Cotra

"Cotra took over the old Monte’s space, a neighborhood Italian institution. But before you wax poetic about all the red wine you drank there, you should know this—the Japanese izakaya has kept the pizza oven, because the sushi chef experiments with Japanese-style pizza. Not much has changed, except now you can eat mochiko chicken and something called addictive cabbage here, which tastes like a salt-and-vinegar chip but in cabbage form. Start your meal there, and then move on to larger plates, like tonkatsu, and a mazesoba with saucy ground pork and a soft boiled egg. Come here for a casual date night, and drink a carafe of sake by candlelight. " - bryan kim, carina finn koeppicus, willa moore

"From the people behind Trad Room in Bed-Stuy, this Gowanus izakaya still has the leather booths and exposed brick of the Italian restaurant that used to be in this spot. They also kept the pizza oven, which they use for wood-fired specials (and some Japanese pizza experiments). Get small plates like sake kasu caesar salad with crispy lotus root, mochiko chicken, and Cotra mazesoba with ground pork and a poached egg.  It’s easy enough to walk in, and you should start your evening with a carafe of house sake." - will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore

"There’s a Japanese izakaya in Gowanus that’s making wood-fired corn ribs in a converted pizza oven. If that doesn’t sound like the most quintessential Brooklyn statement, we’re not sure what does. Either way, it’s what’s happening at Cotra, a restaurant from the team behind Bed-Stuy’s Trad Room. You'll find the leather booths and exposed brick of long-time neighborhood favorite Monte’s still here, as well as the oven—the sushi chef experiments with Japanese-style pizza. With its flickering candles and mismatched chandeliers, this place is great for a casual date night over a bowl of noodles with someone who will agree to the carafe of house sake even when they said they were taking the night off. Or have yourself a solo evening at the bar up front, with a cocktail and some mochiko chicken. photo credit: Cotra Food Rundown Addictive Cabbage This one is entirely self explanatory. Ok, we'll help. Tart, marinated cabbage remains perfectly crisp. A salt-and-vinegar chip in cabbage form. Start your meal here. photo credit: Cotra Sake Kasu Caesar Of all the alternative caesar salads we've ingested (so many alternative caesar salads), this one stands out. The asian pear is the perfect balance to the salty parm, and fried lotus root is a standout substitute for croutons. Sushi Roll Cotra has a whole section of their menu devoted to sushi, but we'd skip it. The rolls are all pretty standard, and they're made with brown rice, which isn't our thing. Stick to the rest of the menu. photo credit: Cotra Soft Shell Crab Mazemen If this is available, you should be eating it. Noodles in a ginger scallion sauce, hiding under a whole fried soft shell crab. This and a carafe of house sake could be your whole meal. It shouldn't, because you need the addictive cabbage too, but it could." - Willa Moore