Food and Drink: December 2004 Archives

Spurred by word-of-mouth and NewYorkMetro's latest pizza spotlight, I tried Park Slope's Peperoncino last night with some friends. While the pizza was good--excellent even--I must dispell one myth, Peperoncino is not a pizza restaurant, or at least it doesn't want to be one. We picked up on this cue after being handed four menus but only one pizza menu. Our request for a second pizza menu was met with a raised eyebrow. The regular menu lists lots of yummy sounding Italian pasta and antipasto, but we stuck with pizza.

Of the pizzas sampled, the margherita best showcased the circles of rich di latte cheese and subtly sweet tomato sauce lavished on the pie.  No doubt the beautiful, gigantic wood-burning oven (probably about four times the size of my kitchen) plays a big role in the lightly charred thick crusts and paper-thin undercarriage. Each pizza (one with spicy sausage, one with clams, mussels and calamari, and one with ham, artichoke hearts and olives) had very distinct flavors, a feat considering the artful sparcity of ingredients. Probably one of the best pies of its type I've had in a while, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were breaking an unwritten rule by only ordering pizza.

The cesar salad was an unexpectedly pleasant starter, due to what tasted like a touch of lemon in its light dressing. We also sampled a brushetta topped in a heavy layer of goat cheese, caramelized onions and a smattering of olives, but the onion and olives were overpowered by the cheese. Best to stick with table bread.

Our biggest disappointment was the service.  Though the staff was friendly enough, our experience was peppered with odd occurences. Early in the meal, a bus boy came and rearranged everyone's silverwear, moving two table settings around, removing an extra one and taking away one person's napkin but leaving his silverwear.  When the appetizers arrived, we asked the same bus boy for a napkin, and he looked genuinely confused.  When the bill arrived, we all sat around silently contemplating how four people who ordered four $10-$14 pizzas could have spent $100 (it's BYOB at the moment).  Turns out we had been presented someone else's bill. No apology came with the new bill.  And then our request for two take-home pizza boxes for two separate households was met with another confused look. After much explaining that two pieces go in one box and the extra was to be boxed separately, all arrived in one box.  When we again asked for a second box, a metal tin with a plastic top was returned. Peperoncino is not letting those boxes leave without a fight!

Peperoncino is at 72 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. The phone is (718) 638-4760 and according to a posted sign, a liquor license is close at hand.

Although the only sign of the soon-to-be Thai place is a banner across the old  Josie's Java storefront, the message is clear: The northern end of Carroll Gardens, the old-school, old-timer, heavily Italian end of the neighborhood, is inching towards change. 

I only went into Josie's Java once before it closed, to get a bagel when Le Petit Cafe inexplicably ran out. When I walked in, no one was behind the counter, and an angry old woman from a dark corner asked me what I wanted.  My request for a bagel was not greeted kindly as it meant Josie had to rise from her chair and get it for me.  My lack of exact change also created a stir. However, as I was leaving, I detected a flash of warmth from the neighborhood legend that must account for her business lasting as long as it did.  Still I never went back, and I was saddened when I learned she died in late May of 2004. The New York Times wrote a great posthumous piece on her and her business. Unfortunately, it's only available for purchase on the paper's website.

One must venture out of Brooklyn from time to time, and so a trip to the outer edges of the Meatpacking District was taken, to the new, unfortunately named club Earth NYC.

How rude is it on opening night to purposely hold a line at the door? Happy thoughts were not rushing through my head last night as a trickle of people was slowly granted entrance out of the cold and into the Indian-themed club. Turns out the line had more to do with the ill-placed coat check (in the tiny entrance hallway where  three's a crowd)  than the desire for an artificial line.  The coat snafu became more apparent as we were leaving and those unckecking their coats were clashing with those checking their coats.

Coat check aside, I kind of liked the place.  My feelings warmed substantially once the Indian street meat started circulating. The touches of grease, salt and spice in the chicken lollipops, yogurt chicken, little lamb sausages, puffed potato balls (I have generified the names) made me want to reach for another one of those guava champagne cocktails. The nice ladies delivering said treats and the friendly bartenders buoyed the happy thoughts. You can never judge a crowd by opening night--Michael Musto was there--but my favorite attendee was wearing a Batman T-shirt and a red scarf that at the right angle resembled a cape. My second "favorite" attendees were the two pretty but generic blond girls posing for digital camera shots (their own) for hours. Sadly, my guess is that the crowd will lean towards the latter.

The biggest disappointment? According to the press release, this lounge is all about bringing the classy Bombay nightlife to New York City. The decor--floating candles and flowers, faux candles dotting an entire wall, colorful pillows, dark wood furniture--works the theme with a modern aesthetic, but the music does not. Once the DJs figured out how to turn on the sound, we were treated to touches of boring rock, more boring rock, slightly less boring lounge music, a touch of hip-hop and then more unmemorable lounge tunes  Shouldn't the music at least nod towards the subcontinent? 

You can find Earth at 116 10th Avenue, between 17th and 18th streets (just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Maritime Hotel). Phone is (212) 337-0016.

The folks who own Banania Cafe and LULUc Cafe on Smith Street and Cubana Cafe in Soho have opened a Cubana Cafe in Carroll Gardens. Though the place was totally empty when I poked my head in this afternoon, it was bright and clean, and I got the super friendly  welcome one only receives from new employees in a new restaurant. Beyond the Cuban sandwich, the menu lists pulled pork with yucca, stuffed poblano chile with shrimp and calamari, and the ubiquitous roasted corn topped with chipotle mayo, cheese and chili pepper on a stick ($2). Almost everything's under $10. Perhaps this will give Pacifico a run for its money, and it'll start turning out $5 burritos that can rouse the taste buds. Though I will give Pacifico props for its margaritas, its budget menu leaves much to be desired--as do many of its slightly pricier entrees. For real Latin flavor, Maria's Mexican Bistro in Park Slope is divine.

You can find Cubana Cafe at 272 Smith Street, between Sackett and Degraw. Phone (718) 858-3980. Delivery. Takeout. Cash only.

In other restaurant news, Amy Langfield reported a fire at Zaytoons. I walked by today and saw a sad pile of charred tin pieces sitting outside the restaurant. Loved those pitzas.

Bouillabaisse, the French restaurant previously residing on Atlantic, has moved to "the Columbia Waterfront," which basically means Union Street across the BQE. The new bistro sits two storefronts down from Schnack, home of the perfect little miniburgers, and just a short walk away from House of Pizza and Calzone, home of the deep-fried calzone. While I have yet to eat at this new gem, the restaurant was packed last night at 10pm.  And even though it was hard to feel hunger after three schnackies, a beer and half an order of fries, I thought the place smelled pretty good.

You can find Bouillabaisse at 126 Union, between Columbia and Hicks streets. Phone (718) 855-4405. The website isn't up yet, but the nice letter-pressed business card the hostess gave me lists it as www.bouillabaisse126.com.