T+L Reports: Best Bites

Scott Conant—who made a splash on the New York scene in 2003 with the opening of his rustic Italian restaurant L'Impero—is at it again. His most recent venture, Alto (520 Madison Ave., New York; dinner for two $130), debuting this month, was born from his travels in Italy. We asked the young chef to tell us his favorite places to eat, in and out of town. • "The Lincoln Road Café [943 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 305/538-8066; breakfast for two $10] serves the best café con leche and tostada cubana, a loaf of buttery toasted bread." • "I've done my best to work through the 2,000-bottle wine list at the Wild Boar Restaurant [2014 Broadway, Nashville; 615/329-1313; dinner for two $90]. Its 1978 Henri Jayer Echézeaux is a revelation." • "Going to Ferdinando's Focacceria [151 Union St., Brooklyn; 718/855-1545; dinner for two $40] is like eating in my grandmother's kitchen—tiled floors and Italian specialties such as pasta con sarde." • "I like EN Japanese Brasserie [435 Hudson St., New York; 212/647-9196; dinner for two $110] for sake and its signature tofu. It has an open kitchen that, of course, is fun for me to watch."
—Jennifer V. Cole