Brooklyn
Posted by Carey Jones, November 3, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Editor's note: New York has thousands of restaurants, so why should a few big names get all the attention? In "Neighborhood Favorites," we'll check out some of the excellent eateries on corners near you. Have a Neighborhood Favorite? Shoot us an email or let us know in the comments.
[Photo: Carey Jones]
One could be forgiven, after glancing over the menu at Miriam Restaurant and Wine Bar in Park Slope, for not expecting a memorable meal. Babaganoush and falafel, chicken shawarma and stuffed grape leaves—this Israeli restaurant covers all the usual Mediterranean bases.
But read a bit farther, and the menu gets more interesting. Meatballs in pomegranate sauce; scallops with parsnip chips and grapefruit salad; Mediterranean crispy dough. (What, exactly, is that? Read on.) And even the fresh hummus, babaganoush, and chopped salads are made with far more care and attention to deliciousness than plenty of restaurants of its ilk.
What to order, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Laren Spirer, October 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM
[Photo: Laren Spirer]
If I lived anywhere near Cobble Hill, Henry Public would be my neighborhood bar. Maybe it's because I've always been a big fan of the vibe at Brooklyn Social in Carroll Gardens, and Henry Public was created by the same team. Maybe it's due to the fact that although they are serving carefully crafted cocktails (with Kold-Draft ice, naturally), it's different from the other speakeasy-type establishments that are popping up everywhere. You'd be just as happy at Henry Public sipping a beer or an egg cream (also on the menu) as you sample the high-end pub fare, including grass-fed burgers, oysters, sinfully delicious marrow bones, and a ridiculously tasty turkey leg sandwich on custom Orwasher bread topped with fried shallots.
The atmosphere at Henry Public is hospitable and cozy, and reminiscent of a bygone era. Partner/Bar Director Matt Dawson and his wife Jen Albano were looking to create a saloon that might exist on the same spot a hundred years ago, patronized by the likes of Walt Whitman (who would have chosen the egg cream over a cocktail) or his compatriots. A photo of the Brooklyn Eagle, where Whitman was once an editor, graces the walls of the back room and brass eagles adorn the sconces flanking the fireplace as well as the top of the beer taps. All of the decorative elements were selected by Jen with meticulous detail—from the photos and letters on the walls to the antique books tucked into the bookshelf, to the faucets and signage in the bathroom. Each detail carries you back in time to an earlier, and simpler Brooklyn.
The recipes, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Laren Spirer, October 23, 2009 at 2:30 PM
It sounds a little crazy, but a bar can feel welcoming even when there are no stools.
If you're looking to linger over several rounds, be prepared to stand at Prime Meats, one of the more recent additions to the Frankies' culinary empire (Frankies 17, Frankies Spuntino). The bar has an old-timey feel—plenty of dark wood, the large antique mirror, and a daily punch offering, served from a delicate carved glass punchbowl that decorates the back bar. The cocktail menu echoes the yesteryear ambiance, with a list that includes pre-prohibition classics and variations thereof, as well as new creations from Bar Director Damon Boelte and his team. They'll offer suggestions, and are happy to veer off-menu if you provide a little guidance, but they won't offer you a seat, as the only seats in the house are reserved for diners.
If you get tired of standing, you should definitely stay for dinner (or brunch) and enjoy the German influenced menu, filled with charcuterie galore, housemade pretzels, local cheeses, and, of course, steak. That said, it's worth a visit even if you don't feel like eating. The cocktails alone make Prime Meats worth a visit standing or not—but keep in mind that it's cash only. Our favorite starter is The Good Word, Damon's variation on the classic Last Word cocktail, which calls for gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice.
The recipe, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 21, 2009 at 11:45 AM
[Photos: Brooklynian via Gothamist]
Mice: Cute in cages. Not in cheesecakes.
Junior's didn't fare particularly well in our blind taste-test of the best New York cheesecakes, but it appears they have at least one fan of the rodent persuasion. (We're now just praying this little guy didn't nibble from ours first.) These photos were snapped at their Brooklyn location last week.
Come on, buddy—if you're going to do cheesecakes, at least hit up one of the better New York establishments. But this time, please stick to the trash cans.
