Food and Drink: March 2007 Archives

One of the best things about spring is the crop of new restaurants that pop up. First, an update on one we've waiting for awhile: Time Out says Italian restaturant Po is set to open next week and that it'll have the same $50 six-course prix fixe. Further west, Chowhounders have word on a new Cuban place, the rather lamely titled Mucho Gusto, over on Columbia by the BQE entrance (exact address anyone?). Finally, those same folks seem to be buzzing over the three-month old Brooklyn Heights spot, Petite Marche, though admittedly, that neighborhood's lack of great, enduring restaurants tends to stir up a whole lot of extra optimism.

Brooklyn Record already posted about the Carroll Gardens CSA and asked other Brooklynites what their experience with Garden of Eve farm had been. According to the Just Food website, that same farm services CSAs in Brooklyn Heights, Kensington/Windsor Terrace and Williamsburg. No one on Brooklyn Record really addressed whether or not they thought the veggie and fruit shares were good. I did find one naysayer blog, WilliamsburgCSA, but oddly that blog also promotes this year's CSA from the farm, so I guess they got over the bad delivery. Does anyone have any info to provide?

Last year we did the Cobble Hill CSA, which we found to be moderate in bounty but overachieving in freshness. Added bonus: A guy comes by the church drop-off every week and sells farm-fresh eggs and meat. Previously, we spent two years with the West Village CSA, which was organized by some of the nicest people in New York, and while the food was slightly less fresh feeling, the bounty was overwhelming, even for three big eaters.

If anyone reading is on the fence about signing up for a CSA, I highly recommend reading the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen. It's one of the most competent, compelling cognitive arguments for supporting CSAs and local farmers markets out there. I will add this: One of the most compelling gut-level arguments for supporting CSAs and local farmers markets is how amazing the food tastes and how good you feel about supporting a local farmer instead of an industrial cog in our current petroleum-fueled food chain.

ABrooklynLife doesn't get invited to many pre-opening parties (although we do like them!), but the kind folks over at new Japanese tapas and sushi spot Hibino extended the invitation for their Friday night pre-party. We didn't get a full taste of the menu, but what we did try made us want to come back for more.

Before I talk about the food, however, I want to warn you that the rapid intake of a lovely sake, Muroka Namagenshu, may have left my memory just a wee bit fuzzy. I also learned something about unfiltered sake. Since I normally order unfiltered nigori sake, which is milky, I had assumed that all unfiltered sake is milky. Not so, and this unprocessed sake had the crispness and clarity of a deeply flavored champagne, without the bubbles.

So, to the food. Do keep in mind that none of the dishes that were laid out were labeled, so I'm doing my best to match taste with menu description (it seems like such a simple task, doesn't it?). I say this mainly because one of my favorite dishes, which I'll describe as deep-fried rice balls stuffed with eel, isn't on the current menu. What we tried: braised beef; broiled salmon; fresh-made tofu, served cold; barely cooked asparagus in sauce; and several type of nigiri. If you've never had it before, the fresh-made tofu should top your list: light and creamy, it's totally unlike tofu you find at the grocery store or in most restaurants. And above all, the hospitality was first-rate. I've been to many pre-opening tastings for my day job, and the genuine care and love the owner and employees have for their restaurant is obvious. I wish them the best and plan to be back. Official opening is Monday.

Scene: Lucali's, on a balmy Friday night in March
Time: 9:12pm
Outside: A couple lingering
Inside: A mostly full pizzeria, with two empty two-tops. Wooden tables, the scent of pizza smoke
Pizza lover 1: Hi. How long for a table for two.
Hostess: Oh, I don't know. We're, well, we're doing our last seating now.
Pizza lover 1: Well if it's a matter of space, we could wait and take it to go.
Hostess: Let me check with the chef.
<time elapse>
Hostess: Yeah. We still have people to seat, and we're running out of dough.
Pizza lover 1: Sighs, as she walks to Vinny's for a slice.

