Alison Eighteen
15 W. 18th St., 212-366-1818, Flatiron District, Manhattan
Imagine a restaurant where pundits like Nora Ephron and Lewis Lapham exchange witty repartee, and you've got the idea of Alison Eighteen, an urbane oasis where conversation is not drowned out by racket. The Flatiron District space is grand and high-ceilinged, with a long bar, cozy lounge seating and well-spaced tables in the dining room. Alison Price Becker, friend of literary lions, ran the beloved Alison on Dominick Street for 13 years before heading to the Hamptons, where she opened several other Alison-themed restaurants. After a nine-year absence, she's been welcomed back to the City with open arms, accompanied by her longtime chef, Robert Gurvich. His French-American menu includes spit-roasted chicken and lamb shoulder, pot-au-feu and black bass with cockles and chorizo. Breakfast and lunch are in the works, as are nights devoted to authors and screenings in the private dining room.