Dinner at Hill Cafe

I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner at Hill Cafe, (17 Putnam Ave., off Fulton St., 718-230-3471) a new-ish spot in Clinton Hill that serves a French-Moroccan influenced menu in a dark & cozy space. There are only a few tables opposite the bar, along with a larger table by the front window. They also have a backyard garden, which I'm sure will be lovely in the warm weather, but I didn't get a chance to take a look.

The menu lists items ranging from pasta, seafood to vegetarian dishes & meats. I decided to get the Half-Roasted Free-Range Chicken with BBQ sauce, mashed potatoes and a side of veggies. I was really impressed with this dish. The sauce was -excellent-. The chicken was tender and juicy, the potatoes smooth and the veggies simply steamed and slightly buttery. I also chose a side of Fried Sweet Plaintains which were served with a slightly spicy harissa sauce. Tasty!



My friend ordered the Baked Halibut Filet with an olive-pistachio tapenade, asparagus and artichoke in a tomato & tarragon broth. The fish was mild but the broth and veggies in it were delicious. She also got a side of Kale which was also lightly sauteed and spiced with red pepper.



For dessert we picked a Raspberry Crumble from the list of specials. I was a bit disappointed with this. I was expecting it to be warm and it was not. It also reminded me of pound cake, and did not have enough crumble for my taste, and not enough raspberry. The citrus sauces were tangy and flavorful though, and I expect that the regular desserts (chocolate mousse, apple tart) would be quite good.



I loved the chicken, enjoyed the meal as a whole, and found the service to be warm and attentive. If I lived in the area, I would make this a regular spot for sure.

Food News!

The 3rd-Annual Guactacular will be taking place on Sunday, May 8th at The Bell House. 20 "avocado hopefuls" will be competing for cash & other prizes. Hosted by NY Nachos, chips will be provided by Frito Lay and avocados will be fresh from Mexico. Brooklyn Brewery will also supply one beer to each attendee. Tickets are $15/$18 at the door, but I recommend you buy yours early as they always sell out way in advance of the event. For more information, go here.




Register by May 20th for the first Best Birthday Cake Contest to be held on Saturday, June 11th at the IKEA in Red Hook as part of their all-day Relay For Life event. The contest will be hosted by Fairway and the American Cancer Society of Brooklyn and will take place that evening at 5pm. They are looking for 30 professional bakers and 20 non-professional bakers to participate in the contest. There will be prizes and a fireworks display afterward. Contact Kristen LaGrua at kristenlagrua@gmail.com for information on how to register. Good luck!