La Bola Negra

Before

0.2 mi · 3 min walk - Downtown Brooklyn

Harry Rosen opened Junior's on the corner of Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb in 1950 and his family still runs it. The front is a bakery counter selling cheesecake by the slice and the whole, and the back is a large dining area of orange booths with waiters and a menu that goes from a brisket sandwich to a full dinner. It opens at 7am and runs to 11pm, and on a weeknight you are seated as soon as you walk in.

After

0.3 mi · 7 min walk - Downtown Brooklyn

Up the stairs on the second floor above Gage & Tollner on the Fulton Mall, fitted out like a ship's saloon with brass, dark wood and a long rum list. It takes no reservations at all and runs first come, first served, so going early is the way to get a seat. It is 21 and over after 7pm.