Celestino

Bed-Stuy is a neighborhood in transition, increasingly settled by hipsters whose fealty to cool dining destinations like Peaches HotHouse and Do or Dine has made Manhattanites get on the train to check them out. Celestino co-owner Massimiliano Nanni was involved at Saraghina, a nearby trattoria with a cult following for its pizza. There are Italian influences here (grilled calamari, pasta with mussels), but the seafood dishes are more Mediterranean in sensibility, like couscous and a fish ragù wrapped in crepes and topped with béchamel. For "little sailors" is a menu of beef meatballs in tomato sauce or pasta with butter. The nautical theme is so pervasive—clam rakes, lobster traps, lifesavers—you can almost hear the surf.