Kara's Profile
- Kara
- 2001
- 2004
- Brooklyn
- Carroll Gardens
- Rental
- writer and cookbook author
- Female
- 29
Author's Posts
October 15, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Moutarde
"Parisian bistro chic meets countryside kitsch in the buttery-walled bar and dining room, decked with signature ceramic mustard and spice jars," says Citysearch's Kat Kinsman. "The mustard theme is handled cleverly. At the beginning of the meal, a waiter places a ceramic artist's palette on the table with four big blobs of flavored mustards where the paint should be. Throughout the menu, mustard keeps turning up. It's in the vinaigrette on the salad, and it reappears, disguised, in a parfait of salmon and tuna tartare with caviar, crème fraîchee and mustard oil," wrote William Grimes in a 2003 New York Times review.
Chowhound Bob Martinez reports on the Moutarde menu: "Some things are just adequate but the steak frites and endive salad is first rate. Get the sirloin, not the hanger steak. At $18 it appears to be a bargain but the portion is woefully small. In contrast the sirloin at $22 is nicely sized and a real value." The Clinton Hill Gastronome, however, isn't a Moutarde fan: "It's not terrible, but as I like to say about many restaurants in the area, it's passably mediocre. Occasionally, the kitchen has its shit together and you get a decent meal, but more often than not, it's a combination of lax service and underwhelming food." What's your take on this place?
Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
Going Nuts on Smith Street
163 Smith Street, Boerum Hill
In the old Brooklyn Camo space on Smith between Wyckoff and Bergen, the Nutbox has opened up shop. They're selling not only nuts, but also trail mixes, spices, grains, lentils, cereal, coffee, and gelato. When we stopped by, an employee told us that they'll be showing morning cartoons on the store's flat-screen TV so kids can tune in while their parents shop. They owners seem well-intentioned — and we really like what they've done with the space — but are they nuts to think that this business will survive on Smith Street?
Two Reviews for No. 7
7 Greene Avenue, Fort Greene; (718) 522-6372
The New Yorker says: "The chef, Tyler Kord, who most recently cooked at Perry St., has referred to his kitchen style as 'casual badass.' That, presumably, means complicated dishes executed with an effortless air. It works." And the New York Times recommends the appetizer of “fried broccoli, dill, grapefruit, black beans,” which costs $7: "Do these ingredients belong on the same plate? They do. The broccoli is fried tempura-style, then set to rest on an inky hummus of black beans. This earthy pairing gets a refreshing lift from the glossy grapefruit shards in a small frisée salad."
After the jump: A rave review for Char No. 4, a new restaurant for Fort Greene, a day trip to Red Hook, new pizza in Williamsburg, and Brooklyn's 4th annual casserole competition...
October 14, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Defonte's
"The substantial specimens at this old-school sandwich shop are known as heros, and they’re served longshoreman style, in outsize, time-tested combos like potato-and-egg, meatball, and roast-beef-mozzarella-and-fried-eggplant," says New York magazine. "This sandwich comes in two sizes — 1/3 and 1/2. I went with 1/2... which begged the question '1/2 of what?' It was pretty much a whole in just about any category and actually took me about 3 hours of on and off eating to fully consume," says food blog Jam It Down Your Throat.
Chowhound hhhippo raves: "Great roast beef. Also great roast pork. The fried eggplant is great. You can ask them to add it to any sandwich I think. Also recommend Nicky's Special. Many different types of cured meat, provolone, fried eggplant, crunchy spicy pickled vegetables." Blogger Artichoke Heart, who opted for the Valentino Special, a combination of eggplant, provolone, and peppers, adds: "As I bit into my monster hero, I immediately noticed that this was no generic, mealy roll. The crust was appropriately sturdy and crunchy, the interior soft and chewy. The fried eggplant and cheese provided the hefty 'meat' of my sandwich, while the peppers in tomato sauce added a slightly spicy crunch." How would you rate this Red Hook institution?
October 13, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Chestnut
"As you step inside, a little bar, practically glowing like a crackling fire, welcomes you like an old friend," wrote Eric Asimov for the New York Times back in 2004. Now, this Michelin-starred spot has expanded into the space next door to open a slightly larger bar. (Take a peek inside after the jump).
Food remains the focus in the restaurant space. New York magazine's David S. Hirschman writes: "Seasonal menus are prepared with a minimalist bent, without much garnish or fuss, and include Old-World-informed savory small plates, like salt cod brandade with crostini, and substantial main courses, like hangar steak, pork chops, and skate meuniere, each plated with a well-thought-out medley of sides." And Time Out New York adds, "Moist roasted chicken, scattered with wild mushrooms and strips of lemon peel, has a perfect partner in cushiony polenta, and meaty duck matches deliciously with earthy baked beans and bitter braised celery root."
