St. Anselm

From a New Jersey-style burger and dog shack to a high-end grill establishment, St. Anslem retains its dust-bowl collection of rusted saw blades on the walls and light fixtures, which are now augmented with banners from an old Masonic temple. However, today's cuisine goes much beyond cheese fries and artisanal brats.

Owner Joe Carroll (Spuyten Duyvil, Fette Sau) replaced the griddle and fryer with a burning gas grill and produced a well-rounded cuisine that includes Mediterranean, Asian, and all-American ingredients, with the fiery preparation connecting them all together. The kitchen masters the grill, seasoning it with wood chips and adjusting the heat to ensure the sear is always perfect.

Charred fresh sardines with ponzu and pickled lotus root, littleneck clams coated in creamy garlic butter, and miniature fire-roasted eggplants with fried goat cheese and honey are among the delicate, flamed little plates. It's all sophisticated and sophisticated, yet heartfelt.

Almost every hot dish, as well as many cold ones, is touched by the grill, and even the most unusual components benefit from a brief sear. With wonderful, smokey slabs of grilled halloumi, a huge, invigorating salad of pea greens and long beans is served. A vibrant take on caprese mixes creamy burrata with flame-kissed Greenmarket tomatoes.

Location: 355 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Website: www.stanselm.net