Strike night, friends and I walked over to the restaurant,  "Night and Day" on Fifth and President. Robin Hirsh, who owns the restaurant with Judy Joice told, us that he’d been in the restaurant since 6 a.m. "doing the dishes and doing everything" because no-one made it in until much later.

There were two waiters on-duty last evening, a busy night at the restaurant. Still, spirits were high. Robin fussed over our wine choice and gave us tastes of some of his favorite wines. A table away, he pointed discreetly, "is Mario Batali’s wine guy. I’ll find out what he’s drinking." Minutes later, Hirsh came over with their bottle of wine, an incredible Burgundy, and gave us each a taste. "This is a real, very serious Burgundy," Robin said. It was delicious we all agreed. "I love all my wines, they’re my babies."

The food was fantastic. My friends ordered Garlicky Escargot with diced veal marrow, parsley, and house made  farfallini & herbed veal jus (not my thing) but it smelled amazing. We ordered Hangar Steak, Oven-Roasted Duck Breast w/ baby carrots, brussels sprouts, roast fingerling potatoes & a green apple- mustard seed reduction, and a Crisped Skin Wild Striped Bass and they were all incredible. We even met the chef, Simon Glenn, who is from New Orleans (there must be a story there).  He has developed a superb bistro-style menu. If you went to Night and Day during the summer or early fall before Chef Glenn came on board: YOU MUST GO AGAIN. "Back then the food was, let’s just say, spotty," Robin told us. "Now it’s spot-on. Hey, I should be a writer or something," he added.

Well, he is. Robin, a witty, convivial host, is a published writer and poet and the owner of the  Cornelia Street Cafe, a legendary west village restaurant. He is also a truly cool New York impresario. Night and Day has a terrific performance space in the back, which features music, theater, literary readings and more. His partner, Judy, owned the also legendary Lions’ Head on Christopher Street. Together, they have the experience, high standards, and cache to bring something really great to Brooklyn.

Night and Day is just what Fifth Avenue needed: a top notch restaurant open night and day – lunch through dinner with brunch on the weekends AND a performance space. With Robin at the helm, it is a fun place to be, a friendly place to drop into any night or day of the week.

YAY FOR NIGHT AND DAY. You are the one.