This week's installment brings more than just the week's top five F train picks. An ode to Bonnie's Grill in Park Slope (Best Chicken Wings Ever?) in very bad haiku form:

Meaty, juicy, hot
greaseless with a crunch
falling off the bone

And below, this week's Subway Reads:

Winter Solstice
by Rosamunde Pilcher

The History of Islam
by Akbar Shah Najeebabadi

The Echo Maker: A Novel
by Richard Powers

The Other Daughter
by Lisa Gardner

The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold

It's not often that I go to Williamsburg for a nice dinner out, but the newish Japanese tapas place on North Sixth caught my fancy. So, Saturday night our group set out for the Zenkichi experience. And it is an experience. There's a rope guarding the dining room (very Decibel-like), and without a reservation it seemed like even groups of two were having to wait an hour. With a reservation, you're led to either the second or third floors, where a wooden booth awaits, semi-separated from other booths by wooden slats and  bamboo curtains. The darkness, the wall mirrors, the bamboo between floors, the river stones--it's not often one feels truly removed from the city in a New York restaurant, and it's even less often that one can summon the waitstaff with a tabletop call button. 

Being a group of four and feeling a bit like high rollers (we're not), we ordered two tasting menus at $88 per couple. We started with the anago and cream cheese tempura, which I'd recommend in a heartbeat--who doesn't like deep fried cream cheese?--although the taste of the eel was lost in the mix. Other favorites included the black cod, just as sweet and tender as any I've had at other of New York's famous Japanese spots. The tuna carpaccio, however, stole the show, its light dressing of sesame oil and soy sauce bringing out the fish's superb flavor. The pork belly provided the night's only disappointment, its meat having been overcooked, which made the fatty cut seem even more so. I'd be amiss not to mention the tofu delights, both sweet and savory. The sweet side meaning the cheesecake pictured above, served with a grapefruit gelee. The restaurant is worth a splurge, but you wouldn't have to break the bank to eat here. Two could happily spend $40-$50 before sake and be satiated.

Zenkichi is at 77 N 6th St. Phone (718) 388-8985.

Check out more blog reviews: NYC Crumbs, Urban Sake.

While at Naidre's picking up my bacon, egg and cheese breakfast croissant this morning, I saw a flyer for a benefit tonight (3/4/07) at 6 p.m. at Lido Bar. I'm not at Naidre's enough to know the employees, but one of them, Emily, was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, and tonight's benefit goes to help her pay medical bills and expenses. There's free food and live music starting at 8pm with Mollie King, Jessica Rose, Sandy Cleary and DJ Johnny Pal. There's also an art auction with photographs, prints and original pieces by Emily's friends. $10 suggested donation at the door.

Another episode of Dine in Brooklyn, brought to you by Marty and friends, where all participating restaurants offer three courses for just $21.12. Please hop back to our posts for reader comments from Dine in Brooklyn, March 2006 edition. My top 10 for this year (L=lunch, D=dinner):

Applewood, 501 11th Street, (718) 768-2044, D
Blue Ribbon, 280 5th Ave, (718) 840-0404, D
Bocca Lupo, 391 Henry Street, (718) 243-2522, L/D
Bouillabaise 126 Union Street, (718) 855-4405, L/D
Brooklyn Fish Camp, 162 5th Ave, (718) 783-3264, L/D
Chestnut, 271 Smith Street, (718) 243-0049, D
Crave, 570 Henry Street, (718) 643-0361, D
Lunetta, 116 Smith Street, (718) 488-6269, D
River Cafe, 1 Water Street, (718) 522-5200, L
Stone Park Cafe, 324 5th Ave, (718) 369-0082, L

And for the two people for $21.12 deal:
Chip Shop,  383 5th Avenue, (718) 832-7701, or 129 Atlantic, (718) 855-7775, L/D
Smoke Joint, 87 S Elliot Place, (718) 797-1011, L/D
Zip1 Zape,  152 Metropolitan Avenue, (718) 599-3027, D

See the complete list of restaurants at the Brooklyn Tourism's website. You can check out photos of some sample dishes over at Brooklyn Record. And please leave your experiences at past Dine in Brooklyn restaurants below.

Update: For Dine in Brooklyn, Zagat has made all of its ratings and reviews free for participating Brooklyn restaurants.

ABrooklynLife loves to love on P.J. Hanleys. And it appears that the Carroll Gardens neighborhood pub is taking a siesta while work is done. Where are the neighborhood regulars to fill us in on all the gory details?