just dinner, except on the weekends. i think they open at 5 or 5:30.

this is a good list! just add st. anselm and traif, and you'll be golden.

service is going to be slow at any african restaurant. that's how it's done there, and if it's an authentic place with actual transplants doing the cooking (or anything else), that's how it'll be. le toukeleur went out of business for that reason, and i'm willing to bet that abistro did too.

st. anselm (the place being discussed below, next door to spuyten duyvil) is one of the best, and most underrated (although still has a very long wait) restaurants in brooklyn. also love traif and xixa (both are owned by the same couple, although one is more mexican-influenced and the drinks center around mezcal and tequila).

i believe those avatars are for the first letter of your username...

have you tried laoma ma la tang? it's the big red one where you point at stuff, tell them how spicy you want it, and they stirfry it with a bunch of spices and chili oil. it's the best place at NWM, hands down. (also the place dave mp is talking about).

the new bubble tea place, kung fu, is the best bubble tea i've had in new york. not only is the tea quality, but the bubbles themselves have a really interesting honey-ish, sweet taste.

there's also a szechuan place (near kung fu, i think to the right of it if i remember correctly), they have a slideshow of photos going on their computer screen, that has a great spicy garlic fish soup. AMAZING BROTH.

i'd say those 3 are very worthwhile at NWM, and so is the shaved ice place (snopo). you can't really knock that mall without trying everything first. (of course, i go there about twice a month, so..........)

also, j mart is super fun to explore after you eat and they sell pretty much any asian food item you'd want, and then some. plus turtles.

brooklyn is huge-- i think we'd need to know where you're staying, what cuisines you like, what kind of atmosphere you want, how much you're willing to spend, etc. etc. with some of those in mind you could find a lot on this board already.

your options for cheap and good in that neighborhood are pretty limited.

if forced to choose, i'd say meatball shop. they have veg options (despite specializing in meatballs), take reservations for 8 or more people, and are inexpensive without compromise in quality.

qi is a new place that also takes reservations and is near the train-- i haven't been there, but it comes from (at least one of) the sripraphai people, which makes me think it won't be bad.

fornino is also good for pizza (although i don't know if they take reservations), and cubana social has decent food as well (although it's pretty loud, they have live music if you're into that).

there may be others, but these are really the only ones i can personally vouch for. i wouldn't touch wild ginger or sea with a five foot pole, but i do love zenkichi. if you wanna go super cheap, you can always head to oasis. ;)

i know they exist, somewhere in queens and brooklyn (and the bronx?). who knows where they are? sidenote: i've read the old threads about fatima, aicha, le grand dakar, and all are closed now. abistro used to be my fave but is also closing (if it hasn't already).

egg and five leaves are both good but they don't take reservations, le barricou is also nice and does.

oops, i was totally wrong about the season. was thinking it started in may, but that's when it ends. good luck!

are you sure? i didn't think there were any restaurants on the top floor (just jmart)...do you mean in the food court in the basement?

i don't think it's that hard to avoid gluten. most decent restaurants will have meat/vegetable options, at least for dinner. williamsburg is full of great restaurants. traif, marlow & sons, st. anselm, dressler...

egg is very popular for brunch in williamsburg, and they have granola and oatmeal (that's pretty much all you're gonna get for brunch, unless you order sides of salad and meat).

cheapest places in williamsburg at vanessa's dumplings and oasis. and they're open late. and delicious, of course.

what about xixa, the new place just opened by the traif people? i haven't tried it yet, but it's getting rave reviews. i also really like rye, st. anselm, and five leaves. all three are in williamsburg and are sexy, dim, and have great food and cocktails (except for st. anselm, but still some interesting stuff). similar to several of the places you mentioned. rye is pretty big and has been open for a long time so you wouldn't have to wait long, the other two don't take reservations and will have a wait-- but they're worth it! st. anselm is definitely the way to go if she's into grilled meat/seafood.

also abistro in ft. greene is incredible food, but terrible service. i just heard they're closing at the end of the month, so you could only go there if this is relatively soon.

it's not in season now, will be in another couple months.

looks like there are a couple place in the city that have at least served it before: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=...

i've never had it outside of south jersey. let me know if you find it!

vinegar hill house? it's in dumbo not too far from the bridge and very well-reviewed. small, warm, delicious "american" food.

dave, do you know about what time the festival will begin tomorrow?

traif - small plates, kinda loud but the food is incredible

st. anselm - amazing and affordable steak house, no reservations, gotta get there to put your name on the list in advance

roberta's - you probly know all about it

abistro - hardly ever gets crowded, french/west african

last year we did dinner at kyoto on smith street (ki is good too) then went to zombie hut for drinking/midnight. it was pretty fun and not crazy crowded at all.

found em at tung woo co! a dollar for a pound. awesome. i'm making pad see ew every night.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tung-woo-co-n...

i'm looking for fresh ones to make pad see ew...does anyone know where to buy them in brooklyn, queens, or manhattan?

traif. a thousand times traif. it's slightly louder than would be desirable for an anniversary dinner, but the food is AMAZING.

if you're more into intimate, romantic atmosphere i'd say zenkichi-- fancy japanese food with excellent sake pairings. dimly lit, secluded booths, great food.

abistro is also amazing food, although not quite as intimate. it's not loud though. my favorite restaurant in brooklyn.

i also think rye is very romantic but not as fancy as the places you mentioned-- the food there is reliable delicious and i love their cocktails.