The Grocery
New American
288 Smith Street between Union and Sackett Streets
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 596 3335
F, G at Carroll Street

Dinner at The Grocery is the perfect reason to make a trip out to Brooklyn.

I was at The Grocery on Tuesday this week with a friend. We took a taxi from the East Village across the Brooklyn Bridge to Hoyt Street. Warning: if you take a taxi out to Carroll Gardens, Smith Street is a long, one-way street. You may be better off riding down Hoyt Street and then walking the small block to Smith Street. Tip: the building numbers on Hoyt almost perfectly correlate with the ones on Smith Street. You can also take the subway which lets you out on Smith Street quite close to The Grocery (we were running late, so that option was not really an option at all).

For starters, we asked chef-owner Sharon Pachter for assistance with picking out a bottle of red wine. We knew what we were interested in eating, seafood and duck, but we didn’t know many of the wines on the 35-bottle (or fewer) list. Sharon picked out the wines herself and surprisingly, she put a lot of heart into recommending a bottle for us. We chose a Las Terrases, a Spanish red, with fruitiness (a distinct “jammy” taste) and less body to complement the seafood and particularly the duck. It was a delicious wine; upon the first sip, I told my friend that I could drink the entire bottle before the meal came out. Alas, I am not an alcoholic, so I refrained.

The amuse bouche consisted of potato leek soup (served in an industrial-looking yet cute metal jigger) and potato croquettes. The soup tasted like pea soup with slightly more personality. The croquettes were petite and delicious. Any larger of a croquette would have been decadent.

We started with the lobster tart with potato and leek and mache salad and the roasted, stuffed squid with black risotto, chick peas, and spinach. The tart was buttery and flaky, and surprisingly fabulous. The tart perfectly showcased the lobster and the flaky crust as equal players. The squid was more rustic tasting because of the spinach and chick peas. I would have expected something richer and more predictable with this dish, but I wasn’t disappointed. And beware: a squirt of squid ink is not pretty so be careful.

For our entrees, we shared the monkfish (I believe monkfish. It’s not a good sign when someone who dreams in food cannot remember a meal) and the slow rendered duck breast. The duck breast was recommended on almost every food site I consulted before my journey (namely the New York Times and New York Magazine). Although it was indeed crispy and well-prepared, it was not earth-shattering in any way whatsoever. Obviously, the fish was forgettable, so I will leave it at that.

The dessert menu was a pleasure to choose from. It was an easy choice though: hazelnut panna cotta (which replaced the Tahitian vanilla panna cotta for the night) and the gingerbread steamed pudding. The pudding was delicious for a few bites but much too syrupy and sweet at the center for even my own sweet tooth to endure. It may be one of the only desserts that I’ve tried that is quite good but unfinishable. That may not be a word, but I believe you know what I speak of. The hazelnut panna cotta, on the other hand, was hands-down the best part of our meal. Smooth, delicious, and should never be changed one bit. Both desserts came pleasantly decorated with thin slices of seedless, red grapes. A new touch that surprisingly went well with both desserts.

Perhaps it is because we ate at the less crowded hour of 9pm on a Tuesday night, but our service was phenomenal. The recommendations were completely on-par (and the staff was happy to recommend) and there was not a hint of pressure on us to leave even though we were the last ones seated at the restaurant. There’s also a beautiful back garden that is open in the summertime. It is not heated with lamps, so you want to make sure it is warm enough for you before you choose to be seated back there. Finally, there is a tasting menu for $75 and $100 with wine pairing. We did not opt for that because the menu was not extensive and we found dishes we immediately knew we wanted, but $100 for a tasting menu with wine pairing is a steal (especially compared to Manhattan), no?

If you are headed to The Grocery, go for the whole experience. Walk down Smith Street on your way there, enjoy the hominess of the restaurant and an ambitious and satisfying meal with personalized service (our waitress even called my friend “forlorned” while looking at the menu; unfortunately, no such word exists, but we understood her point. Also, chef-owner Sharon, at the start of our meal, shimmied her way under our neighbor’s tablecloth to fix an unsettled table.). And be sure to enjoy a after-dinner drink in beautiful Carroll Gardens at a neighborhood bar before you head back on the subway or taxi, or make your way home however you choose to.

Don’t go expecting a top-rated Zagat showdown at The Grocery. Rather, go to taste ambition with every bite.

Chestnut
271 Smith Street between Sackett/DeGraw Streets
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(718) 243-0049
Subway: F/G to Carroll Street


I was thrilled this afternoon when a friend, let’s call her Hermana#1, gchatted me to discuss Momofuku Ssam Bar’s pork butt dinner. After a thorough discussion of what we would order (besides the pork butt) and who was worthy to include, she invited me to her Brooklyn Restaurant Week reservation at Chestnut; it was icing on the cake!

I rarely go to the boroughs, but while we were driving over, all I could think was “Wow, Brooklyn is so pretty!” It reminded me of Gramercy amalgamated with the Lower East Side and the East and West Villages.

