Before getting married, my friend Hayley liked to suggest to dates that they meet at DOC Wine Bar
in Williamsburg for a glass of wine from Italy and chunks of sheep's milk cheese dotted with truffles or Buffalo mozzarella. If she liked him, she'd then take him to Black Betty's to make-out. (Her husband is still pissed that he had been taken on this pony trot.)

The owner of DOC, Claudio Coronas is a partner in a new restaurant, PT (331 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211). I am biased here, as I love Claudio, his wife is wonderful, his food and he doesn't serve bad wine.

Now while DOC has just a few tables outdoors, PT has a full garden, and when I heard the do-it-yourself money-saving, plans I was doubtful. They shared the space with old school Williamsburgers whose garden aesthetic tended towards plastic flowers shoved into the dirt and when a tree or patch of ground starts to brown, a little green spray paint is used to spruce up the area.

But on a recent visit I sat out in the garden for dinner and it was just lovely. They were blessed with a mature hydrangea tree--the chartreuse blooms were just turning mauve--that covered the entrance. They used bamboo to cover the unsightly fences and filled in the dirt areas with plants. Hedges of lavender and boxwood create separate areas between the tables. The only thing I didn't particularly like was the use of cabbage in hanging baskets. I think gardeners sold a naïve public on this stuff so they could make some money off clients in the fall. With all the wonderful fall perennials and winter hearty evergreens, why kale or cabbage? I can't stand the stuff.

Our waiter told us that he was from Tuscany, and much of the food and wine was from Southern Italy. (We tried various cheeses, salads, and wonderful pasta topped with dried shad roe and a citrus dressing.) When he set the table with little stones that the silverware was set across, I asked if this was Southern Italy influenced.

"No, this was Claudio's brain," he said.

He showed me the tangle of tomato plants and herbs growing in the side yard. Again, he explained, "This is Southern Italy style. Plants growing all over the place." I hope they brought that soil from Southern Italy, as people should never eat anything grown in toxic Williamsburg soil.

But once again the food, the wine, the people were wonderful.