To get more bang for your buck, Chesnut's prix fixe special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays includes 3 courses from the regular menu for $30. What are your thoughts on this place?
Book Court Expands
Book Court, the cozy but often cramped shop at 163 Court Street, has closed off their basement and opened up a huge, skylit back room. (Some of the construction that went into the expansion has been documented on their website.) The store is a bit disorganized at the moment, but when the renovations are complete, the shop will have a few new features, including a "small cafe & bar with an accompanying outdoor garden," a "dedicated events space for readings & performances," and "triple the amount of children’s books." Get a better look at the new room after the jump...
October 10, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Le Petit Cafe
"It looks like a cute cafe from the front and then it opens to a wonderland of fantastically gaudy fountains, plants, stonework, paintings and the largest most deathly looking candelabra I've ever seen," writes Carol T., who gave Le Petit Cafe a 5-star review on Yelp. And Chowhound Puppimus describes the botanical back room as "magical and fabulous." But if you've got kids, you may want to snag a table up front — Metromix says that "children will sit mesmerized at the choo-choo train snaking through the indoor dining room."
According to New York magazine's Lauren Aaronson, the food isn't bad, either: "Next to the pastries and espressos you'll find fresh salads, standard breakfast dishes, healthful smoothies and juices, soups, wraps, burgers, and, most prominently, seventeen different kinds of panini. The panini, made with thick slices of ciabatta bread, hold mostly traditional Italian fillings, like prosciutto, mozzarella, and tomato, or sopresseta, artichoke, and mayonnaise."
And Gowanus Lounge recently reported that the place is expanding: "They’re taking over George’s Pot Pourri once he moves his store further down Court, towards 9th. The guys at Le Petit (Tommy and Jose) will likely take their time and do the space themselves with possibly an expanded kitchen." What do you think about this place?
October 9, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Chez Oskar
"Chez Oskar, one of the older establishments in Fort Greene, is a good place to stop by for a casual bite, though the food isn't always consistent," writes Marcel Reynolds for New York magazine. "The menu is steeped in Bistro Basics 101, with lunch options like mussels in white wine... Dinner highlights the restaurant's French pedigree with options like escargot, nicoise salad, and traditional burgers and steak," says Citysearch's Liz Zack.
The New York Times adds, "This pretty bistro in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, is overflowing with romantic allure, but the cooking is barely competent, and even standards like roast chicken and grilled fish are disappointing." But Brooklyn blogger ultraclay writes: "I've been going to Chez Oskar for years. The service is lacking more often than not, but I keep going back for 2 reasons: the fact that they don't care if you linger for hours and the Spicy Lamb Burger. It's always great. juicy, piquant and perfectly complemented by a thick pat of goat cheese." What's your take on this place?
October 8, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Los Pollitos II
"The original Los Pollitos is a takeout joint in Sunset Park; this Slope spin-off presents an expanded but similarly inexpensive menu in slightly more decorous surroundings," writes Steven Stern for Citysearch. "Businesspeople picking up a rotisserie chicken to take home, couples sipping margaritas at outdoor tables, a group of six celebrating in the white-tableclothed dining room—all seem happy here," says Time Out New York.
"The tortilla soup has a nice kick, and the Super Nachos live up to their name with tender pork or beef and heaping dollops of guacamole and sour cream. Seafood dishes don’t fare quite as well: Grilled calamari with chipotle can sometimes be tough, and the salmon al limon is at times both bitter and bland," says New York magazine's T Sahara Meer.
Chowhound amysep suggests, "Try the sopes - cheap, plentiful and delicious. Also the tostones with the creamy garlic sauce on the side. A winner every time." But fellow 'Hound brooklyncook says that "the delivery/pickup procedure sucks... I do still enjoy this place tremendously for their food, but the service is bringing me down, and I'm ordering less and less from there." What do you think about Los Pollitos II?
Brownstoner Food & Drink Round-Up
Beer Table: Now Serving the Most Expensive Brunch in Brooklyn
427 B 7th Avenue (between 14th and 15th Streets), Park Slope
"On weekends they've just started serving a $23 brunch menu inspired by the mid-morning Bavarian meal of weisswurst (white sausage), a pretzel, and weissbier (white beer). Weisswurst is fresh sausage made from veal, pork, cardamom, and other spices, then boiled and served in its cooking water... They're served with two extra-crispy Belgian style waffles piled high with greenmarket fruits, a spoonful of some of the best butter I've ever tasted--it's from Evans Farmhouse Creamery in Norwich, NY--and a 500 ml glass of Schneider Weisse." [BA Foodist]
Newish in East Flatbush: Jerk-a-Rama
704 Rogers Avenue (near Lenox Road); (718) 284-4100
"Jerk chicken at the newish Jerk-a-Rama is deeply smoky and cooked 'damn near perfectly,' wleatherette reports. Spicing could be stronger and the hot sauce is too sweet, she adds, but this place is a keeper, 'a solid B/B+.'" [CHOW's Outer Borough Digest]
Two Newbies on Atlantic
Slice reports that a new brick oven pizza place, La Pizzetta, has opened at 145 Atlantic between Clinton and Henry (in the old Bouillabaisse/Soju/Dragon Lounge/Buck's spot). Chowhound EJC says that a barbecue place called Dallas Jones "is moving into the Old Red Pepper takeout Chinese space next to Magnetic Field (RIP)... One more new restaurant to note — on Henry St, just south of Atlantic, the old TV Repair shop has a building permit in the window for a restaurant and bar. Any ideas what that is?"
