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The highly anticipated Prime Meats, of the Franks fame, has been on my short list of must visit Brooklyn restaurants for the past few months. Not making my way to Carroll Gardens very often, I quickly took advantage of an invite from a few friends to join them at this instant hot spot. Located on a quiet corner near the rest of their small empire, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, opened Prime Meats with the intent on bringing together locally sourced goods and plenty of housemade cured meats. The latter half of that is still in development as the dining room and full menu won't be making their debut till September, but for now you can enjoy a simple, yet pleasant menu along with superb cocktails in an wood clad bar room.
We arrived on a recent weekday evening, around 7:30pm, and easily grabbed a key table. The room is setup with a small bar, a few booths and a few tables. There is no seating at the bar so at peak hours the front of the spot can get quite packed. Our table, a booth for 4 was perfect, allowing for an absurd amount of food and plenty of people watching. To start, a round of drinks. For me, the classic Old Fasioned, the bourbon cocktail I find myself ordering time and time again. Prime Meats version is solid, with a hefty pour and housemade pear bitters, I liked it so much I ordered three.
From a food perspective we started with the Vesper Brett ($13), described as an "Alpine tasting board" a hefty charcuterie platter with kassler (smoked pork), landajer (a dried hunter's sausage), black forest bacon, bologna, farmer's sausage and cervelat. Accompanied by a spicy mustard (for now not housemade, but soon, we were told) this was a great platter of fatty meat, with pickled red onions and bread & butter pickles to mellow everything just slightly. I was a huge fan of the chewy, jerky-like landajer. A cheese platter (3 for $19) of Kunik (Goat's Milk & Jersey Cream), Shaker Blue (Raw Sheep's Milk) and I believe Grayson (Raw Cows' Milk) appeared with hefty slices of nutty bread and a fig spread. Each cheese unique with my favorite being the super stinky Shaker Blue. Of course more food found it's way to the table with four hungry eaters, a housemade hot pretzel ($3) with sweet Bavarian mustard was forgettable, but the side of "bread and butter" paired health bread with addictable, salty, creamy butter. And two specials, a Beet Salad and Pork Belly Terrine, of course because we didn't have enough food. The salad, composed of thin slicing beets, included the beet greens and a generous dollop of goat cheese. It offered a much needed brightness to a table of meat. While the terrine, served cold, had a wonderful texture and was topped with a few greens and radishes. This was just round one.
In round two, we opted to step it up and order from the back of the menu, where dishes like 36-Day Aged Bone-In Ribeye, available by the ounce for $1.70/per, a burger, Weisswurst platter, Surkrut Garnie, Sauteed Trout, NY Strip and a couple variations of spaetzle. Apparently they were out of ribeye, probably a mixed blessing for my wallet and my stomach, so we ordered two burgers, two steaks and a side of Herb & Gruyere Spaetzle and Sauteed Spinach with Spring Garlic. The burger ($13), my choice, was an 8oz Creekstone Farms Black Angus mix, stuffed between a housemade sesame roll, with dill pickles, lettuce, tomato, thin-cut fries and melted Gruyere ($2 extra). I had high hopes for the burger. The Creekstone meat alone excited me more than anything, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. Overcooked, it was more medium-well than medium-rare like I asked, but the rich, beefy flavor was enjoyable. The biggest flaw for me was the bun, it was extremly dense, making the whole burger quite a mouthful. I would have prefered a soft potato roll or even brioche, which would have made it easier to eat.
On the other hand, the strip steak was superb, and something I highly recommend. At only $19, this 12oz steak was charbroiled to a perfect medium-rare. A wonderful crust and seasoned nicely, I would say it is one of the best steaks I've had this year, and at under $20 a steal. 30-day dry-aged, the steak had a deep mineral flavor and was accompanied by a spicy chimichurri sauce and watercress salad. If the ribeye is prepared anything like the strip steak then that is surely something I'll have to order next time. The sides, also were delicious, but I preferred the cheesy spaetzle ($5 for a small) which was like a German mac & cheese.
With an ever changing menu I expect many more meals at Prime Meats and look forward to the main dining room opening up. With the goal of curing and making their own sausages, charcuterie, mustard and more, the Franks are only going to improve this place. While the cost of dining here can certainly add up, an inexpensive meal is certainly possible, especially with the portion sizes.
