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.

Dinner at Tabare

There's a new-ish little spot on a quiet stretch of S. 1nd Street (a block from Rye) that I just fell in love with. It's called Tabare (221 S. 1st, between Driggs & Roebling, 7347-335-0187) and they offer a mix of Italian & Uruguayan food. It's super tiny, with maybe 10 table, and a short bar with a few stools, but it has charm and coziness to spare. It's perfect during the cold, winter months to get some comfort food, and I suspect that it will be a delight in the summertime when the seasonal menu changes and they open the heavy drapes and windows.

On this trip, my friend and I tried a variety of appetizers, salads and mains, starting with the Empanadas. You get to choose two from three varieties, one meat, one fish & one veggie. She ordered the Tuna and Black Olives and the Caramelized Onions, Gruyere and Fontina Cheese. They also came with two dipping sauces and were a delight. Flaky, crispy dough, stuffed with the delicious, flavorful fillings.



I started with the Kale Salad with red onions, creme fraiche, anchovy and lemon zest. It was incredible. So tart and creamy! It looks like it was drenched with the cream, but since it was cut with the lemon juice so instead it was quite light. The anchovy was a nice tough as well, and not overpowering at all. I still think about this salad and it's been weeks!



My friend also ordered the Roasted Beet Salad with toasted pistachio, ricotta salata and mint. It was a lovely salad, with lots of beets and the other ingredients nicely proportioned. It was served with a vinaigrette that enhanced the subtle, earthy flavors.



For my main, I got the Churrasco, Grass-fed skirt steak served with tapenade-baked potato, arugula salad and chimichurri. The meat was tender and delicious, especially with the chimichurri sauce, a wonderful blend of cliantro, garlic & olive oil. The baked potato with olive tapenade was OK. I think I actually would have preferred a little butter instead of the intensely flavorful olive spread. The arugula salad provided a nice, fresh contrast to the heavy meat. The portion was pretty big, with two large pieces of steak.



All in all it was a delicious dinner. The menu has a number of wines and cocktails available and the staff were friendly and easy-going. I highly recommend Tabare. Let me know if you had room for dessert!

Dinner at Lokal

I was recently invited to have dinner at Lokal (905 Lorimer St., at Bedford, 718-384-6777), a Mediterranean Bistro on the Greenpoint/Williamsburg border, overlooking McCarren Park and the Automotive High School. From the outside the place doesn't look like much, and the font of the signage outside is even a little cheesy. But inside is a warm, tastefully appointed space, all blues & greens & warm orange. It's lovely and comfortable.

We started out with the Warm Spinach salad, with pine nuts, raisins, red peppers, caramelized red onions and feta cheese and served with paprika yoghurt. The salad was delicious - slightly sweet, tangy and earthy. The paprika yoghurt wasn't very potent, so didn't add much.



I ordered the special Salmon dish, served over parmesean covered pieces of yellow squash, in a light tomato & red pepper sauce, sprinkled with capers. It was nicely done, well-cooked and quite flavorful. So often a piece of salmon is ruined with either an overwhelming flavor or by being cooked to death, but this was neither.



We also got a Lamb Burger served on a Brioche Bun with grilled onion, tomato and a cucumber & dill relish that was delicious, and it was all topped with feta cheese. It was a nice alternative to beef and had a subtle flavor. The bun was excellent and flaky, and the thick cut fries, sprinkled with salt and rosemary were perfect.



We ALSO got dessert. We couldn't resist ordering the Bread Pudding, and we were impressed with the execution. Served warm, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, with hints of cinnamon & nutmeg, it was delicious and decadent comfort food. Not overly sweet either, but just right.



So, I'm happy to report that the food at Lokal is really good. It's made with fresh ingredients, well prepared and nicely served. Check it out when you're in the area. The prices are reasonable, and they have a range of items sure to please anybody (pastas, a few pizzas, sandwiches - all with a Mediterranean flavor).

Dinner at Locanda Vini e Olli

I have a new favorite restaurant. It's Locanda Vini e Olli at 129 Gates Ave., at the corner of Cambridge Pl. (718-622-9202), in the space formerly occupied by the old Lewis Drug Store. Much of the drugstore-vibe has been preserved, with glass shelves showcasing ancient remedies, beautiful wooden cupboards and built-in turn-of-the-century apothecary drawers. It's a lovely little spot - cozy and festive all at once, with friendly staff who make you feel at home right away. And then there's the food. It's divine. Seriously. It's excellent and delicious and made from the highest quality ingredients. Their meats are free-range & sustainably grown and even their take-out bags are 100% recyclable.

We started out with the Charcuterie Della Terra plate for the table (with Venison Prosciutto, Duck & Prune Pate & Cacciatorini, all served with delicious jams and preserves), and an assortment of their Crostini. Everything was incredibly flavorful, creatively & well-paired and delicious. It was great to get all of this and share it among four people.