After the jump: The New Yorker visits James, another one bites the dust in Park Slope, Time Out offers dates with chefs, bakers, and barkeeps, and Hope & Anchor gets a TV spot...
October 7, 2008
Restaurant of the Day: Geido
What draws so many regular customers to this neighborhood Japanese joint is its affordable sushi and it's welcoming spirit: "Maybe it's the wonderfully friendly waitresses that welcome you and bid you goodnight one by one or the graffiti and marker covered walls showing the history of the place," says AlwaysEating.
"The most coveted seats in the house are at the sushi bar, where diners can view the handiwork of owner Osamu Koyama, who assembles his pieces and rolls with quick fluidity and dramatic flourish. Though the day's catches are rarely unusual, Koyama’s success lies in his assuredly fresh fish, served in large portions at reasonable rates (think Blue Ribbon quality at 'blue plate' prices)," says New York magazine's T Sahara Meer.
But Chowhound lambretta76 doesn't go to Geido for the sushi menu: "I enjoy Geido for soups, okonomiyaki (but get the sauce on the side), katsu, and things of that nature, but rarely order sushi from them anymore. It's not bad, it's just not as good as I can get elsewhere." What's your take?
Author's Comments
I've been frequenting the Smith Street location for about 7 years now -- and of all the restaurants on Smith Street, this is the one where I feel the most at home. I love their fluffy pita bread, their hummus, their moujadarra (rice and lentil salad), their falafel, their Turkish salad, and their BYOB policy. And if you want a cheap lunch, it's hard to beat the Zaytoons Veggie Sandwich (hummus, babghanouj and tabouleh rolled in a pita) for $4, or a bowl of lentil soup for $4.50.
Posted by: Kara at July 24, 2008 1:07 PM in response to Restaurant of the Day: Zaytoons
brookjoo: You're right -- while the portions are larger than tapas-sized plates, they do serve smaller-than-average portions here. Part of the fun is to order a couple of vegetables sides for the table to round out the meaty options -- or build a customized meal by sharing some salad, cheese, veggies, and pasta.
Anyway, thanks for bringing this to our attention. I just made a note about the small plates-sized portions next to the median price listing.
Posted by: Kara at August 26, 2008 5:34 PM in response to Restaurant of the Day: Lunetta
Biff Champion: I just got back to my desk after the long weekend, and I just saw your suggestion from Friday and your remark from earlier today. I absolutely have covered restaurants that aren't located on 5th Ave/7th Ave/Smith Street (Alma, Christie's Jamaican Patties, the Smoke Joint, Habana Outpost, Lucali, Diner, Dressler, and DuMont, to name a few) and there will be more of them in the future.
Posted by: Kara at September 2, 2008 4:55 PM in response to Restaurant of the Day: Sette Enoteca e Cucina
I think the best thing about Scottadito is the atmosphere. I went to a press event in their wine cellar when the place first opened, and it was a really great space -- perfect for a small party. I've been back a couple of times for dinner, and the desserts (like house-made ice cream and tiramisu) were memorable and really good.
Posted by: Kara at September 17, 2008 9:58 AM in response to Restaurant of the Day: Scottadito Osteria Toscana
Yes, yes, you're absolutely right -- sorry about the typo!
Posted by: Kara at October 8, 2008 11:56 AM in response to Brownstoner Food & Drink Round-Up
Left Hook: I understand your point, but I do believe that our new restaurant feature can offer one thing the other food sites can't. It allows Brooklyn restaurants to be rated against each other – by people who actually live here. On those other sites, our mom-and-pop shops are held up against some of the best restaurants in the world. And so many local hang-outs are reviewed in regard to whether they're "worth a trip to Brooklyn." Personally, I just want to know how neighborhood restaurants compare to the other options in the general vicinity – and whether they're worth walking a few extra blocks. I hope some of you feel the same way.
Posted by: Kara at July 14, 2008 2:06 PM in response to Introducing the Brownstoner Restaurant Ratings Feature