Dinner at Brucie

Brucie (234 Court St., between Kane & Baltic Streets, 347-987-4961) is a cute, new spot in Cobble Hill - half restaurant, half country store. The menu lists various pastas and salad, as well as meats and cheeses, while for sale you can find jars of pickled veggies, pasta, sauce, pints of Blue Marble & People's Pops. There's a large room in the back set with two tables big enough for 6 - 8 people, whereas in the front there's counter space and a large table for communal seating. The stools at the counters are made from tractor seats, and the soft lighting creates a warm coziness.

I met a friend and we decided to share a few things. First was an order of Caponata. It was boldly flavored and quite salty, but I liked that. It was also made with golden raisins; an off-beat touch which worked nicely, providing a different texture, and a slightly sweet flavor.



For our main dish we ordered the Goat Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni with mushrooms and vodka sauce. This was made with extra-large rigatoni, stuffed with gooey cheese and topped with plentiful mushrooms and sauce. It was quite delicious, and satisfying. We could have stopped there, but our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we forged on with an order of the Panelle Sandwich.



Two, large chickpea cutlets topped a large roll, with vinegar peppers, ricotta and honey. The peppers were a nice addition, cutting through the dense, heavy cutlets. The ricotta was creamy, and the hint of sweet enhanced the flavors even more.



At this point, we were so full, we had to stop, despite being intrigued by the Rosewater Panna Cotta with Cherries. Another visit has been scheduled to sample the desserts, which also included a Chocolate Pudding Pie. Yum!