Probably New Zealand’s most beloved chef, Al Brown is warm and welcoming—and his restaurants are imbued with these magical attributes as well, a good part of the reason his establishments hum with very happy diners. There's also his consistently superb food: Brown takes the best local ingredients, treats them with respect, and then takes them on with his creative mind. Punters adore the salty succulence of the raw seafood bar, the headiness of roasted bone barrow, and his addictive Brussels sprouts. There probably hasn’t been a night since it opened about five years ago that this upbeat place hasn’t been packed. Aside from Depot, Brown has Federal Street Deli, the wonderful diner next door, and Best Ugly Bagels. Take a little of his magic home with you and pick up one of his cookbooks while you are there—you’ll cook from it relentlessly.