A new type of bistro is sweeping Brooklyn. Instead of being inspired by French cooking, its menu tends to be more Italian, while preserving the easygoing ambiance, small scale, and mid-range prices of the classic neighborhood French bistro. Depending upon wood-burning ovens and sometimes making pizzas as a sideline, some of these places have been influenced by the borough’s wildly popular Neapolitan pizza parlors.

These new bistros emphasize vegetables, seafood, and boutique meats, often presented as small plates at least partly cooked in those wood ovens. Thus, the menus often contain six or more sections, making meals flexible in size and sequence, but also presenting something of a challenge to one’s ordering abilities. Alcohol programs are uncommonly diverse, and may emphasize aperitifs, vermouths, mezcals, ciders, and other more niche beverages in addition to the usual beers, wines, and creative cocktails.