FR.OG, New York

FR.OG - Situated just a few steps from SoHo mainstay Balthazar, this modern establishment begs the question of whether there's room for two trendy French restaurants on the same block. The answer? There's no competition—literally. Standing for French Origin, this modern eatery focuses not on the traditional cuisine and flair of the mother country but fuses that of its former colonies, particularly Lebanon, Morocco, and Vietnam. Nowhere is this more evident than in the drink selection: bottled beers include Saigon Vietnamese lager, Casa Moroccan ale and French brew Kronenberg. As for cocktails, the FR.OG Martini combines French G'vine gin with Moroccan spice infused dry vermouth while the Lebanese Muddler blends Acquavit with muddled cilantro, cucumber, and Lebanese syrup with Moscato d'Asti. Over 300 wines are culled from private collections and be enjoyed either upstairs at the sprawling white formica bar or at its smaller horseshoe shaped clone downstairs in a second dining room that converts to a lounge for private events.