Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- First came the $29 hamburger. It stunned New Yorkers a few years back. This summer brought us $14 chicken nuggets. Some things don't seem right. Especially when they're just a buck or two at McDonald's.

But here's the thing: The nuggets were great.

Chicken thighs were cooked in fat, then deep fried. The finishing touch? Smoked onion remoulade. The result: Crispy, funky, gamy, fatty, sweet knobs.

This isn't fast food. This is Forge.

The dish was the restaurant's calling card. Then it disappeared. It's still listed as a ``signature'' item on the venue's Web site. But Forge stopped selling them after disapproval by other New York critics. Too bad.

The Tribeca restaurant features the cooking of Marc Forgione. He's the 29-year-old son of Larry Forgione, the guy who helped bring seasonal, local, American cuisine to the Northeast back in late 1970s, just like Alice Waters did out West. Does the term ``free-range'' ring a bell? Yeah, Larry coined that.

His son keeps the haute-barnyard tradition alive: There's a stove in the dining room. Waiters heat up potato rolls and brush them with butter. The bread glistens.

Rip open the yeasty saucers. Stuff them with suckling pig. The hog's been slow cooked in duck fat. The shards of pork shine with drippings. Devour the wet flesh. Drink the leftover jus with a spoon. Cost: $68 for two.

Forge is what Tribeca needs: bold, straightforward flavors with minimal fuss. It's the type of food you could eat every day. No tablecloths and no attitude. Just brick walls, wood floors and a chill crowd.

Swim Time

The chef knows seafood. Take fluke -- a quintessential Long Island catch. He gently grills it. It flakes like soft potatoes. It smells like the woods: Truffle vinaigrette and morels evoke a forest.

Forgione surrounds fish with shallow pools of sauce. Raw kampachi soaked up honey citrus water, for a bit of acid and a bit too much sugar. Jerk mahi-mahi stood up to a smoky puddle of chorizo consomme. Halibut seemed to float in a citrus oil. Then pow! Cherry tomatoes hit with a jolt. Watermelon soup, crimson red, offset stark white crab. The fish was sweeter than the fruit; the latter was spiked with chili.

Fresh pasta never has the same al dente snap as dried versions. But it should be toothsome. Here, I tried soggy carbonara and flabby ravioli. If you ignore the noodles in the second one, you'll encounter tender lobster swathed by a bright, coriander-spiked bisque.

Upside-Down Cake

Colorado lamb was a study in fat. A veal chop was pounded into a greasy cutlet. Soft-shell crab was overfried. These dishes should never have left the kitchen.

Chicken is no longer health food. It's fatty and delicious. Most chefs understand this. What they don't get is that fowl needs a splash of vinegar to cut the richness. Enter Forgione. He adds a dose of balsamic for a perfectly balanced, crispy skinned bird.

Think potato rolls are a throwback? Try the upside-down cake studded with ripe peaches. Sweet-corn ice cream tastes like a popcorn smoothie. Brilliant.

The retro desserts come courtesy of pastry chef Jennifer McCoy. How about a root-beer float? It comes with a side of chocolate cake and butterscotch pudding that coats the mouth with rich toffee goodness. Oh, and there's a pine-nut cookie thrown into the mix. This is what 8-year-olds call a four-course dinner.

Cinnamon-sugar doughnuts have been replaced by a saccharine jelly version. But in a positive development, Forgione said he might put those pricey nuggets back on the menu. I hope he does.

Rating: **

The Bloomberg Questions

Cost? Starters: $12-$18; Mains: $26-$34.

Sound level? Quieter than other Tribeca venues.

Date place? Especially the corner booth.

Inside tip? Beg the chef to make the nuggets.

Special feature? Those addictive potato rolls.

Private room? No.

Will I be back? Yes.

Forge is at 134 Reade St., near Hudson Street. Information: +1-212-941-9401; http://www.forgenyc.com.

What the Stars Mean:
****         Incomparable food, service, ambience.
***          First-class of its kind.
**           Good, reliable.
*            Fair
No stars     Poor.

(Ryan Sutton writes about New York City restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this review: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 19, 2008 00:01 EDT