Nothing too novel, but it hits just the right balance of sweet and bitter, vegetable-heavy and goat cheese-creamy. More

Given that it's a sit-down restaurant on Bowery and Houston, not an outer-borough sub shop, there's no reason to expect that Pulino's is going to serve up cheap overstuffed sandwiches. But their Italian Sub ($12) gets a lot of things right. More

Meatball Madness was a hot ticket at this year's New York City Wine & Food Festival, as evidenced by the sold-out tickets and by the long line stretching far down Mercer Street. We understand; after all, who doesn't love meatballs? Particularly when they're being made by New York's hottest chefs. With our discerning meatball palates on high alert, we wove our way through the crowd of food-lovers and Food Network lovers alike (Giada De Laurentiis was the evening's host, and Guy Fieri made an appearance), sampling all sorts of meat- (and meatless!) balls. More

At Pulino's, the Walnut and Fig Bar is accompanied by a Mixed Berry Smoothie—$8 for the set, making for a well-balanced breakfast or afternoon snack. More

Editor's note: In "Apps Only," Ben Fishner will be eating his way through New York's appetizer, bar, and lounge menus as your guide to fine dining on a budget. He blogs at Ben Cooks Everything. Mortadella mousse and bruschetta.... More

We weren't even planning to review the breakfast offerings at this brand-new pizzeria from Keith McNally, the man behind Minetta and Balthazar—we were just intending a breakfast meeting. But the menu is so intriguing, we kept ordering until we had tried nine items. (The devil and the breakfast pizza made me do it.) More