Frost Restaurant

Intense heat isn’t often associated with Italian cooking, but the whole chili peppers that come with the bread at this joint are truly tongue-numbing (don’t say the waiter didn’t warn you). Such spiciness whets the appetite for hearty Southern Italian cooking. Shrimp alla Frost is served in a garlicky cream sauce over linguine, with a generous helping of steamed broccoli; the lamb chop is perfectly tender and crowned with sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms. Bow-tied waiters and leather banquettes transport you to the ’70s—when Williamsburg was just a small town in the big city.