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 19, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Beautiful bakery displays can be deceiving; those perfectly crafted confections might not taste as great your eye would have you believe. At One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn, most of them do—but others don't quite cut it. The good is phenomenal, but the bad isn't worth your time. After the jump, the breakdown of what to get, and what to avoid, at One Girl Cookies.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, November 3, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Editor's note: New York has thousands of restaurants, so why should a few big names get all the attention? In "Neighborhood Favorites," we'll check out some of the excellent eateries on corners near you. Have a Neighborhood Favorite? Shoot us an email or let us know in the comments.
[Photo: Carey Jones]
One could be forgiven, after glancing over the menu at Miriam Restaurant and Wine Bar in Park Slope, for not expecting a memorable meal. Babaganoush and falafel, chicken shawarma and stuffed grape leaves—this Israeli restaurant covers all the usual Mediterranean bases.
But read a bit farther, and the menu gets more interesting. Meatballs in pomegranate sauce; scallops with parsnip chips and grapefruit salad; Mediterranean crispy dough. (What, exactly, is that? Read on.) And even the fresh hummus, babaganoush, and chopped salads are made with far more care and attention to deliciousness than plenty of restaurants of its ilk.
What to order, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Laren Spirer, October 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM
[Photo: Laren Spirer]
If I lived anywhere near Cobble Hill, Henry Public would be my neighborhood bar. Maybe it's because I've always been a big fan of the vibe at Brooklyn Social in Carroll Gardens, and Henry Public was created by the same team. Maybe it's due to the fact that although they are serving carefully crafted cocktails (with Kold-Draft ice, naturally), it's different from the other speakeasy-type establishments that are popping up everywhere. You'd be just as happy at Henry Public sipping a beer or an egg cream (also on the menu) as you sample the high-end pub fare, including grass-fed burgers, oysters, sinfully delicious marrow bones, and a ridiculously tasty turkey leg sandwich on custom Orwasher bread topped with fried shallots.
The atmosphere at Henry Public is hospitable and cozy, and reminiscent of a bygone era. Partner/Bar Director Matt Dawson and his wife Jen Albano were looking to create a saloon that might exist on the same spot a hundred years ago, patronized by the likes of Walt Whitman (who would have chosen the egg cream over a cocktail) or his compatriots. A photo of the Brooklyn Eagle, where Whitman was once an editor, graces the walls of the back room and brass eagles adorn the sconces flanking the fireplace as well as the top of the beer taps. All of the decorative elements were selected by Jen with meticulous detail—from the photos and letters on the walls to the antique books tucked into the bookshelf, to the faucets and signage in the bathroom. Each detail carries you back in time to an earlier, and simpler Brooklyn.
The recipes, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Laren Spirer, October 23, 2009 at 2:30 PM
It sounds a little crazy, but a bar can feel welcoming even when there are no stools.
If you're looking to linger over several rounds, be prepared to stand at Prime Meats, one of the more recent additions to the Frankies' culinary empire (Frankies 17, Frankies Spuntino). The bar has an old-timey feel—plenty of dark wood, the large antique mirror, and a daily punch offering, served from a delicate carved glass punchbowl that decorates the back bar. The cocktail menu echoes the yesteryear ambiance, with a list that includes pre-prohibition classics and variations thereof, as well as new creations from Bar Director Damon Boelte and his team. They'll offer suggestions, and are happy to veer off-menu if you provide a little guidance, but they won't offer you a seat, as the only seats in the house are reserved for diners.
If you get tired of standing, you should definitely stay for dinner (or brunch) and enjoy the German influenced menu, filled with charcuterie galore, housemade pretzels, local cheeses, and, of course, steak. That said, it's worth a visit even if you don't feel like eating. The cocktails alone make Prime Meats worth a visit standing or not—but keep in mind that it's cash only. Our favorite starter is The Good Word, Damon's variation on the classic Last Word cocktail, which calls for gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice.
The recipe, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 21, 2009 at 11:45 AM
[Photos: Brooklynian via Gothamist]
Mice: Cute in cages. Not in cheesecakes.
Junior's didn't fare particularly well in our blind taste-test of the best New York cheesecakes, but it appears they have at least one fan of the rodent persuasion. (We're now just praying this little guy didn't nibble from ours first.) These photos were snapped at their Brooklyn location last week.
