Lunch in Brooklyn was on our Ledger

Above: The remains of lunch at the Brooklyn eatery Five Leaves. The food was so good I'd almost finished before I snapped the photo.

More notes from New York: It was just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, and my daughter abd I were hungry. As we had been working from her studio/office in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, we decided to walk down the street for some lunch. To a little eatery called Five Leaves.

If that name sounds familiar, it may be because of Heath Ledger. The late Australian actor had planned to open the corner restaurant, which sits on the boundary between Williamsburg and Greenpoint, but died before plans could be finalized. After funds were released from Ledger's estate, two of his friends - who had hatched the idea with Ledger - continued with the Australia-meets-America establishment.

Whatever its origin, the place is an informal setting that boasts an intriguing menu. It was a chilly day, but the sun was out so we sat at a sidewalk table. I ordered a Moroccan Scramble (merguez sausage, scrambled eggs with spiced chickpeas, crushed avocado over grilled sourdough), and Rachel a chopped black kale salad (with spicy anchovy dressing, aged gouda cheese and hazelnuts). And those were two of the more ordinary offerings.

City life isn't for everyone. And to some people, New York City means Manhattan. But the outer boroughs, especially Brooklyn, offer a world of diversity that tourists don't automatically know of.

Like Five Leaves. If you're in the Williamsburg-Greenpoint area, and you're hungry, you should drop in. The ghost of Heath Ledger will thank you.