Kara Zuaro
Cocktail
Breakfast martini, Fort Defiance, Red Hook
Fort Defiance's delicately tart little breakfast martini, made with gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice and a touch of orange marmalade, makes a bright aperitif.
First Course
Rosemary-white truffle-parmesan popcorn, Crave Wine Bar, Carroll Gardens
Each kernel of Crave Wine Bar's rosemary-white truffle-parmesan popcorn is like a bite of truffle-flavored air, with a breeze of herbs and cheese.
Second Course
Market Caesar salad, Brucie, Cobble Hill
The generously portioned and artfully arranged market Caesar salad at Brucie is different every day, and it's always a knock-out. Think impeccably fresh greens with pickled peppers and walnut brittle, or rhubarb and frizzled ramps.
Third Course
BaconMarmalade Picante Pizza, Paulie Gee's, Greenpoint
Salty, sweet, smoky BaconMarmalade—made by a Greenpoint chef—stars in my favorite Paulie Gee's pizza, with a supporting cast of red onion and creamy fior di latte mozzerella.
Fourth Course
Lamb fetti, Tanoreen, Bay Ridge
In Tanoreen's beguiling lamb fetti, shredded lamb, Egyptian-spiced rice, a rich yogurt-tahini sauce, crunchy toasted pita chips and fragrant toasted almonds come together for an entrée that is even greater than the sum of its parts.
Fifth Course
Key lime sundae, Culture, Park Slope
There's always room for dessert with Culture's tangy-creamy house-made frozen yogurt, topped with sweet-tart key lime custard and a dusting of graham cracker crumbs.