Understated yet café-like, Chestnut fit in perfectly with the neighborhood. We were immediately seated at a small round table in the window-front corner. Our server was quick on his toes and reminded us a bit of Jonathan (the son) on Who’s the Boss.

The $21.12 prix fixe menu was awesome. It turns out that Chestnut actually does this prix fixe every Tuesday and Wednesday (for $25.00), and you can choose from ANYTHING on their menu (some of the main courses are marked with a smiley face, indicating a $5 supplement).

Their brandade was delicious, creamy, not fishy, slight cheese flavor, smooth with flecks of salt cod, served with a long toasted ficelle slice. The potato gnocchi reminded me of Barbuto’s: slightly crisped on outside, tender pillows within, in a sauce of crispy prosciutto with sautéed super-fresh oyster mushrooms created a multidimensional dish bursting with flavors.

I was disappointed in their charcuterie plate of the evening that consisted of a rabbit terrine, which was flavorless and dry, and boudin blanc, which was originally described as a white veal sausage, but later clarified that it was pork. Regardless of its origin, it was bland.

My favorite was the grilled calamari, a whole squid stuffed with a quinoa & romesco stuffing. Bursting with flavor, the quinoa stuffing brought an earthy touch that complemented the grilled calamari; the entire dish was rounded out and enhanced by the romesco flavors.

Skate with Meyer lemon gremolata and flageolet beans was just okay; although I like skate, nothing stood out about this one. I would’ve had no idea that it was served with lemon anything, had I not read it on the menu. Also, the fish was underseasoned.

I was expecting great things from the on-the-bone, stuffed pork chop; with a combination of balsamic-vinegar-poached fig and fennel stuffing and the reduced balsamic vinegar glaze, I imagined a powerhouse of flavor pop. Instead the stuffing lacked that burst; it barely peeped, and even the white polenta served on the side was overpowered by the balsamic reduction.

The hanger steak was the clear winner of the entrees. Despite an incredibly pungent side of blue-cheesed Yukon Gold potatoes, the simple hanger steak was cooked perfectly and delicious. I thought I didn’t like hanger steak, but I think I’m a convert.

Desserts were interesting. Homemade ice cream (we chose pistachio, oatmeal raisin cookie and pineapple) had intriguing spices, particularly the pistachio which tasted almost savory. The budino (a molten chocolate cake without the cake) was had incredible depth with or without the caramel sauce. The cookie assortment was interesting, but it wasn’t standout. There were a number of different cookies, and by the end we were only eating them to eat them. The churros & hot chocolate were mediocre; I enjoy the idea behind it, but I think the churros at Costco are better. I made everyone sip the hot chocolate to decipher the hidden spice. The consensus was that it had a spice in Chinese food; in fact, Hermana#2 (Hermana#1’s younger sister) likened it to soy sauce egg. It turns out the hot chocolate’s secret spice is anise.

I really enjoyed the cheesecake with pomegranate syrup. It was a cross between cream cheese and ricotta cheese cheesecakes, not too sweet, really light and excellent at the end of a meal.

I also had a peppermint tea which was served in a French press, and the novelty of the French press alone made for a wonderful “after-dinner drink” (especially for only $2).

Despite an almost run-in with Hermana#2’s enemy-friend (which we fortunately avoided), for $37 with tax and tip, it was well-worth the trip to Brooklyn.

Relish

225 Wythe Avenue at N. 3rd Street (Williamsburg)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 963-4546
Subway: L to Bedford Street; J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue

Living in Manhattan, I rarely cross the river in general, but I will travel for good food. While perusing New York magazine’s "Where to Eat 2007", I was intrigued by this place Egg in Williamsburg that serves delicious breakfast (housed in Sparky’s All-American during morning hours) so one Sunday morning, I got up early, picked up some friends and crossed the Williamsburg Bridge. Much to our dismay, by the time we arrived at Egg, they were no longer accepting people. Egg closes at 12pm (so they can reopen as Sparky's), and unfortunately, we missed our window.

Since we were already in Brooklyn, we decided to stay, and one of my friends suggested Relish, which was just down the road. We pulled up to this adorable, vintagey railcar diner, and I hoped it was as cute inside as out. We were greeted by a tall, lanky hipster who seated us in a cozy booth in the corner of the front room.

Inside, it did not disappoint, and I loved the counter that spanned the entire front room although no one was seated there when we arrived. As we lingered, the restaurant filled up rapidly, and the counter and empty back room were completely full by the time we left.

We were really hungry when we arrived, and no one could decide, since each menu item sounded appealing. We basically ordered as much food as we could without looking ridiculous.

Grilled hanger steak served with two eggs over easy and homefries was exactly what I needed. Hanger steak is generally chewy, but this one was served in nugget-size chunks and was perfectly cooked and tender. I requested egg whites rather than eggs over easy, but I was told that the restaurant was unable to accommodate me. I subbed French fries for homefries, and the former tasted great with the tangy red pepper sauce served with the corned beef hash. Unfortunately, the sauce did not complement the corned beef hash as well. The actual corned beef hash was fine, but I prefer mine in a smaller dice with less peppers and onions, more meat and potato.

