Kombit Restaurant

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Some menu items are often unavailable—others perpetually AWOL—and the friendly service sure can dawdle. But when it gets around to it, this Haitian restaurant serves a righteous lambi (conch stew). Ours contained a boatload of the feisty mollusks vigorously beaten into tender submission and simmered in an herby, tomato-based broth. Griot (crisp cubes of marinated, fried pork) and tassot (the goat version) are equally impressive, and come with a tiny cup of the delicious and fiery homemade hot-pepper condiment called piklis. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld