Aurora

Aurora
Corner of Wythe & Grand
Williamsburg

Jane hasn't been to the new Soho branch of this charming Italian, but I've gone to the original in Williamsburg several times. I haven't been disappointed yet. In fact, I liked it so much that I celebrated a birthday there in 2004.

Not only is the decor inside the restaurant rustic and warm, Aurora has one of the prettiest garden spaces in Williamsburg. It's not one of those "We cleared out the garbage cans and put out crappy plastic lawn furniture so we could eke as much out of our rental dollar as possible" gardens. It's a real, thought-out space.

The garden dining area at Aurora is a pleasant leafy surprise in the heart of industrial Williamsburg's waterfront. The owners clearly have some prescience, Aurora being ideally situated and priced for the coming waterfront expansion and the sure influx of well-to-do refugees who will no doubt make this a regular dining place.

When my companion and I arrived on a recent early-summer evening, I requested a smoking table and we were cheerfully escorted to a small raised platform at the back of the garden, where we could gaze over the entire outdoor dining space. A nicely-finished floor, tasteful green cloth umbrellas, and climbing ivy were all complemented by a peach early-June sunset and one of those East River breezes that reminds you just why you pay most of your salary to live in New York City.

A clean ashtray appeared promptly at my elbow after we were seated. Two things make this notable. First that the ashtray was clean. You'd be surprised how many restaurants and bars will offer a smoking section then give you an ashtray so coated in sticky tar residue and gray ash that it will nearly put you off your meal. Second, I didn't have to ask for it. Again, it's surprising that restaurants that offer smoking sections still make us beg for the essential accessory to smoking.

This isn't a foodie blog, but here I have to comment. Everything my companion and I ordered was seasonal, fresh, and impeccably prepared. Best of all, the portions were human-sized. No "we're sending you home with enough food for two more meals" sized portions here.

We even got some free entertainment, as a couple who were clearly on their first or second date were seated next to us. The guy, who bore all the earmarks of someone who was in Williamsburg only because Vice magazine told him to go there, regaled his date for our entire meal with stories about himself and how great he was. He clearly thought he was too good looking to be on a date with her. She, clearly horrified, sat mostly silent throughout her meal as he proceeded to tell her how much he paid for things. My companion and I reached the conclusion that their first date must have been a drunken hookup at a mutual friend's party, for otherwise such a fine and quality young woman wouldn't otherwise agree to go out with such a tedious boor.

Meals at Aurora are reasonably priced, though a tad expensive for Williamsburg's younger hipster set, which is just fine by Janey. The less time I have to spend in the company of hipsters, the better. Or as I like to say, sometimes a couple of extra bucks is all it takes to keep the riff raff out.