Photo via Eater.com

Platonic ideal of the West Village restaurant, circa 2010:  Small and cluttered with vintage-looking furniture; a menu of cheffed-up peasant food; charcuterie and oysters; strong drinks; non-bludgeoning prices. This is more or less what you’ll find at Joseph Leonard, via owner Gabriel Stulman (of Market Table and The Little Owl). All-around pleasant place to hang out in, eat in, linger in (unless you’re sitting near the door and being hovered over by impatient thumb-twiddlers). If you tend to make restaurant decisions last-minute like I do, show up before 7pm for your best shot at bar stools or a table. On the menu: braised pork hock, moules frites, duck rillettes, shrimp and grits with andouille.

Joseph Leonard. 107 Waverly Pl. at Grove St.; 626-429-8383

Prices/Features. MOD, VGT, DRK   (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

The Standard Grill. 848 Washington St. at W. 13th St.; (212) 645-4100.

Prices/Features: MOD, VEG, GRP, DRK   (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Pic courtesy of Dell'Anima

If you haven’t figured out where to eat tonight but are circling around the idea of a cozy/Italian/inexpensive/crowd-pleaser/West Village sort of place, head to the triangle formed roughly by Greenwich Ave., Eighth Ave., and West 11th.  Where exactly? You could start with Dell’Anima, where you’ll find all of the above elements plus a hit-the-spot Italian menu of pastas (tagliatelle bolognese, a great carbonara) and meaty dishes like their semi-famous chicken diavolo with broccoli rabe, chilies, and garlic. Haven’t booked ahead? You might strike out on a weekend, since the space is tiny—but it’s worth a shot. And you can always leave your name at the door then try your luck at the Spotted Pig a little further west, for a guaranteed wait but not-bad odds of getting seated before long, thanks to the multi-level brownstone dining room.

Rewards await at the Pig, including chef April Bloomfield’s heavenly burger with Roquefort cheese and shoestring fries, or grilled skirt steak with chilies and mint, or Italian-inspired specialties like sheep’s milk ricotta gnudi with brown butter and sage; that one’s been on the menu forever and probably will be forever, and for good reason.

Dell’Anima. 50 Carmine St. between Bedford and Bleecker Sts.; (212) 929-5050.  Spotted Pig. 314 W. 11th St. at Greenwich St.; (212) 620-0393.

Prices/Features: MOD, DRK, VGT    (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Pic courtesy of Market Table

It always seems ridiculous to name any burger NYC’s best; there are way too many variables, plus those silly awards have a way of ruining the things they celebrate (too much demand is the road to sloppiness). But it’s safe to say Market Table has one of the city’s best, an ingeniously executed burger made with a grilled then broiled sirloin-and-brisket patty topped with white cheddar, sweet onions, and homemade pickles on a garlicky bun, and served with Old Bay-dusted fries. Chef Mikey Price’s constantly changing menu has much more besides: You might luck into grilled corn with chili, Parmesan, and lime, or braised-lamb gnocchi, or a whole market fish with escarole and golden raisins. Lunchtime on a sunny day is when you really want to be here, thanks to wraparound streetside windows that let the rays pour through.

Market Table. 54 Carmine St. at Bedford St.; (212) 255-2100.

Prices/Features: MOD    (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)

Pic courtesy of 11870.com

The city is packed with sushi joints (although very few outstanding ones) but there still aren’t enough restaurants doing what chef Sotohiro Kasugi does at Soto: Gorgeous, deceptively simple, crudo-like spins on raw seafood. His preparations have a few more bells and whistles than Japanese-style sushi and sashimi, but he knows how to let the distinct, ocean-fresh fish flavors shine through. See what he does with Long Island fluke (brushes it with lime juice, sea salt, and yuzu zest) or sea urchin (wraps it in thinly sliced squid and a shiso leaf and tops it with quail egg). Sit at the counter for a slightly livelier experience than the all-white, hushed dining room has to offer. But no matter where you sit, you’ll be glad you stumbled into this seriously classy restaurant on an otherwise soulless stretch of Sixth Ave.

Soto. 357 Sixth Ave. between W. 4th St. and Washington Pl.; (212) 414-3088.

Prices/Features: MOD, VGT     (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)