab a seat at one of the large semicircular red leather booths in the quirky dining room, and begin a veritable flesh-versus-veggie face-off. Start with an appetizer of smoky grilled portobello mushroom and tofu satay served with a peanutty dipping sauce, or order the same dish made with tender chicken. Animal eaters can try one of more than a half-dozen barbecued dishes, like the juicy grilled marinated pork, while veggie fans have ten (count ’em…ten!) meat-free options at their fingertips, from the filling pad thai to soft-tofu soup. 85 Orchard St between Broome and Grand Sts (212-274-8208)

Best soy-based sugar rush
Kyotofu

At this Japanese dessert bar in Hell’s Kitchen, pastry chef Ritsuko Yamaguchi (Daniel) fashions soy confections in their peekaboo kitchen, which elevate tofu beyond the Birkenstock crowd. Here, the protein is an indulgence as smooth as gelato, creamy as custard, and rich and sinful as a slice of three-layer buttercream cake. There’s nothing remotely granola about her tofu cheesecake with sansho pepper, or the vanilla parfait with soy-mascarpone mousse. We’re most enamored of the simple, silky, sweet black-sesame tofu, a sesame-tuile-topped crème caramel knockoff bathed in roasted-green-tea syrup. Soy: Consider your reputation reclaimed. 705 Ninth Ave between 48th and 49th Sts (212-974-6012)

Contributors: Joshua M. Bernstein, Jay Cheshes, James Oliver Cury, Gabriella Gershenson, Dustin Goot, Karen Tina Harrison,Randall Lane, Elise Loehnen, Leslie Price, Alison Rosen, Pervaiz Shallwani

The 2007 Eat Out Awards:

• Readers' choices
• Critics' picks
• The year in dish
• The year in numbers
• A moment of silence: Stick a fork in these dearly departed restaurants.
• Online-exclusive photo gallery: Marvel at the craft of our Eat Out award winners in this mouth-watering display of superlative food and drink.
• Watch video interviews with the the 2007 Eat Out Awards Critics' Picks and Readers' Choice winners.
• Tell us what we missed: We'll be the first to admit that the five-borough eating and drinking universe is far too vast for us to cover everything. So let us hear from you.
• Nontraditional Eat Out awards: Help us decide a few less mainstream categories about the good, the bad and the ugly in New York dining.