Blue Ribbon Brasserie   

The best time to dive into the crowded depths of this small SoHo seafood spot is late-night, when the place is still busy but not as sardine-packed as dinner. Part of the ever-expanding Blue Ribbon empire, this sociable restaurant has remained popular among chowhounds and chefs since the mid-1990s despite the shifts in the city's culinary centers. This is partly thanks to its icy and sizable raw bar, which trawls fresh scallops, oysters, shrimp and crab. The rest of the French menu frays from there in many different directions, with anything from a roasted duck club to a sweet and spicy catfish to tofu ravioli. It's also probably the only place where you don't feed pigeons -- they're fed to you. Even if you've got a fat wallet and a thin model on your arm, there are still no reservations.