Moto

Williamsburg
394 Broadway, near Hewes Street station on the JMZ line
718-599-6895
circa1938.com

Freshly reviewed on January 27, 2008: We don't understand why everyone descending the J train stairs at the Hewes Street exit doesn't spill into Moto. Where else could they be going? The dim lighting probably hides some cosmetic flaws, but who knows? To us, it's just plain atmospheric. The food is just plain good. We had repeats on most of what we had eaten here earlier, and enjoyed each again, finishing with grilled donuts with sugar and cinnamon -- soft and chewy. We chose to climb the J stairs back towards Manhattan, but we coulda stayed longer.
OVERALL RATING: Worth the trip

Originally reviewed on November 17, 2007: You have to ride over the river on the JMZ line to get to Moto, but otherwise, it flies under the radar. We looked for it in Zagat's and Time Out and couldn't find it, but Fredda knew of it and liked it so we went along for the ride. Glad we did. It's a Shrinkwrapper kind of place -- dark, edgey, hip, young and good. Even if you know where it is, it's so nondescript you could walk past it in both directions. But once inside, you wonder where all the people came from -- apparently there's always a crowd. We began with Manchego with quince, fennel salad, and eggs with tuna and anchovies, all excellent. Then Swiss mac and cheese with onions and apple sauce, pork ribs, well peppered with mashed potatoes, and asparagus with parmigiana, also excellent. Midway through the meal we were accompanied by live music, a regular phenomenon there, and this guy was cooking almost as hot as the kitchen. It was a fun evening.
OVERALL RATING: Flying low, scoring high.