When the Four Horsemen opened, ten years ago, on a quiet stretch of Williamsburg, it became the rare celebrity joint that almost entirely transcended its celebrity associations. Co-owned by James Murphy, of the band LCD Soundsystem, it called itself a wine bar but was a restaurant, really, with an impeccably easygoing atmosphere, great music, and an ever-changing constellation of Cali-European small plates. The natural-wine list, built by the late Justin Chearno, won a Beard Award for best beverage program in America. The food, made by the chef Nick Curtola, earned a Michelin star.
The team’s new restaurant, I Cavallini (the name is Italian for “little horses”), opened this summer right across the street. Wisely, instead of trying to replicate the Four Horsemen’s magic, it charts a fresh course. I Cavallini…