Where the Chefs Eat: Alison Roman on the Brooklyn Restaurants She Loves Most

"Going to a restaurant, for me, is about whether the food tastes good, of course, but also the feeling and the vibe and like, Do I want to support that business? What New York really needs are the quirky, homespun, independently owned, hyper-specific places with a point of view. That's how I want to eat."

"Hart's is a quintessential neighborhood restaurant-it's good for parents and good for a date and good for friends and good for when you're by yourself. It's kind of always the answer to, Where should we go tonight? And that's increasingly rare, like, especially since you can probably get in. The menu changes all the time, but it's highly seasonal."

Alison Roman, a Brooklyn-based cook and cookbook author, emphasizes the importance of dining at small, independently owned restaurants with unique character rather than pursuing trendy, crowded establishments. Her restaurant choices are driven by multiple factors: food quality, atmosphere, and whether she wants to support the business. Roman views restaurants as deeply personal and nostalgic experiences. She highlights Hart's as an exemplary neighborhood restaurant that serves as a reliable answer to the question of where to eat. The restaurant features a frequently changing, highly seasonal menu focused on vegetables and proteins prepared in a light style. Hart's signature clam toast—clams prepared in white wine with garlic, chili, and parsley—represents the type of thoughtful, well-executed dishes that define her dining preferences.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler