A Table

171 Lafayette Avenue at Adelphi Street, Fort Green, Brooklyn (718) 935-9121. Subway: C to Lafayette Avenue; G to Fulton Street. Sunday - Thursday 5:30 - 10:30pm; Friday, Saturday 5:30 - 11:30pm. Average main course $17.00. AmEx, MC, V.

French mother's call A table! When dinner is ready. And A Table co-owner and former Balthazar manager Jean-Baptiste Caillet wants you to feel like family at his restaurant, especially when you sit at one of the long communal tables and eavesdrop on other diners (shy patrons opt for one of the private tables). The classic fare is executed with care and more than a little spark: A butternut squash soup gets extra zing from ginger; a rare tuna appetizer is flavored with thyme. Request the peppercorn steak, and the waitress nicely volunteers, "Medium rare?" (If you want it well-done, she'll serve it that way with an indignant smile.) For those of you with a streak of adventure and a love of beef, the steak tartar is unequaled in New York. The specials change every night; the pot-au-feu is scrumptious, but you may develop a soft spot for the lapin a la moutarde (rabbit in mustard sauce). The desserts - creme caramel, chocolate cake, lemon tart, etc. - have significantly improved over the past year. It's tempting to sell your soul for the profiteroles, cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and covered with hot chocolate sauce. Conveniently located a few blocks from BAM, A Table is one of the friendliest restaurants in Brooklyn. Nah, make that all of New York.



Mie

196 Second Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets (212) 674-7060. Subway: L to 3rd Avenue; N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to 14th Street Union Square. Tuesday - Saturday 5:30 - 11:45pm; Sunday 5:00 - 11:15pm. Average sushi meal $12.00. AmEx, MC, V.

In a neighborhood where sushi restaurant sprout and wilt like mushrooms after a rainstorm, Mie is a true old-timer, occupying its current spot since 1965. What is responsible for its remarkable staying power? Easy: excellent quality cuts of fish served in traditional style by a welcoming staff - they practically embrace you when you enter - at a decent price in a relaxed atmosphere. You won't find rare blowfish flown in from Japan or see Hollywood celebrities wolfing down gussied-up rolls, but you will see diners (many of them Japanese) sitting on the benches along the wall happily dipping their favorite slices of fish in shoyu.




Pepe Viola

200 Smith Street at Baltic Street, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718) 222-8279. Subway: F, G to Bergen Street. Monday - Saturday 11:00am - 11:00pm; Sunday 4:00 - 11:00. Average main course $9.00. AmEx, MC, V.

You've got to like any place with the free verse motto "No Diet Coke/ No Skim Milk/ No Decaf Coffee/ Only Good Food." In addition to wit, Viola, which is one part of the four-restaurant Pepe family, also serves what is possibly the best value Italian food in the city. (All for restaurants serve basically the same menus. (Pepe Viola is more of a sit down place and Soho's Rosso now has a liquor license.) Honest, filling pastas have made Pepe's reputation: Penne vodka is a boozy, creamy bender of a dish, and the pappardelle with sausage will make skipping your next meal an option. Consistent fish and meat winners are salmon in a creamy champagne sauce and veal scallopini topped by parmesan slices. (Almost everything at Pepe comes with sauteed spinach and you only need ask for extra roasted garlic.) All restaurants should offer wines that relate to the menu, here and again Pepe knows its business. The list is very short and very cheap - and like the motto, refreshingly to the point.


Mekong

44 Prince Street between Mott and Mulberry Streets (212) 343-8169. Subway: N, R to Prince Street; 6 to Spring. Monday - Thursday 11:30 - 11:30; Friday, Saturday 11:30am - midnight, Sunday noon - 10:30pm. Average main course $12.00. AmEx, MC, V.

A local favorite, this casual bar-restaurant has that special something (feng shui?) that almost guarantees a good time, despite ear-splitting acoustics and the occasional lapse in service. The cuisine here is more Soho than Saigon - and people love it. Flouting tradition, Mekong uses spices sparingly, preferring to accent the natural taste of meats and veggies rather than overwhelm them. Chili paste, ginger and lime juice replace the usual egg, capers and Worcestershire sauce in the beef tartar, a flavorful, compact mound of meat, green onions and bean sprouts. The chicken-lemongrass curry sauteed with mixed vegetables might disappoint fans of the fiery. Grilled marinated duck breast get its bit from its ginger sauce. Safe bet include the filet mignon au beurre, the grilled snapper (choose the ginger and scallion sauce as a topper) and a saute of prawns, scallops and broccoli. For dessert, don't miss the warm banana pie with tapioca and coconut - sweet comfort gone tropical.