Long before Park Slope became a serious dining destination, Cucina was known for serving some of the best Italian food in New York. New chef Mark Strausman, of Campagna in Manhattan, has brought in several signature dishes, but there's still a wide selection of antipasti and appetizers to choose from, for $3.50-$9 per person. Try luscious pasta creations as spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage and butter sauce. Entrées include grilled Florentine steak, and "white tuna" grilled with oyster mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, and broccoli rabe, in a sherry clam vinaigrette. Reservations essential. Subway: M, N, R to Union St.