Prince Street Café (CLOSED)

This slim, fluorescent-lit spot from chef Gary Volkov (One If by Land, Two If by Sea) aims to be an espresso bar, lunch joint and chef-driven dinner spot in one. Based on our experience, Volkov has taken on more than he can handle. Presumably eager to cut costs, the chef multitasks ingredients: The roasted pork from the Cubano panini appears in the underseasoned borscht; the hunks of duck confit in a bland pasta dish are also tossed into a frisée salad. Prices are low, the service genial enough, and the house-baked sweets—including a not-too-sweet carrot cupcake—are almost redemptive.