TABLES FOR TWO.(THE GOOD FORK )(Restaurant review)

THE GOOD FORK -- 391 Van Brunt St., Brooklyn (718-643-6636)--This pleasant little spot on the Van Brunt strip in Red Hook (halfway between the pioneering 360 and the brand-new Fairway, a surprisingly vibrant area, given that it sits well off the subway grid) found itself caught up in a perfect storm of foodie buzz when it opened, in March; the small staff--led by the husband-and-wife owners, Ben Schneider and Sohui Kim, who is also the chef--were quickly beset by crowds enticed by the promise of Korean-inflected comfort food. (Appropriately enough, the restaurant's name, according to Kim, comes from the Italian phrase for a chowhound--una buona forchetta.) Since then, they've added some staff and opened the back garden, and, despite some early reports of two-hour waits, they seem to have found their footing. The trajectory from easygoing drop-in joint to destination eatery could be considered complete when, one recent Sunday, Charles Kiely and Sharon Pachter, the owners of the Grocery and the first couple of Brooklyn culinary arts, were spotted on their way out.

The dining room, which Schneider built up from a nearly raw space, has a curvy wood-panelled ceiling; the effect is something like being inside a Stradivarius. It can get pretty noisy, but two corner booths near the door offer cozy ...