The Runner is open in Clinton Hill

With a Walt Whitman focus to rival a freshman-lit course, this retrograde American spot takes more from the storied bard than just its name (the title of a poem from 1855’s Leaves of Grass, in case you dozed off during class). Two blocks from Whitman’s erstwhile abode on Ryerson Street, Court Street Grocers vet Andrew Burman scours menus from the writer’s era for this wood-fired restaurant, dressed with pressed-tin ceilings and antique serving trays. Late-19th-century dishes include bone marrow with apple-onion jam, salt-baked trout in caper sauce and cinnamon-spiced lamb shoulder, with provisions like honey popovers and offbeat ice creams (fennel, molasses) made in house. The booze list pulls from later years: Cocktails include Prohibition-era staples (Boulevardier, Bee’s Knees), while drafts stick to brew newbies like Radiant Pig and Other Half, of which Burman is a partner. See the dinner menu below. 458 Myrtle Ave between Washington and Waverly Aves, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (718-643-6500)

DINNER MENU:

STARTERS:
Tarte flambé, 12
speck, crème fraîche, red onions 

Bone marrow, 12
escargot, apple onion jam 

Roasted oysters, 14
maître d’ butter 

Oysters on the half shell (1/2 dz), 18
cocktail, mignonette 

Chicken liver mousse, 9
butter pickles 

BREADS:
served with pistachio-honey butter
Popover, 6
Tongue bread, 6

SOUPS:
Vichyssoise, 8
leeks, potato

Parsnip & chestnut, 8
crispy greens

SALADS:

Beets, pickled & roasted, 9
walnuts, basil, red wine vinaigrette

Wild rice & acorn squash, 11
lentils, celery root

Chopped salad, 12
kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, pistachios

Escarole salad, 10
winter citrus, fennel

VEGETABLES:
Roasted cauliflower, 7
crispy shallots, raisins

Spaghetti squash, 8
basil, pine nuts

SIDES:
White beans, 12
duck confit

Mashed potatoes, 12
gruyere, raclette

Potato & onion has browns, 8
sour cream

ROASTS:
Lamb shoulder, 16
cinnamon, currants, pickled onions, cilantro

Braised short rib, 24
mustard, apple, horseradish

Whole chicken for two, 28
braised red cabbage

Salt baked trout, 20
caper sauce

Hanger steak frites, 18

Spice rubbed skate wine, 16
squid, salsify

DESSERTS:
Nemesis cake, 8

Chocolate hazelnut tart, 8

Ice creams, 6

Chocolate, fennel, molasses
Lemon sorbet, orange sherbet