465 Court St. at Luquer St., Brooklyn, NY, 718-254-0327, Reservations - Not Available, Price - Moderate-Expensive ($20-50/person depending on drinks and starters)
I've long heard about Veselka, its solid burger (per Serious Eats and Josh Ozersky), great vibe and of course the Ukranian food, but never managed to make it over there. On a recent day, the day when the sky looked on fire in NYC, I headed over to the East Village thanks to my girlfriend's great idea to check out the restaurant. Veselka was the destination and I already knew I was ordering the burger. The space was about half full, with huge platters of kielbasa, bowls of borscht and burgers filling the occupied tables. A few diners sat outside and the doors were all open providing a nice breeze. There were clearly some regulars here, but a nice, mixed crowd of folks.
We were quickly seated and ordered up the Cheeseburger Deluxe ($9.95) medium-rare along with Fried Pierogi's with potato and cheese ($9.50). The burger has gone up in price since I read about it last year, when it was in the $6-8 range, but came with fries and coleslaw. It's a heaping eight-ounces of freshly ground meat (chuck perhaps), but it's not a thickburger. The relatively thin patty rests between a soft, sesame-seed bun, that is apparently from Amy's, and two slices of American cheese. As you can see in the photo, the cheese doesn't arrive completely melted, but once you dig into the burger it melts very nicely. Cooked perfectly I was thoroughly impressed already, as it seems to be difficult for many restaurants to cook a burger to order. The burger is char-broiled, providing a nice crust, but I personally prefer griddled. Properly seasoned, cooked to order and with the appropriate amount of char, this is a burger I can support. The accompanying fries were also quite good, although I like mine a bit more seasoned and well-done. A far cry from the burger I recently had at Prime Meats (review to come), this burger had a great ratio of burger, bun and cheese.
At this point the Pierogi's were unfortunately an afterthought. I had my large Ukranian beer ($5.50) and solid burger. Regardless, the Pierogi's were good, but pricey for the portion. While most things are better fried, I would have preferred these boiled as the taste was lost amongst the grease. The sauteed onions which arrived with the Pierogi's were delicious, however, I didn't try them until the dish was almost done. With so many other options on the menu I look forward to my return trip, but I'll find it hard to not order the burger, which may have slipped into my top 5 in the city.
144 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003, 212-228-9682, Price - Moderate ($15-30/person)
I had never been to any of Mark Meyers restaurants, but have always heard the same thing, that they have good brunch. After sometime I finally made it to Cookshop all the way on 10th Avenue and as I expected, the place was jumping. The large room quickly filled up and the sidewalk seating was a hot commodity (especially this past weekend). The room was well lit, inviting and bustling within 15 minutes, a definite sign of a good brunch spot.
My group of six ordered a variety of food, from pancakes to chicken salad, along with coffees, teas and a standalone Bloody Mary. My dish, the All-Natural Beef Brisket, was huge and served with two poached eggs and an Idaho potato hash. The brisket was mildly smoked and shredded amongst the potatoes which had a tangy mustard seed sauce. The eggs broke open and the yolks blended nicely with the rest of the dish, creating a creamy, smokey bite. Unfortunately, the mustard seeds eventually overpowered the dish, taking control of the lightly smoked brisket. It was a good dish, but not one I finished or would order again.
The other items on the table consisted of delicate pancakes topped with caramel bananas and cinnamon butter, two variations of the Cookshop Scramble and two orders of the Hudson Valley Chicken Breast Salad. The pancakes were delicious and the banana topping reminded me of bananas foster. The two scrambles, one with smoked salmon, the other with bacon, were good, but with one major flaw. The scrambles were served atop the restaurant's pillowy biscuits, crushing the bottom layer and ruining this flaky, buttery baked good. While the side salad seemed to be an afterthought, bringing little to the dish. The chicken salads were pleasing, offering little complexity, but a healthy and filling lunch, topped with toasted almonds, golden raisins and olives.
