Ventana

The Tenth Commandment's by far the most annoying -- not coveting thy neighbor's wife is tough enough, but how canst thou not covet his property when he's got a sweet collection of garden gnomes and subscribes to the newspaper? For a resto that also believes the 10th is more of a loose suggestion, hit Ventana.

Ventana's a New American small plate gastropub from the owner of next-door Twist, who wasted no time seizing his former gallery neighbor's triangular corner space and outfitting it with a room-dominating geometric bar at one end while preserving the other's giant, water-and-1st Avenue-viewing windows (Ventana is Spanish for "window", which you'd know if you hadn't spent Spanish class staring out the ventana). Smaller small plates include Kusshi and Kumamoto oysters (accompanied by kumquat vinaigrette with Thai chili or rose petal and Champagne sorbet) and a runner bean/pancetta/foie gras soup; sandwichy nosh is highlighted by a house-cured bacon confit B.L.T and the Chili Bacon Burger with escarole and Humboldt Fog goat cheese, proving that while goats will eat anything, they're very particular about what they smoke. Meatier plates range from the cauliflower puree/cocoa Lacquered Duck Breast, and lacinato kale/cheddar potato/foie jus New York Strip, to a salsify/parmesan/truffle oil deep-fried bone marrow gratin, and cocoa nibs/pomegranate glaze pork spare ribs from Carlton Farms, where sweater vests are the new overalls.

To cure what ails you, there's Manny's and Modelo on tap, plus signature cocktails from a plum vodka mojito w/ lavender syrup to a dirty martini w/ cornichon juice. To exacerbate what ails you, grab rich desserts like warm chocolate cake w/ peanut-butter cream & creme fraiche ice cream -- guaranteeing that unlike your red-hatted neighbors, you won't be practically immortal.