Rhong-Tiam fills a deep and dimly lit space in the row of businesses occupying the block of LaGuardia Place between 3rd and Bleecker Streets. By anyone's guess, the decor is a composition of remnants from the previous owner, with black and white striped built-in boat seating lining the north wall, and another dozen or so tables on an elevated platform, bordered by a white fence strung with fake ivy. A magenta scooter sits in......

Beast, on the corner of Vanderbilt and Bergen Streets in Prospect Heights, serves a wide range of tapas and brunch plates with a Spanish flare. As befits the restaurant's bristling name, the first of two dining rooms is dark – almost medieval – and dotted with appropriately colorful creatures: monsters, gargoyles, and demons. The kitchen is open and separates the front from the back room; curious diners can usually observe a small army of......