One of the best parts of the meal were the drinks. It's not as if we ordered anything special, but the iced coffee, ice teas (three are offered) and Bloody Mary were all very good. Strong coffee, flavorful unsweetened teas and a spicy, powerful Bloody Mary, topped with an entire stalk of celery (no joke, the biggest I'd ever seen in a drink). While brunch here is no trip to the local diner, the cost is somewhat justified by the large portions. If I return, my eye is on the fried chicken, served with ranch dressing and honey. One final note, the service we had was not only prompt and kind, but also very accomodating, something that made the experience even more worthwhile.
156 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011, 212-924-4440, Reservations - Recommended, Price - Moderate/Expensive (brunch $15-30/person)
With a hungry stomach and a few equally hungry friends I recently set off on an L train pizza crawl. The crawl began at Artichoke, which I had been to, but wanted to give another go, then made it's way out to Motorino and Roberta's. With so many pizza places in the city it's hard to hit them all, and the new wave of more artisanal spots continues to fuel the pizza revolution here in NY. After another glorious trip to DiFara's a few weeks back I'm devoted to trying new spots.
Our trip to Artichoke began by standing in a 15-20 minute line, reasonable considering this place does get absolutely packed. My last experience at Artichoke was last summer, and I wasn't particularly impressed. I know many people swear by the pizza, but I just didn't find the namesake slice appealing and found some major flaws with the crust. Every spot deserves a second chance so we ordered up the artichoke slice and grandma slice. Cutting them up into bite-size pieces was the only way we could make it through the night and 3 pizzerias. The artichoke slice had a nice, salty flavor, but I still don't think that gooey mess belongs on a pizza. The crust was cooked better this time than last year, but not enough to sway me. The grandma slice on the other hand was much better this time around. The crust was surprisingly a bit too crisp for me, but the flavor is wonderful and fresh, and if in the neighborhood I would eat this again. Certainly not a slice I would go out of my way for, but I'm glad I made the return visit.
Hoping on the L train out to Williamsburg I was very eager to get to Motorino. Applauded throughout the city for their dough and pizza creations, my expectations were set pretty high. We ordered up three pizzas and an appetizer, keeping in mind that we still had one more eating stop coming up. To start, Fire Roasted Mortadella ($6) with housemade mustard. Arriving at the table all bubbly, it is hard to deny this giant chunk of fatty meat. A half-moon shaped slice, cut nearly 1/2 inch thick is paired with a delicious and potent mustard. Moving onto the pizzas we were served the Margherita DOC $13), the standard test for a pizzeria. The mozzarella di bufala, bright tomato sauce and fresh basil were very good and well balanced, but it was the crust that really impressed me (pictured). It was pillowy, yet crisp where it needed to be, with a nice texture, ideal chewiness and proper char. The Pugliese ($15) was our second pie, covered with creamy burrata, fennel sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic and chiles. Another success, this is a combination I've seen at many other pizzerias. Each ingredient paired well with one another and the crust again shined through. Our last pie was forgettable, the Anchovie ($10) as it was just too salty for everyone at the table. Topped with olives, oregano, capers and of course anchovies, a few bites resembled a salt lick. We didn't even finish this pie. Our pizza was, for the most part, very good at Motorino and I can see why they have garnered so much praise, but before we could get too comfortable we were off to Bushwick and Roberta's, about a mile walk East.
Roberta's is in a completely different neighborhood than Motorino, on a street lined not with stores and people, but rather warehouses and delivery trucks. There is little life besides Roberta's on the street, but once inside, the quiet, lonely street is an afterthought. This very commercial space was transformed into a very fun, wood-clad restaurant, complete with a bright red, wood-fired pizza oven. The pizza is a cross between Neapolitan and Roman, with a thin, yet not paper thin crust, and topped with a range of ingredients. The creamy mozzarella is made in house and many of the herbs are grown on the property. While the inside of the restaurant is nice, we made our way to the garden and promptly ordered up two pizzas, the Speckenwolf $14) and the special Lupo ($16). The Former is topped with crispy speck, onions, mushrooms, oregano and mozzarella. It was well-balanced with the creamy cheese, salty speck and fresh vegetables all working in tandem. The crust, not as good as Motorino, was good, but after sitting for a few minutes it becomes slightly tough. The special pie was actually very similar to the Speckenwolf, not something we intended to happen, as it has cotto ham, spring garlic, pesto, ricotta and mozzarella. While the ingredients varied, they both shared the creamy and salty elements. It was a good pie, with the spring garlic being my favorite component, but surprisingly fell a little flat on taste. With two pitchers of Victory Pilsner ($16) it was a great experience, and I'm eager to try their non-pizza dishes, like their roasted double pork chop and braised lamb pappardele.
