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One great thing about the city that never sleeps is that if you miss one food bash, there's always another one following in swift succession. So if you missed Restaurant Week this summer, or just didn't get your fill, don't sweat it. Dine In Brooklyn kicks off today through August 22 with more than 110 diverse Kings County restaurants represented, offering three-course dinners for $28, two-course lunches for $15 and weekend brunches for just $12. Here are some participating Dine In restaurants not to be missed:
Boerum Hill: Ganso Yaki
For izakaya soul food in downtown Brooklyn, look no further. This yakitori spot offers Japanese plates like Sapporo-style grilled salmon with roe and shiso ($16) and miso-glazed Nagoya-style chicken wings ($10), as well as ramen classics like a shoyu bowl made with soy-sauce–chicken-broth, pork shoulder and chasu ($15).
Ditmas Park: Werkstatt
Viennese-born chef Thomas Ferlesch does German food right—traditional spätzle gets amped up with tender braised beef and gulasch ($18) and he pan-fries schnitzel to a golden crispiness and serves it with sides of potato salad and cucumber salad ($15–$17). It's authentic without a hint of Bavarian kitsch.
Gowanus: The Pines
Helmed by Roberta's alum Angelo Romano, the Pines manages to pull off elegant in an easy-breezy way. It's ambitious New American at its finest, serving up dishes like cabbage and boar belly ($12) black steak with broccoli and pickled egg tofu ($29), or pork shoulder in green-garlic sauce with kimchi pancakes ($25) inside a woodsy dining room.
Downtown Brooklyn: Junior's Restaurant
Famous for their cheesecake, the Brooklyn original boasts borough-memorabilia, all-day breakfast and sandwiches galore. Chef specialties include the beef brisket in mushroom gravy with mashed potatoes, Southern fried chicken with collard greens and a bevy of burgers and seafood options to boot. If you haven't been, it's time to mark this essential Brooklyn diner off your list.
Williamsburg: Barano
Get all the old-school Italian fare your heart (and belly) desires at this southern Italian kitchen. From wood-fired pizzas (can't go wrong with the $18 funghi or $14 margherita) to handmade pastas ($18 bucatini with rabbit ragu or $19 squid-ink paccheri are winners) and a plethora of small plates hosting meatballs and bone marrow, Barrano is a balanced, fresh night of eating.
Sheepshead Bay: Clemente's Crabhouse
Down south lies a seafood palace known for its all-you-can-eat crab deals. More specifically, Clemente's is known for its crabs, blue and meaty and cooked in Old Bay or slathered in garlic and butter. Get littlenecks by the dozen ($20) or half-dozen ($12) or go for gold with a lobster roll on fresh potato bread ($19.95). Bib optional, but recommended.
Bed-Stuy: Joloff
African cuisine varies greatly from region to region, so no two African eateries offer the same fare. Joloff's focus? Senegalese. The West African spot has been serving up the national dish of Senegal for 20 years: baked fish with vegetables and joloff rice ($11), as well as plenty of meat options, including lamb and okra in a peanut-butter sauce ($12) and braised chicken in an onion-lemon sauce ($11).
Bay Ridge: Schnitzel Haus
A family-owned schnitzel business that's been making the same meaty recipes for two generations, you can find virtually every wurst imaginable here, from traditional smoked bratwurst with kraut and mashed potatoes ($15) to frankfurters ($13) and weisswurst ($15). Schnitzels come in porn, veal and chicken varieties ($19–$26), all breaded, fried and served with the usual trappings (spätzle, fries). A hearty, happy feast.
Greenpoint: El Born
For innovative Spanish cuisine, step into El Born, a tapas spot for languid hangouts and lingering over plates of house-marinated Spanish olives ($5), lamb skewers over couscous ($14) and giant Valencia-inspired paella bowls mixing varieties of meat, vegetables and seafood ($19–$23).
Brooklyn Heights: Asya Indian
In the thick of Brooklyn Heights, Asya lays out fresh, traditional Indian dishes for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. The classic tandoori chicken with yogurt and spices ($14) is just as tantalizing as meat-free options like veggie-and-paneer dumplings in a vegetable curry ($12) or potatoes and cauliflower with cumin and spices ($12).