I just got back from dinner at Marlowe & Sons in Williamsburg. It’s the second time in a week that I’ve left my Manhattan comfort zone. The original plan was to head to Pere Pinard for din-din and a good bottle of vino but the cash only policy put a damper on things so my scoffing-enthusiastic friends and I went to Marlowe. The wine list was great. Off the bat we ordered up a bottle of Dom de la Pepiere Muscadet 2007 to quench our thirst on a warm, muggy evening. The prickly, mineral, fruit and acid-driven wine delivered a treat.

The food was good too. While my dining mates devoured fresh oysters, I munched on a fat moist slice of tortilla. A shellfish allergy is my biggest gastronomic downfall. Following a shared salad of pig’s head with some bitter greens I’d never heard of (WHAT ARE THEY CALLED AGAIN SUSAN?), I enjoyed a hunk of bass with a delectable side of grits and fresh green peas and baby carrots. We washed down a cheese course with Puzelat’s Telquel (Pinueau d’Aunis), which initially showed fresh forward fruit and led way to a tang of mineral – all the while being deliciously drinkable. My only complaint of the night were the cheese servings — overpriced and stingy.

I loved the space at M&S it looks like an old-fashioned grocery store up front and the back has a New England oyster shack-pub vibe about it. It’s very casual and of course, being W-burg – very hip. The service was not bad, the chow was good and the wine list is great. I didn’t try the cocktails but I’m a fan of their house made bitters (my thoughtful friend Kristen had bought me a few bottles as a gift not so long ago), which they sell from their small retail store within the restaurant.

We’re walking back from the restaurant, then out of nowhere, there’s this street block that stole my heart. Right on Broadway between Bedford and Driggs. A beautiful historic stretch of buildings stood out in the land of stucco building fronts. I think it was the old Savings Bank building, surrounded by some lovely old architecture, a stones throw from the Williamsburg Bridge which was all lit up in the dark. I had an I Heart New York moment – in Williamsburg.