Come on, buddy—if you're going to do cheesecakes, at least hit up one of the better New York establishments. But this time, please stick to the trash cans.
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, October 19, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Beautiful bakery displays can be deceiving; those perfectly crafted confections might not taste as great your eye would have you believe. At One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn, most of them do—but others don't quite cut it. The good is phenomenal, but the bad isn't worth your time. After the jump, the breakdown of what to get, and what to avoid, at One Girl Cookies.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 19, 2009 at 10:00 AM
[Photos: Robyn Lee]
Our Top Five
- The Winner: Two Little Red Hens
- Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe
- Lady M Cake Boutique
- Cheesecake Factory
- Fairway Market
In the pantheon of iconic New York foods, not much outranks the proud cheesecake. Whether after dinner at Luger's, by the round at Eileen's, or shipped across the country by Junior's, New York cheesecakes are a force to be reckoned with. The cheesecake is a dessert that's perfect in its simplicity. A silky, creamy base, an optional thin crust—and that's it.
What makes a first-class cheesecake? It's smooth and creamy, just sweet enough, with a hint of tartness. If there's a crust, it adds something extra without overwhelming the taste of the cheesecake itself. And it's rich enough to seem a bit decadent, without going down like a cement pour. You should want to keep eating—at least, for more than one bite.
So we canvassed the boroughs for New York's best cheesecake, arrived at our finalists, and assembled our panel of crack tasters. All cakes were tasted blind, brought to the same temperature, in similar-size slices. We even scuffed up the edges of the more cosmetically privileged. And we had our tasters start with different samples, to cancel out the effects of palate fatigue—a real concern, after 14 cheesecakes. As it turns out, the first bite wasn't always the best bite.
(For the purposes of fair comparison, we went only with bakery cheesecakes, rather than restaurant ones. We also excluded all flavored and ricotta-based cheesecakes—stay tuned for later taste-tests.)
So after countless miles traveled, bites considered, and calories consumed, we've arrived at our winners. Our favorites, our surprise showings, and the best cheesecake in New York—after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 16, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Photo: NY Daily News
Only for those whose hearts are strong enough for... er, soup. El Rey, a chain of three restaurants in Brooklyn, is serving a dish they dub Viagra Soup, with fish, lobster, crabs, clams... and, the secret ingredient, half a shot of tequila.
And does it work? "I feel a little exhilarated," Angelo Coleman told the NYDN. Well, at $32 per bowl, it better leave you with a little something.
Posted by Carey Jones, October 16, 2009 at 12:30 PM
So much for fall. In New York, it feels like we've gone from shorts to winter coats in just a few days. But fortunately, there are plenty of rainy-day eats to warm you up. Ten of our favorite comfort foods, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 14, 2009 at 3:00 PM
[Photo: Nick Solares]
Over at Chowhound, user Hanky T puts together a Top 10 list of Brooklyn sandwiches, and it's a pretty comprehensive one:
- Panelle Special at Ferdinando's Focacceria
- Grilled Pork Banh Mi at Ba Xuyen
- DeFonte's Roast Beef, Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella, Gravy, S&P on a seeded hero
- Torta from Pueblo Market
- Chicken Cutlet Hero from Catene Italian Deli
- Hero from Lioni's in Bensonhurst
- Cubano from Cibao on Smith
- Falafel (from a place once called The Fountain)
- [Roll-N-Roaster's] Roast Beef (as long as you put onions, gravy, salt and pepper on it)
- Spicy Beef Patty inside coco bread from Christie's
We'd add the roast beef and mozzarella sandwich from Pollio in Park Slope. What are your favorite Brooklyn sandwiches? [via Brownstoner]
Posted by Joe DiStefano, October 8, 2009 at 3:00 PM
[Photographs: Joe DiStefano]
To say I love football is as far from the truth as saying I hate regional Chinese food. Nevertheless, I joined some 300 or so folks last Sunday to watch the pigskin being tossed around at an event billed as Fatty Sunday: A Zak Pelaccio Lunchtime Feast. The elevator ride up was redolent of smoke and evoked an immediate Pavlovian reaction.
