Escaping the incense vendors and food trucks of Bedford Avenue, I recently ate at Isa in Williamsburg. Opting for the smaller plates over entrée plates, my foodie companion and I ordered the kale Caesar salad, grilled calamari, and the very moreish cavatelli with tomato and basil. Not too long ago, the winds of change blew through Isa: Gone are the pigs' tails and crisped sardine skeletons of chef Ignacio Mattos (and chef too, for that matter). In their place are trusty, comforting, and rustic dishes that are full of flavor. Over in the entrée section of the menu I spotted oven-roasted porgy, grilled pork chops, and wood-fired chicken with sides like polenta and corn on the cob. The cocktail menu, however, still bears Mattos’ novel fingerprints: I went for the Catamaran Cooler (remember this guy?) and later, a Poolside Negroni made with Gin, Carpano Antica, Aperol, and Cocchi Americano. The dessert was kinda where I lost my ish: check out that cinnamon bun (a special) and the caramelized peaches with hazelnut semifreddo!
ISA
348 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, 11211
MAP
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Cavatelli with tomato and basil
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Grilled calamari with chili and black chickpeas
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Grilled kale caesar salad
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Cinnamon bun!
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Caramelized peach with hazelnut semifreddo
ISA
348 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, 11211
MAP
![](http://www.openingceremony.us/userfiles/image/news/oct12/101612-isa/101612-isa_1.jpg)
Cavatelli with tomato and basil
![](http://www.openingceremony.us/userfiles/image/news/oct12/101612-isa/101612-isa_3.jpg)
Grilled calamari with chili and black chickpeas
![](http://www.openingceremony.us/userfiles/image/news/oct12/101612-isa/101612-isa_2.jpg)
Grilled kale caesar salad
![](http://www.openingceremony.us/userfiles/image/news/oct12/101612-isa/101612-isa_4.jpg)
![](http://www.openingceremony.us/userfiles/image/news/oct12/101612-isa/101612-isa_5.jpg)
Cinnamon bun!
![](http://www.openingceremony.us/userfiles/image/news/oct12/101612-isa/101612-isa_6.jpg)
Caramelized peach with hazelnut semifreddo