A photo-centric preview of the new Linger

Lori Midson

We've seen a succession of restaurant openings over the last several months, but Linger, the second restaurant from Justin Cucci, the owner/chef of Root Down, may very well be the most anticipated new arrival of the year. And after a remarkably good dinner there last week, at which Cucci, along with executive chef Daniel Asher and pastry chef, Samm Sherman, trotted out plate after plate after plate of things I want to eat again, preferably every day, for the duration of my livelihood, it's a good bet that Linger -- like its name -- is a food temple with major staying power.

Cucci's board is a magnificent interstate of globetrotting street foods, flavors and ingredients, and while there are a myriad of restaurants throughout the city that single out the cuisines that Cucci's menu represents -- Asia, Eurasia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Morocco, Indonesia, Europe and the Americas -- he's created a singular menu that embraces them all, without overextending his reach.

And the two-tiered space, which resides in the old Olinger Mortuary, is just as much of a conversation piece as the food; the sleek-retro bar is illuminated with Lite-Bright bulbs; there's a shrine of Jesus funeral fans that greets you just beyond the front door; the wallpaper is 1960s vintage; the hostess stand is an old church pew; the furniture, most of it reclaimed, was often rescued from dumpster diving; and since the quarters reside in a former funeral parlor, Cucci played off its morbidity by incorporating a Harold and Maude theme that extends from the bathroom doors to the mural above the kitchen -- all that's missing is a hearse.

Linger opens to the public tomorrow, beginning at 5:30 p.m. (dinner hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 5:30 p.m. to close; happy hour is from 4 to 6:30 p.m.), but before you go, take a romp through our photo essay -- and bring an appetite.

Lori Midson

The new bar at Linger, flanked by a retro bar surfaced with Lite-Bright bulbs and walled with windows overlooking the cityscape.

Lori Midson

Love the fact that the kitchen delivers a bowl of spice-scented popcorn to each table to snack on while diners peruse the menu. The popcorn changes on a whim, but on the night I was there, it was a delicious heap of popped kernels dusted with curry.

Lori Midson

A partial glimpse of Linger's new menu, which draws from Asia, Eurasia, South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Europe, Indonesia and the Americas.

Lori Midson

Pad Thai with rice noodles peanuts, bean curd, pickled vegetables, sprigs of cilantro, garlic chives and a wiggly-jiggly poached egg.