Otis

"Another restaurant associated with Michelle Lobo, offering contemporary American cuisine." - Emma Orlow

"What It Is: A restaurant off the Morgan stop of the L train where you can eat pasta and a kale salad Perfect For: Date Night, Dinner With Parents Otis is a new-ish restaurant in East Williamsburg, and it’s the kind of place that has brick walls, Edison bulbs, pasta, and kale salad. Although it’s actually a little more interesting than it sounds. The kale salad, for example, is warm with some spiced yogurt on the bottom, and we also really enjoyed a bowl of pasta with miso, pesto, and a good amount of pulled pork. The serving was so large that we couldn’t finish it, but that’s the sort of problem that isn’t really a problem. Like when a cab driver goes too fast or a dentist has so many free toys they let you take two. The Verdict: This is a great spot to know about if you spend time in the area, and it should work for a last-minute dinner date that you forgot to plan." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren

"Operating out of a former tailor shop built in 1914, this Bushwick restaurant flies way under the radar. Otis may be overshadowed by its newer sibling Nura in Greenpoint, but its globe-trotting menu that pulls from India, Italy, and South America is a sleeper hit." - Eater Staff

"This Bushwick cocktail bar is delivering batches of mezcal negronis, espresso martinis, and vanilla rum colas from 5pm to 10pm, Wednesday through Sunday. You can place your order using their website." - nikko duren

"If you’re meeting in East Williamsburg, you have some options everyone already knows about, like or Win Son. Try this lesser-known spot instead. It serves high-quality American/Mediterranean food like mussels, ribs, and duck confit in a nice space you’ll want to hang out in for a while." - bryan kim, matt tervooren