Before, dull design with NYPD van.

After, shiny design with NYPD car.

Kellogg's Diner in Williamsburg recently unveiled a shiny new exterior, which prompts the question: Will the food be any better than before? Because seriously, the previous Kellogg's was like the worst small-town Denny's ever with food that was three times as expensive. Even though it was open 24 hours, everyone I know would rather starve at 4am than eat the world's blandest turkey sandwich. I'm sure business will be just fine when it opens, especially since some big-box retailer will be moving in behind it. Still, getting a new chef wouldn't be a bad idea.

Last night I sampled what seemed like every single cocktail at the new Williamsburg spot Bedford and Berry. The restaurant has a beautiful, worn-in feel thanks to antique touches like Edison light bulbs, large photos created from negatives found in antique stores, and vintage armchairs. All the decor was picked out by chef/owner Coby Farrow, who has created an eclectic menu featuring everything from frog legs to prawn ravioli.

The space also has a small stage where the restaurant plans to feature live acoustic performances, and a table in back that can be removed to set up a DJ booth.

What sets Bedford and Berry apart from other restaurants in the neighborhood is its late-night offerings, especially its fresh homemade cookies and rum-spiked milk. The bar stays open after the dinner service stops, so Williamsburg partiers can munch on cookies or sip on a Sixto (French press coffee, Baileys, Kahlua and Drambuie) until 4am.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go find some Advil ...

Today is ANZAC Day--the Memorial Day of Australia and New Zealand. Why do we care? Because Down Under dining spots, like Kingswood, Eight Mile Creek and Wombat, are sure to be aflurry tonight. The Sunburnt Cow, for example, is hosting a tournament of Two-Up, an Australian coin toss game, and sister Bondi Road will supersize your cocktails tonight. Both places will be giving away free ANZAC biscuits, made of rolled oats, coconut and golden syrup. But you can keep your cookies. All I want for ANZAC day? Tickets to see Flight of the Conchords at Town Hall on May 6. Thank you so much for asking.

(Photo courtesy of HBO)

What is it about big-name chefs that they incite such polar reactions to their restaurants? Is it a general (and understandable) reaction against franchising as they open multiple restaurants that they usually don't do much cooking in? Or is it just a general disdain for the celebrity-obsessed culture that's moved into every area of our lives?

After reading many middling reviews of Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud's haute bistro on the Upper West Side, I went to dinner expecting to be disappointed. Instead, I had one of the best meals I've had in a while, including a decadently rich coq au vin that finally made me get why the dish is such a classic.

And, though, as many have stated, the service is a little hectic, to me it's overshadowed by the down-to-earth sommelier who not only didn't sneer at or request for a cheaper bottle, but even recommended a perfect, versatile red for six bucks under our target.

So am I nuts, or did everyone else go in with expectations that were too high? It was certainly miles ahead of a meal I had at the other Upper West Side press-getter, Dovetail, but that's a story for next week. Click through to read the review, plus take a look at our take on Williamsburg's Miranda and eight more new and notable restaurants.

It's nice when a restaurant surprises you. With a name so generic it will prove tough to find in search engines, and a decor that dredges up the oh-so-90s aluminum chairs, Lower East Side newcomer Tre could easily have been lost in the city's overstock of Italian restaurants. And, yet, its creative twists on classic fare seem to have won our critic over in the end. The cheat sheet: "Bound for the bestseller list: Terrific pantacce, shreds of pasta tossed with sausage, grape tomato and caciotta cheese, and a lovely ricotta and creme fraiche cheesecake." Combined with a review of Mexican spot Elote in Williamsburg (which has a killer brunch deal), it's a good week for the underdog in our list of new and notable restaurants.

(Photo by Gregor Halenda)

The Williamsburg restaurants just keep coming--however will the skinny jeans trend last? Oddly, Fiore, an Italian restaurant that opened a few weeks back on Grand Street, looks more like something you'd find in Cobble Hill. Early word on the Williamsboard is mostly positive, but it's going to be an uphill battle: There are already so many Italian restaurants in the neighborhood, you can hardly walk a block without tripping over a meatball. We'll keep an eye on this one.

You know how Hollywood likes to do everything in twos? Two killer asteroid movies or two movies about dueling magicians that come out the same year? Well, apparently the New York restaurant scene plays by the same rulebook. The Smith and Smith's opened around the same time, and while the Smith seems to be grabbing the lion's share of press (and our review will be coming shortly), Smith's seems to be the one that's taking its menu a little more seriously. Read our critic's take, plus looks at the second Mermaid Inn location, a Caribbean vegan haven in Williamsburg and more new and notable restaurants.

(Photo courtesy of Smith's)

Is it an Argentinian steakhouse designed by a Frank Gehry-wannabe? Not much is known about this soon-to-open restaurant on Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, except that the wacky building was on the market for a long time. Folks on the Williamsboard say they spotted a "24 hours" sign at some point, though it was nowhere to be seen when I stopped by. With Argentinian spot Catch 22 just down the street, one has to wonder: How much skirt steak can this neighborhood handle?

I love it when restaurants surprise me. I'm not a big frequenter of the Gramercy/Park Avenue South area--my scruffy writer's look doesn't really blend with the suit-and-tie after-work drinker's crowd. And the PR materials for Primehouse NY boasting of steaks being aged in a Himalayan rock salt room, reeked of gimmickry. So imagine my surprise when I finally went and had one of the best steakhouse meals in memory. What differentiated it from the herd? Click through to find out, and read reviews of Red Bowl, a new Chinese option in Williamsburg, and eight more new and notable restaurants.

(Photo courtesy of Primehouse NY)

A new BYOB option, Peter's Since 1969, opened in Williamsburg last week. Built in a old butcher shop (B&B Meat Market) that had been in the neighborhood since, say, 1969, the restaurant's specialty is French rotisserie chicken, with comfort dishes like mac and cheese, sausage and sauerkraut stew, and homemade chocolate cake rounding out the menu. According to PR materials, the interior was designed to honor the space's meat market roots and garden seating will be ready come spring.

(Photo courtesy of Peter's Since 1969))