The Red Cat

New York is in the midst of a teeth-aching cold snap, the kind that makes you happy to hear the temperature expressed in two syllables. At times like this, we seek out restaurants that provide elemental comforts--food that's good without being precious, cozy surroundings, and a lived-in neighborhood atmosphere. The Red Cat, which helped put the Chelsea dining scene on the map when it opened a decade ago, is just what the meteorologist ordered. We nestled down with gnocchi tossed with sweet sausage and rapini, a wintry salad of apple, beets, fennel, blue cheese, and cabbage, followed by a jumbo crab cake with cabbage slaw and mango dressing and a sandwich of barbecued corned beef with gruyere and a side of house-made chips. When we left, we could see our breath, but not our toes.