When I greeted Pitmaster Robbie Richter, he excitedly told me, "Freeman McNeil was here earlier." "Freeman who?," I thought as he patiently briefed me on the former Jets running back. My eye glazed over: I was there to preview the food from Pelaccio and Richter's Fatty 'Cue, and could care less about the game. Truth be told, it was hard to tell who was a football fan and who was a Fatty fan, but I know which camp I was in. I couldn't wait to sample the fare from the soon to open Williamsburg spot that owes as much to Southeast Asia as it does to Southern barbecue.
Continue reading »
Posted by Ed Levine, October 6, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Photographs: Robyn Lee
Char No. 4
196 Smith Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (b/n Baltic and Warren; map); 718-643-2106; charno4.com
Service: Relaxed but attentive
Setting: Minimally decorated bar and narrow dining room with booths, with a pleasant "garden" in the back
Compare It To: Brooklyn Star, Fette Sau
Must-Haves: Lamb pastrami, house-cured BLT, brisket sandwich
Cost: $20-$25 for lunch, including food, beverage (unless you're drinking hard stuff at lunch), tax, and tip
Grade: B+
Here's how Char No. 4 describes itself: "Char No. 4 is a whiskey bar and restaurant inspired by a passion for bourbon. It features over 150 American whiskeys and serves a menu of American fare with a Southern influence. The American whiskeys are augmented by an extensive list of whiskeys from Europe and beyond as well as a selection of all-bourbon cocktails."
Hmm: "Passion for bourbon." "150 American whiskeys." "All-bourbon cocktails."
I don't drink whiskey or bourbon, no matter what its provenance (yes, I'm a wuss who drinks so little my wife calls me a Mormon). So even though I've always been intrigued by the sound of the bacon and barbecue-centric American southern fare, I've managed to stay away from Char No. 4. Then I found out that the restaurant has started serving lunch, on Fridays only, during the week. That Friday gave me just the opening the Serious Eaters needed to descend on Char No. 4 one particularly lovely fall afternoon.
It's hard to miss the whiskeys. They're lined up ever so carefully on a pretty backlit bar located in the front of the restaurant. We walked past the handsome wooden booths to eat in the small fenced-in outdoor seating area, in what would be the garden if there were any grass or plants to be found.
Char No. 4 is not exactly a barbecue restaurant or joint, but chef Matt Greco brings some legit barbecue bona fides as well as serious classic cooking technique cred to its kitchen. He grew up in Texas, smoking meat side by side with his dad; at the restaurant he uses only white oak, the same wood used in bourbon caskets, in his Backwoods Smoker made in Louisiana. When he was eighteen, he and his dad built a smoker together. (That's my kind of father-son bonding experience.) Add that to his CIA training and his years spent with Andrew Carmellini and Gray Kunz and you get Char No. 4's genuinely barbecue and pork-centric menu, infused with plenty of chef skills and know-how, that is not wed to traditional barbecue and bacon orthodoxy.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, October 6, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Or, 'Ed Levine's Existential Bagel Crisis'
[Photographs: Robyn Lee and Carey Jones]
The Heisen-Bagel Uncertainty Principle
n. The principle of bagels that holds the following: The act of transporting a bagel to a second location produces fundamental uncertainties in its inherent qualities, such that determining a true "best bagel," in a head-to-head face-off, becomes impossible.
It's a question asked so often that it's astounding that we've never attempted an answer.
Who makes the best bagel in New York?
There are a few clear contenders. In the past, Ed has leaned toward the Upper West Side's Absolute Bagels; his exhaustive 2003 bagel hunt for the New York Times also saluted Bagel Oasis and Hot Bialys in Queens, Terrace Bagels in Windsor Terrace, and Manhattan stalwart Murray's.
And then there are Ess-A-Bagel and H&H, and neighborhood favorites like Bagel Hole and Brooklyn Bagel—all of whom have their fanatical defenders.
So we organized a simple taste-test. Serious eaters would fan out over the three most bagel-happy boroughs and hurry back to World Headquarters with their piping hot loot, as fast as their feet, bikes, buses, trains, subways, or Zipcars could carry them. We'd cut them all up; we'd do a blind tasting; we'd ponder their merits and crown a winner. Simple, right?
