by Zachary Feldman

As Brooklyn spiritually inches closer to Manhattan's gilded coastline, it has inevitably lost some of the eclectic charm and character that contributed to the borough's branding. This summer, for instance, Williamsburg welcomed its first Starbucks, and a Top Chef winner now cooks in the penthouse of the neighborhood's Urban Outfitters. Despite the ascent of high-rises and the descent of national chains that are encroaching on the area, there are still oases of genuine bonhomie in this neck of the woods — and that's not hyperbole.

A fiddle twanged in the background as my dining partner and I looked over our menus at Delaware and Hudson, positing the merits of the evening's three entrees. Other than choosing beverages, selecting a main course is the only invitation to exercise free will at Patti Jackson's quaint, Mid-Atlantic restaurant. ("Baltimore to Buffalo," the sign reads) She joins an exclusive, if brief, list of female chefs offering tasting menus, though her $48 prix fixe dinner eats more like an extended family meal at a countryside retreat than progressive, flavorful theatrics. 

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Source: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/