aKa Cafe.

49 Clinton St. (979-6096) -- This spinoff of the pioneering Lower East Side culinary oasis 71 Clinton Fresh Food seems to be having an identity crisis, albeit an appetizing one. In a former dress shop -- whose display windows now hold high-style seating complete with snake plants and Lucite chairs -- aKa serves the kind of snacks you'd expect to discover at a street cart (and features Latin and Jewish ingredients from the neighborhood's old days), but with an arty twist.

Although it's been more than two years since 71 launched the culinary gentrification of this corner of the city, it still must be startling for the neighborhood's old-timers to witness the steady flow of sharply dressed uptowners who stop here for a bite before beginning their downtown bar crawls. It's a pit-stop kind of place. Each dish makes one succinct point, and while that strategy works at 71, here the menu is like a list of gastronomic one-liners that don't quite add up to a full meal. Also, some of the dishes seem a ...