But it wasn't that easy.
Ed, hard at work.
The problem became clear as we chomped our way through Round One, pens at the ready, taking bite after bite. None of the bagels were more than two hours old. All of them had been hand-delivered that morning. But chewing through so many mouthfuls of plain bagels, we all felt the same uneasy feeling descending upon us. Ed broke the silence.
"They all taste the same."
Well... not quite the same.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kathy YL Chan, September 30, 2009 at 12:45 PM
[Photos: Kathy Chan]
Saltie. Out in Williamsburg. The restaurant seats eight, with six stool seats lining the left brick wall, and two facing onto Metropolitan Avenue. The atmosphere: sunny, sparse, and cheerful. It's a neighborhood go-to in the making. The whole menu is available from open to close, whether it be museli with yogurt and apples, milkshakes, a Israeli meatball sandwich, a macrobiotic sandwich featuring wheatberries and miso—or a slice of cake.
But first, you need something to drink. Iced mint tea? Hot coffee? Plum lassi? Or an agua fresca ($3)? I went with the latter, as the fruit of the day was cantaloupe. Blended on the spot, the agua fresca came frothy, over ice with sprigs of mint. Easily one of the best in town.
Sandwiches, salads, and sweets, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, September 23, 2009 at 2:00 PM
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
After stuffing ourselves with burgers and fried chicken, my friend and I ended our dinner at Walter Foods in Williamsburg with their peach cobbler ($6), a bowl of warm sliced peaches topped with a layer of crisp and tender crust nuggets, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a dusting of confectioners sugar. I ordered it upon the waiter's suggestion since I couldn't make up my mind, but this made me realize I ought to incorporate more cobblers into my life. Now the combination of soft, sweet peaches with buttery pastry and cool ice cream is something I crave.
Walter Foods
253 Grand Street, Brooklyn NY 11211 (b/n Roebling and Driggs; map)
718-387-8783
walterfoods.com
Posted by Carey Jones, September 22, 2009 at 10:45 AM
[Photograph: Word in Mouth]
Add this to our list of Brooklyn breakfast pizzas: the bacon, sausage, and egg pizza at Toby's Public House. Peter Cherches at Word in Mouth writes:
"I wondered how the bacon and eggs would figure in the pizza. Would it be topped with cooked eggs and bacon? No, it appears that everything was baked together... I'm guessing that beaten eggs were poured directly on the crust after the cheese, dotting the pie, giving the eggs a fluffy consistency reminiscent of a baked frittata. All in all, it was a fabulous combination. "
Related
Toby's Public House, a Familiar Pizza in New, Laid-Back Surroundings
Nutella Ricotta Calzone at Toby's Public House
Posted by Carey Jones, September 21, 2009 at 10:00 AM
The indecisive sweet tooth will have a hard time at Trois Pommes Patisserie, the small Park Slope bakery whose displays gleam with croissants and cookies, cakes and pies, and so much more. And though I'd rarely opt for a muffin at a patisserie, I'm glad I was steered towards this French breakfast muffin ($2.25). Like a cake doughnut, in muffin form, it had a firm outside crunch and a dry, but somehow appealing, crumb, with a generous sugar coating and elusive whiffs of cinnamon and nutmeg. With a Stumptown cappuccino alongside, it's the perfect start to a day.
Trois Pommes Patisserie
260 5th Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11215 (map)
718-230-3119
troispommespatisserie.com
Posted by Carey Jones, September 19, 2009 at 3:30 PM
While by any measure, Bark in Park Slope has had a wildly successful opening, a sad piece of news has gone unreported: Once open bright and early seven days a week, Bark now only serves breakfast on weekends, from 9am-1pm.
Why does this matter? Because Bark's breakfast menu is dominated by their incredible egg sandwiches, like the sausage, egg, and cheese above. Breakfast sandwiches don't get much better than this.
