Lunch at Fanny

Fanny (425 Graham Ave., between Frost & Withers, 718-389-2060), is a nice little spot on an unassuming stretch of Graham Ave. with a sweet, sun-dappled backyard. Sitting underneath the grapevines out back lends your meal a very 'European Afternoon' feeling. It's lovely, and the food was delicious as well.

My friend and I shared everything, and each dish was ample enough so that there was plenty of each to split in half. They were offering a special Brunch (on a Tuesday afternoon!) of Poached Eggs atop toasted country bread, with sauteed spinach, three grilled shrimp and a yogurt-tarragon sauce which sounded too good to pass up. The eggs were indeed perfect, as was the spinach - wonderfully seasoned and cooked just right. The bread was crusty and sourdough-y and the shrimp were excellent. It all tasted so good, neither of us bothered with the sauce.



We also split the Fried Fish sandwich with tartar sauce and a side salad. There were two big pieces of fish, lightly breaded & fried, flaky & tender and the salad (with buttery lettuce & other greens) was superbly dressed with lemon, salt & pepper.



I really enjoyed the meal, the service and the place itself, and am eager to get back to try out dinner!

Dinner at The JakeWalk

So, The JakeWalk (282 Smith St., at the corner of Sackett St., 718-347-599-0294) has been around for a little while, and I kept walking by and would think, "Have to go there", but it took all this time to finally make it there. Boy, were we happily surprised. Our food was really good, and I really like how they have the place set up, with table inside and tables along the wall outside and a big hole cut into the wall so that it feels open and airy. It's definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood. They have a long list of wines, a short list of beers and a number of interesting cocktails. I ordered the Brooklyn Rumble which is made with Rum, Lime, Framboise and Angostura Bitters. It was refreshing and tart, and ever so slightly sweet.



We started with one cheese and one meat. We picked the Fiore Sardo, a Pasteurized Sheep Milk & the Braesola, which I mentioned in a post last week. I told you it's my new favorite thing. The cheese was crumbly and rich, a bit nutty, and delicious. The braesola, well, it was fantastic. A bit sweeter than at Flatbush Farm, but wonderful with the cheese and fig jam!



We also got a salad of Mesclun Greens with pickled haricot verts. Phew, this was quite a mouth experience! Very vinegary, but I like that, and so tasty, with big croutons that helped cut the tangy haricot verts.



BUT, the dish of the evening was the Pulled Pork sandwich with pickles and Avocado Cole slaw. This was incredible. It was slightly sweet, like it had some maple syrup in it, and not smoky or BBQ-y at all. It was more like something my Italian grandmother would make, a slow, stewed pork, wonderfully flavored, tender, juicy and amazing. The spicy Dijon mustard cut through the sweetness and the pickles were nice but there weren't many of them so they kind of got lost amidst all that falling-apart meat. The bread was crusty and the slaw was really good. So creative with avocado instead of mayo, crunchy and flavorful, it was all eaten up!



I'll definitely go back to try some of the other stuff on the menu, like the venison sausage and maybe the fondue. I was told the meat was from an organic farm, but there was no signage on the menu.

Burgers at Flatbush Farm

I've on a real burger kick recently, and am on a mission to build up a good list of places that serve grass-fed and/or organically raised beef. I was happy to see that the burgers at Flatbush Farm and Bar, (76 St. Marks Place, between 6th Avenue & Flatbush, 718-622-3276) are just those kind of burgers! They also have other yummy food, and in the warm weather you can sit out in their GREAT backyard. I had dinner here in the winter months and I'm happy to say that most of the options have rotated in order to use the seasonal, organic, local-when-available fare they are offering now.

On this visit, my friend and I shared the Braesola appetizer, which came topped with an arugula salad, heartily dressed with a salty, lemony dressing and toasted slices of baguette. All these flavors added up to one delicious dish. Braesola is like fruit leather only made with beef, and is my current favorite treat. The peppery arugula gave it a nice green balance and the bread cut the salt.



I then got the burger which comes with perfectly cooked and salted fries. Real cheddar cheese was melted on top and a big pile of sliced pickles was served with lettuce, red onion & tomato. The burger was juicy and substantial, slightly charred and all around terrific. I ate it all! My friend did help with the fries!



So go here and sit out back while the weather is nice. The coctail list is interesting and creative as well.