The baked Spanish eggs were delightful and light with its spicy tomato sauce, tender potatoes and gooey cheese. Classic eggs Benedict were unremarkable, and although I enjoyed the brightness of the hollandaise sauce, a fluffier English muffin and a bit more Hollandaise sauce would have benefited the dish. The crab cake version which we also ordered had the same issues; continuing the dish’s mediocrity, the crab cake itself was just ok. Although well-seasoned, it lacked an outer crust and tasted more like its spices than crab.

The side order of cheddar grits were quite good, creamy, but eat them fast as the consistency changes quickly to congealed. Chicken sausage was tasty, slightly rubbery, not memorable. Biscuits and gravy, which I was really looking forward to, were a mess – two large biscuits covered with a layer of scrambled eggs and then doused in a white chicken-sausage gravy. After taking apart the pieces, the biscuits turned out to be decent, not crumbly, a bit fluffy, but they were good enough with the modest amount of average gravy served atop. Scrambled eggs should be light and airy. These, on the other hand, were an overcooked, dense mass.

Bloody Mary’s had an amazing kick with the addition of red chili puree, but the virgin Bloody Mary was noticeably better than the one with vodka which was so diluted that the kick was gone (yet lacked the alcohol kick as well).

Service was inconsistent, ordering was fine, coffee and water were only refilled upon request. Dishes came out in waves, but I think we may have confused the waitress by ordering so many dishes for so few people.

I still want to go to Egg.

franny’s
(Pizza/Italian)
295 Flatbush Avenue between St. Mark’s Avenue and Prospect Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 230-0221

http://www.frannysbrooklyn.com/
Subway: B/Q to 7th Avenue; 2/3 Bergen Street


My husband is moving to the Bay Area at the end of this month, so we’ve decided we’re finally going to do all of the things in NYC that we always talk about doing. After going to the Bodies exhibition in South Street Seaport, our plan was to go to Grimaldi’s (http://www.grimaldis.com/) in Brooklyn for what some claim is the best pizza in New York City; however, when we drove by the restaurant, the line was down the block (they say this is normal) and the wait was over an hour. Unfortunately, we were too hungry for this.

Plan B. I have been dying to try this other pizza restaurant in Brooklyn, franny’s, for a long time. The owners, Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens, met at Savoy and fell in love. And the product of their love story is franny’s.

To make matters better, on March 9, 2005, in the Dining section of the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/), Andrew Feinberg was the featured in “The Chef” section in which he made a Meyer lemon-ricotta ravioli that sounded amazing (I still have the article and recipe archived at home!). And even though they no longer serve pasta at franny’s, this was really when franny’s was added to my must-try list.

There was a 40-minute wait on a Saturday night when we got there, but fortuitously, as soon as we arrived, a group of three got up from the bar, where they also serve dinner, so we sat immediately. The bar area of the restaurant looks like a wine bar, yet the welcoming and friendly bartender made us feel like the bar is a part of the restaurant, which is adorable, cozy with an open kitchen, not too loud and well laid out.

Everything on the menu sounded delicious and as others at the bar were served their dishes, we watched, salivating. It was a difficult decision, but we began with the heirloom tomato salad with burrata, a super rich and creamy mozzarella-style cheese; house-cured cacciatorini, finnochiona and coppa; crostini with warm Tuscan kale, garlic and pecorino Rossellino; and crostini with preserved San Marzano tomatoes with olio verde. The bread they use for the crostini and as the base of the heirloom tomato salad is amazing… crusty, with a soft and chewy center, and a slightly doughy, fresh taste, which balances the unbelievable crostini – everything was so good. I think the most amazing part was the burrata, which also paired well with the delicious house-cured meats.

For the stars of the show, we chose the pizza with buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, garlic and oregano; tomato, provolone piccante and wood-roasted onions; and tomato with buffalo mozzarella, anchovies and chilies (I really wanted the clam pizza, but they had just made their last one when I placed my order). The crust was thin and crisp, and each pizza was the perfect size for one. The white pizza came out burnt in spots from their powerful wood-fired brick oven, which was disappointing. I loved the garlic slices on the pizza, but my husband found them to be overpowering and tried to pick them off as best he could. The provolone and onion pizza was delicious, with large caramelized onion slices scattered over the entire pizza, which were a perfect balance with the sharp provolone. Finally the anchovy pizza… I love anchovies, but these anchovies were too strong for the delicate mozzarella and tomato pizza.

What I really love about franny's (besides EVERYTHING... except the anchovies) is their dedication to using locally grown, seasonal ingredients, an incredibly laudable task especially in the NYC area. I’m already hoping to go back soon, even though it is in Brooklyn, and I have a hard time motivating to the boroughs; next time I’ll go earlier in the evening so I can be sure to taste their clam pie, enjoy a Negroni (my new favorite drink of Campari, gin and sweet vermouth) and bask in the love story that created franny’s.