Missy Robbins converted an auto body shop on Union Avenue into Brooklyn's most important Italian restaurant, and the transformation is itself a metaphor for her cooking — industrial bones made graceful through craft. The mafaldini with pink peppercorn and parmigiano is a dish of such deceptive simplicity that its technical demands are invisible: the ribbon pasta must hold its ruffled shape, the sauce must cling without pooling, the peppercorn must register as warmth rather than heat. The sheep's milk agnolotti are filled with a precision that approaches obsession. Wood-fired preparations benefit from a hearth whose temperature Robbins manages with the attention others reserve for a saucepan.
Location
Williamsburg, New York
Insider Intel
Mafaldini with pink peppercorn and parmigiano — the signature, and a benchmark for handmade pasta in the city. Sheep's milk agnolotti, richly filled and perfectly sealed. Any wood-fired whole fish. The cacio e pepe for textural perfection. Start with the crudo if offered.
Reserve on Resy the moment tables drop — Lilia is one of Brooklyn's hardest reservations. Dinner for the full experience in the buzzing dining room. Bar seating sometimes available for walk-ins who arrive early.
567 Union Avenue, Williamsburg. Lorimer Street station (L train) or Metropolitan Avenue (G), eight-minute walk. Reservations required — book on Resy. Pastas 26-34 dollars, wood-fired mains 38-55 dollars. Cards accepted. The converted auto body shop setting is stunning — exposed beams, open kitchen, industrial light.