Bed-Stuy Fish Fry, Brooklyn

Behind a counter of steaming vegetables and homespun side dishes, Bed-Stuy Fish Fry's cooks grill and deep-fry a menu of pan-regional comfort foods to order. Equally adept at battering catfish and roasting pans of meatloaf, the cooks weight down plates with a host of blackened, barbecued, and broiled meats that parade around palates with Southern-style sides, including collard greens and potato salad. The sounds of sizzling fish mix in with spirited conversation as guests settle into the dining room, surrounded by sage-green walls made homey by white molding and framed mirrors. Additionally, a handful of outdoor tables nestles beneath the restaurant's brown awning, where guests dine alfresco or taunt the sun with their ability to eat things.