In 2010, Eric Ripert’s right-hand woman, Mandy Oser (
Le Bernardin), gifted Hell’s Kitchen with superior vino at iron-and-marble
Ardesia, bringing
El Quinto chef Amorette Casaus into the kitchen to turn over small plates like deviled eggs showered in house-pickled jalapeños. That formidable twosome is back at it again with this lighthearted, wine-loving Williamsburg den. Bottles from emerging regions, like Virginia and Canada, share menu space alongside benchmark French locales Rhône, Bordeaux and Alsace. “We’re watching where inspiration is taking winemakers,” Oser says. An accompanying eats docket, plastered on a chalkboard-covered wall, includes American and European cheeses, charcuterie sourced from New Jersey farms (
coppa, lardo), and shareable dishes like
panko-crusted chorizo croquettes and harissa-spiced lamb skewers delivered to the Cipollino marble counter and deep-gray booths.
175 Kent Ave at North 3rd St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-4100, thecamlin-ny.com)