Contra | New York Magazine | The Thousand Best

Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske’s little Orchard Street venture has grown over years, from a quirky offbeat tasting venture, to the flagship of an increasingly influential downtown dining colony, which includes a steady stream of influential out-of-town guest chefs, one of the city’s best natural-wine bars, in Wildair, a couple of doors down on the street, and, most recently, a Neapolitan-pizza joint. The two menus — one is vegetarian — are varied, always interesting, and a relative bargain. The natural-wine selection is exceptional for those of you who are into that sort of thing, and the famous house bread might actually be worth a special trip.