Overall a ton of pizza was consumed, with a wide range of toppings and styles. Of all of the pizzas we ate my favorite was the Margherita DOC at Motorino for its simplicity, balance of ingredients and that superb crust. Not the best pizza I've ever had, but something I would easily recommend. Next on the docket for the pizza tours, not really sure, but I do want to visit Keste, Tonda, Lucali and the infamous L&B Spumoni Gardens in the near future.
Artichoke - 328 E. 14th St., New York, NY, 212-228-2004, Reservations - Not Needed, Price - Inexpensive ($4-8/person) Motorino - 319 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 718-599-8899, Reservations - Not Accepted, Price - Moderate ($20-30/person) Roberta's - 261 Moore St., Brooklyn, NY, 718-417-1118, Reservations - Not Accepted, Price - Moderate ($20-30/person) and cash only
When I saw the post on Eater saying that the Banh Mi at Ssam Bar would be removed from the menu I was a bit dissappointed. While their version of this ridiculously popular sandwich is overpriced, it is delicious and a great item to share as an appetizer. The Banh Mi was replaced by another sandiwch, this one seeming to be an ode to the McRib Sandwich of my youth, a Smoked BBQ Rib Sandwich. On a recent trip to Milkbar to stock up for a long weekend out of town, I grabbed a stool at Ssam's bar expecting to dine alone on pork buns. I was challenged with getting something I've loved and had many times, versus something I had never had before, but was remarkably intriguing. It's hard to turn down a Heritage boneless pork ribs topped with a red onion-green cabbage slaw, pickled carrots and BBQ sauce, so I opted for the new menu item. It arrived about the same size as the aforementioned Banh Mi, but was a bit more messy. The pork was tender, the vegetables crisp and the flavors complimented one another nicely. My one problem was the bread. With the tender meat making up most of the sandwich I would have preferred bread with a bit of crunch or bite, but this was unfortunately soft. Regardless a great tasting sandwich nonetheless. Another menu update that should be mentioned, crispy beef tortellini. I'm eager to try that one.
I also took advantage of the new bar at Ssam, which serves cocktails with all brown booze. Taking the recommendation of the bartender I ordered up a Bourbon Lemonade, a smooth refreshing drink with a nice balance of tartness. A great addition to the already stellar operation at Ssam, I just wish the drinks were a bit cheaper as $10+ sure can run up the bill.
I'm a skeptic when it comes to pizza, well maybe I'm just a bit of a pizza snob. With an adoration for DiFara I am occasionally left a bit underwhelmed by most pizza spots in my neighborhood, so when I visited La Villa I had moderate expectations. La Villa has been in Park Slope since 1982 and many notable pizza fans have praised their slices. I've always passed by it, not pulled in by the wood-fired pizza and family-friendly ambiance, but I was starving for a new local pizza spot. Amorina is a favorite of mine, but doesn't always cut it when I want a large pie, Antonio's is really only suitable when desperate and Franny's, well I'm just not that big a fan (but I will try it again).
La Villa was packed this past Saturday evening, appearing almost like a well-run "diner", stated my friend. It almost reminded me of my childhood pizzeria's, where you would go to celebrate a win, or forget a loss, after little league or AYSO soccer. We quickly scanned the nearly 15 pizzas on the menu and plotted our course. A Foccacia di Nonna ($14 for a small round), a Sottosopra ($15 for a small round) and a Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Calzone.