All about the nostalgia, Bark's kitchen starts each one with a McMuffin-style patty—except, made fresh from Feather Ridge Farm eggs, these fluffy discs taste of egg rather than rubber. On a butter-griddled Bay's English muffin, with indecently juicy, subtly spiced sausage, it's essentially a perfect sandwich. Do you need cheese with that ($5.50 with, $4.50 without). Not exactly, but it's hard to say no to the tangy drip of melted Grafton cheddar.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, September 17, 2009 at 11:00 AM
[Photographs: Robyn Lee]
When Rhonda Kave (better known as Roni-Sue) drops by the Serious Eats office with a bag of sweets, we jump to attention like dogs before a dripping raw steak. And the queen of bacon chocolate would never lead us astray. Thanks to her, we're now card-carrying fans of Liddabit Sweets.
Two French Culinary Institute grads, Liz Gutman (an assistant chocolateer at Roni-Sue’s Chocolates) and Jen King (who's worked under the pastry chef at Per Se) launched Liddabit Sweets with this line of wacky confections, currently sold every Saturday at the Brooklyn Flea.
These ain't your trick-or-treater's candy bars. There's clearly a pastry chef at work behind chocolate bars like The King, a crumbly brown-butter cookie topped with peanut butter nougat and chocolate, or the S'more, a dark graham cracker with marshmallow and a smoked souchong tea ganache.
But the greatest discovery had to be the Beer and Pretzel Caramels—an elusive whiff of beer only deepening the smoky toffee taste, saved from the brink of richness by the salty pretzel crunch. "It's like an adult version of a childhood thing," Ed Levine proclaimed. "That's fucking good. And I don't even like beer."
The bacon explosion—and the one night you can taste it all, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, September 16, 2009 at 2:30 PM
"Pastry chef and co-owner Nicholas Morgenstern really knows how to make a dessert—and make you want to eat it even when on the verge of popping."
[Photographs: Erin Zimmer]
General Greene
229 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11205 (near Clemont Avenue; map); 718-222-1510; thegeneralgreene.com
Service: Attentive, friendly
Setting: Homespun mom-and-poppy vibe with a tinge of barnyard
Compare It To: Char No. 4, Prime Meats, Buttermilk Channel
Must-Haves:Deviled eggs, 8-ounce grilled steak, salt and pepper ribs, salted caramel sundae, chocolate-chip cookies
Cost: $7 to $16 for sharable plates
Grade: B
General Greene is definitely listed in the mythical How To Open A Brooklyn Restaurant: 2008-2009 Edition that Carey described recently in her review of Rye in Williamsburg. Beer served in Mason jars? Check. Local, seasonal, and fatty foods? Check. Somewhere between a barnyard and Prohibition vibe? Mm-hmm.
But at this Brooklyn restaurant, the food, courtesy of recently installed chef Julie Farias, comes exclusively on small plates. Fatty cuisine in tapas form sounds intriguing—or maybe just sad. (Wait, where's the spilling-over platter of ribs?) The menu divides the dishes into “Cold” and “Hot” categories, in addition to bar snacks that include deviled eggs and a radish tower with anchovies. Yelpers seem extremely mixed on General Greene, ranging from "really tasty" to "huge disappointment!!" Whoa, two exclamation points? We had to check this out.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carey Jones, September 11, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Midway in my journey home from work, I found myself eating fried chicken in Williamsburg, the straight way lost. To tell about that meal is hard—so tangled and rough—the very thought of it renews my fear.
—Dante, loosely paraphrased.
So it's around nine o'clock on a weeknight, and you're a twenty-something in South Williamsburg, already several whiskeys into your evening. Suddenly aware that your Jack Daniels is splashing on an empty stomach—hey, you didn't get around to eating anything in your four hours of wakefulness, unless a warm PBR counts—you start looking for somewhere nearby, for fried chicken and mac-and-cheese, with no wait and no frills. Nothing as culinarily ambitious as Brooklyn Star; nothing as crowded as Egg; nothing as pricey as Walter Foods. The food doesn't have to come in a hurry—you've got nothing else to do tonight. They can seat your whole party of seven. Oh, and the bottle of Jack, the one you've already opened, has to come along for the ride, too.
If that's your situation, then I can wholeheartedly recommend Dante's, a cavernous, Southern-ish restaurant on Hope Street, just south of Metropolitan Avenue.
If that's not your situation—well, venture into the fires of Dante's at your own risk. It's hardly the Inferno. But a journey through the menu brings its own epic sense of peril and adventure.
Continue reading »
