The Cleveland

Two things you need to know about The Cleveland: there's a great list of natural wines, an umbrella term for biodynamic and either certified or practicing organic wines, and a spacious backyard garden. It's not weather-proofed—so it's only open seasonally and on non-rainy days. When it's nice out, it's worth heading to NoLIta for the garden alone. When it's not, this compact bistro is still appealing, with New American–Mediterranean food like branzino carpaccio with fresh herbs, oyster-mushroom soufflé with warm goat cheese, and spicy Moroccan-style cod served in an iron skillet. Co-owner Paul Shaked grew up in the restaurant industry (his family owns the nearby Sofia's of Little Italy) and teams up here with Hudson Solomon.