Bites & Buzz
SOUP FOR NUTS
EDITED BY ROB PATRONITE AND ROBIN RAISFELD
Bouillabaisse is a dish that obsessive foodies love to discuss almost as much as they love to devour: It must be made, purists say, within fishnet-tossing distance of the Mediterranean, with certain highly unattractive fish, and preferably by a Marseillais (beret and striped sweater optional). You might say, then, that Isobel chef Anthony Raggiri's version fulfills only one of the criteria, but it's so delicious you won't care. In authentic fashion, the Marseilles native cooks and serves his rendition ($35 per person, two-person minimum) in two stages: first the rich and complex soup that's ladled over croutons you dab with rouille and sprinkle with Gruyère; then the huge platter of market-variable seafood, possibly including red mullet, monkfish, and sea robin, filleted tableside, plus conger eel, mussels, clams, and crab. It's as close to the Riviera as you can get by crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. (Thursdays only or by advance reservation.) Isobel 60 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights 718-243-2010