The first pizza is essentially a "Grandma Pie", made with housemade mozzarella, crushed San Marzano tomatoes, basil, fresh garlic and olive oil. Being that it is wood-fired the pie is a bit limp in my opinion, but the taste is wonderful with a solid char. The fresh ingredients shine through and I especially liked the garlic and crushed tomatoes. The second pie is almost like a Chicago-style pie, "upside down" with layers of mozzarella essentially baked into the crust under the tomato sauce. It was reminiscent of the days when a good old Pizza Hut pan pizza was actually something I enjoyed, but much much better. Lastly, the calzone, which appeared in all it's glory on the table, fell flat from a taste perspective. Thickly sliced fennel sausage sat amidst shreds of broccoli rabe under a nice pizza dough pocket. It could have used more cheese, salt, and garlic to begin with, but the marinara sauce helped--a little.
Of the three items, I would quickly order and recommend the two pizzas, and advise against the calzone. One could easily fill up on the seemingly unlimited baskets of foccacia as well, studded with herbs, garlic and red onions. La Villa does offer much more than pizza and calzones, with a list of pastas, entrees, salads and appetizers available, but for me it was all about the pizza. I'm eager to get back to La Villa, and equally excited to try their delivery service. It may be a longshot as the wood-fired crust would be more likely to go limp, but the taste is solid and I am willing to take the risk. It's nice to finally experience La Villa after all these years.
261 Fifth Ave. Brooklyn, NY, 718-499-9888, Reservations - Not Required, Price - Inexpensive/Moderate ($15-25/person)
(photos courtesy of La Villa website)
The highly anticipated Prime Meats, of the Franks fame, has been on my short list of must visit Brooklyn restaurants for the past few months. Not making my way to Carroll Gardens very often, I quickly took advantage of an invite from a few friends to join them at this instant hot spot. Located on a quiet corner near the rest of their small empire, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, opened Prime Meats with the intent on bringing together locally sourced goods and plenty of housemade cured meats. The latter half of that is still in development as the dining room and full menu won't be making their debut till September, but for now you can enjoy a simple, yet pleasant menu along with superb cocktails in an wood clad bar room.
From a food perspective we started with the Vesper Brett ($13), described as an "Alpine tasting board" a hefty charcuterie platter with kassler (smoked pork), landajer (a dried hunter's sausage), black forest bacon, bologna, farmer's sausage and cervelat. Accompanied by a spicy mustard (for now not housemade, but soon, we were told) this was a great platter of fatty meat, with pickled red onions and bread & butter pickles to mellow everything just slightly. I was a huge fan of the chewy, jerky-like landajer. A cheese platter (3 for $19) of Kunik (Goat's Milk & Jersey Cream), Shaker Blue (Raw Sheep's Milk) and I believe Grayson (Raw Cows' Milk) appeared with hefty slices of nutty bread and a fig spread. Each cheese unique with my favorite being the super stinky Shaker Blue. Of course more food found it's way to the table with four hungry eaters, a housemade hot pretzel ($3) with sweet Bavarian mustard was forgettable, but the side of "bread and butter" paired health bread with addictable, salty, creamy butter. And two specials, a Beet Salad and Pork Belly Terrine, of course because we didn't have enough food. The salad, composed of thin slicing beets, included the beet greens and a generous dollop of goat cheese. It offered a much needed brightness to a table of meat. While the terrine, served cold, had a wonderful texture and was topped with a few greens and radishes. This was just round one.
In round two, we opted to step it up and order from the back of the menu, where dishes like 36-Day Aged Bone-In Ribeye, available by the ounce for $1.70/per, a burger, Weisswurst platter, Surkrut Garnie, Sauteed Trout, NY Strip and a couple variations of spaetzle. Apparently they were out of ribeye, probably a mixed blessing for my wallet and my stomach, so we ordered two burgers, two steaks and a side of Herb & Gruyere Spaetzle and Sauteed Spinach with Spring Garlic. The burger ($13), my choice, was an 8oz Creekstone Farms Black Angus mix, stuffed between a housemade sesame roll, with dill pickles, lettuce, tomato, thin-cut fries and melted Gruyere ($2 extra). I had high hopes for the burger. The Creekstone meat alone excited me more than anything, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. Overcooked, it was more medium-well than medium-rare like I asked, but the rich, beefy flavor was enjoyable. The biggest flaw for me was the bun, it was extremly dense, making the whole burger quite a mouthful. I would have prefered a soft potato roll or even brioche, which would have made it easier to eat.
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