Permanent Brunch

The wait for brunch on weekends can run up to an hour, but at night Permanent Brunch is mellower. (It's named after exactly what it serves—brunch dishes all the time.) Pantry items and collectible teapots line the shelves, and below the banquettes is clever storage space for bags and umbrellas. The eatery is appointed with faux Edison-era lightbulbs, while the walls are a twist on subway tiles—not the usual white but rather tiles of actual subway scenes. The chef, Meg Grace, was once the sous chef at The Modern; she later made her name at the East Village's Redhead. Here she makes smoked salmon rillettes with bagel chips, pan-roasted chicken with a wild rice–and-bacon waffle as well as red wine–braised wild mushrooms with ricotta cheese and a poached egg.