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CONVIVIUM OSTERIA -- 68 Fifth Ave., at St. Mark's Pl., Brooklyn (718-857-1833)--This almost too perfect evocation of a Mediterranean osteria seems straight from the pages of a romance novel--the sultry amber light, the dusty wine bottles and guttering candles, the dully gleaming copper pots that line the walls. Even the waiters fit the theme: swarthy, handsome, with windswept hair and black shirts unbuttoned just so. While the weather holds, the garden is a singularly inviting spot, sheltered by a latticework of greenery and enlivened by the trickling of a fountain. The table is laid with simple, rustic silverware, thick ceramic plates, and a dewy, chipped water pitcher. With such an overdose of atmospheric charm, even mediocre food would seem delightful.
The concession is rarely necessary. The platter of seafood tapas has a fine selection of variously prepared treats, from a passable mackerel seviche to the enormously pleasing shrimp-and-bechamel fritters. Grilled octopus comes perched atop a bed of celery, tomato, and onion, which gives the tender flesh a crunchy kick. Less ...