MP Taverna (CLOSED)

Greek-American chef Michael Psilakis made his name repping his Hellenic roots, diving into the country's coastal fare at his uptown joints, Kefi and Fish Tag. So it's no wonder the TV toque (star of BBC America's No Kitchen Required) headed to Little Greece for this modern Mediterranean tavern. An Astoria offshoot of his popular restaurants in Nassau and Westchester Counties, the 150-seat bi-level eatery whips up the same menu as its sister locations: fried calamari with tomato-yogurt sauce; Greek paella packed with shellfish and spicy lamb sausage; and garlic-imbued branzino with fingerling potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy small plates (tsatsiki with warm pita) over Santorini wine and Mythos beers at the marble bar, or hunker down for a feast of whole-roasted spring lamb, kid goat or veal shank in the rustic, wood-paneled dining room. When the temperatures rise, glass accordion doors open onto Ditmars Boulevard, offering an additional 100 seats for alfresco dining.