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Nialls Fallon, Nick Perkins, and Leah Campbell have a knack for scouting some of New York's tiniest spaces and doing the absolute most with it. At about 30 seats, Hart's is a place with, well, heart, as the tiny 30-seat restaurant in Bed-Stuy claimed the title of one of the best new spots by Bon Appétit, particularly for its clam toast with pancetta that's to die for. Cervo's is bigger, yet quarters still feel just as tight, but you'll notice that less once you start tearing through platters of prawns and crispy shrimp heads. But the team's latest actually has more space to play than the former two, with 50 seats inside that sprawl to 90 with breezy street seating. However, there's one huge trade-off: the downstairs kitchen has no gas and no hood. But this turned out to be just right, as the trio was looking to place their oyster bar idea all along. And as of late July, the Crown Heights neighborhood has welcomed Zig Zag Oyster Bar.
Well-placed mirrors make the Zig Zag Oyster Bar look even roomier, while geometric marbled floors only confirm that the 80s back. The brushed steel horseshoe bar from the former schmoody cocktail bar, Bar Meridian, remains, now glowing a lovely sunset yellow by dusk. Rounded tables fan out around the bar, providing more room for the centerpiece found at many tables: a seafood tower piled with oysters of the moment, mussels slick in salsa verde, and peppery, pickled little neck clams, with the addition of lobster salad and snow crab if you decide to go deluxe. Of course, plying the table with warming crab dip with a wreath of Ritz crackers and peel-and-eat shrimp by the half-pound is just as good, even better if you add a classic cocktail or spritz to the mix.