The Village Meridian

Since its summer debut at the new entertainment district in the Village apartments, executive chef Junior Borges' sleek Brazilian restaurant has been playing to a packed house. And now with the weather cooling off, there's not a better time to pay a visit where some of the most coveted seats are under a canopy of live oak trees on the terrace. After snacking through apps like tapioca cheese fritters and cured fluke tartare, expect to tuck into mains that range from blue prawn moqueca with charred plantains to wood-fired whole octopus with green garlic-chile vinaigrette. Like the food, cocktails are also Brazilian influenced. Whatever you order, don't pass up on pastry chef David Madrid's daily bread course.