I chose to get the special Ravioli, house-made, fresh & delicate. Covered in butter & cheese and stuffed with escarole & pine nuts. Fantastic.



My husband got a pasta dish with a seafood mix on top. It's not on their regular menu, and I can't remember the name exactly, but it was a unique combination and had a strong, savory flavor. Also wonderful.



My brother-in-law ordered the Grilled Duck Breast with chick peas. The duck was incredibly tender, so there was no need for a knife to cut through it. But it was the chick peas that really stood out. I don't know what they did to them, but I've never tasted anything so good in my life. We even contemplated getting a side of the chick peas but realized we were too full.



I highly recommend heading here as soon as possible if you haven't yet been. It's one of the best places around and is good for family outings, dates, hanging out with friends, whatever. I can't wait to go back.

Dinner at Karloff

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A friend and I checked out the new Karloff (254 Court Street, between Kane & Degraw, no phone) recently, and had a really good meal and a really nice time there. It's very casual, kind of open-space barn, country-kitchen feeling, with a counter where you can place orders to go and get ice cream, and lots of blond wood furniture and floor planks. The menu is written on a big chalkboard in front, where there's also a big communal table that seats about 10. There is table service, and our servers were super friendly and halpful when consulted about what was being offered that night. They were out of the pierogis (D'oh!) but that just encouraged us to branch out and try some things we might not have otherwise.

We started with the Beet & Cabbage Salad with walnuts, dill, carrots, cauliflower and red onions. It was fabulous. So many great flavors and textures, bursting with freshness and crunch. I loved it!



We then shared two entrees. We ordered the Chicken Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and found it to be lovely. It was moist, if a bit on the mellow side flavor-wise, and had a good texture - not dense or rubbery at all. The potatoes were ok - again, they needed more butter and salt, but they were passable.



We also got the Beef Stew with Barley which was also very good. Nice, big chunks of meat in a savory tomato-based sauce, with carrots and green beans as well. The barley made for a great combination - slightly nutty and earthy, and hearty. Good for a cold, winter night.



We also got desert. I know, so decadent! We got the Apple & Lemon Blini, a la mode. These were excellent! There were small pieces of lemon rind dotting the entire dish, which provided an interesting balance to the sweet apples. The crepe-y dough was delicate and the ice cream was creamy and had a real vanilla flavor that is sometimes hard to come by.



I think that once Karloff works out the few kinks, they'll be a great addition to neighborhood dining. It's nice to have something different, instead of yet another Thai or Sushi or American Bistro to choose from. Go Karloff!

Dinner at Mazzat

I recently discovered a little treasure that's been around for a while and I've just overlooked it somehow. Mazzat (208 Columbia St., at Sackett St., 718-852-1652) serves really good, tasty Mediterranean food at reasonable prices. It's a little off the beaten path and under the radar so it's never super crowded either. My husband and I went recently on a mild night, sat in the front where the glass doors open all the way to let the breeze and night air in. We started with a favorite of ours, Grilled Dates wrapped in Bacon. The dates were stuffed with blue cheese and were just divine. A perfect mixture of salty and sweet with a creamy and chewy texture.



We also got a side of Foul Moudammus, Fava Bean Puree serves with lemon, garlic, olive oil & cumin. It was a substantial portion, excellent with warm, slightly crispy pita, hearty and flavorful even if it's not photogenic!



Then we split an order of the Seafood Tagine with shrimp, scallop, salmon, calamari & tilapia stewed in tomato & herbs and served with a side of rice and salad. This was excellent. The stew was nicely spiced, and the pieces of seafood were tender and plentiful. I would have liked more scallops and less tilapia, but it was so good that minor complaint was easily overlooked.



I really liked Mazzat, and plan on adding it to our repertoire of restaurants we go to regularly. It's cozy too so it will be a perfect place to head to once the weather turns colder.

Dinner at Vinegar Hill House

FINALLY! I made it over to Vinegar Hill House (72 Hudson Avenue, between Front & Water Streets, 718-522-1018) for dinner. What has it been, years? I've been reading at hearing about how great this place is - I even have a friend who lives in Manhattan, uptown no less, who list VHH as her favorite restaurant in the city! That speaks volumes. And we were not disappointed. I went with my husband, and my parents, and we sat in the backyard on a warm night. Thankfully they have baskets full of cans of bug spray to help ward off the mosquitoes that are unfortunately part of any outdoor summer dining. After a few sprays, we settled in and ordered.

I do have one criticism - the chairs were not comfortable at all. The garden is a sweet spot full of blooming shrubs and concrete turtles, but the tiny, metal chairs did nothing to add to the ambiance. Anyway, the food made up for it. We started out with a corn salad with basil and red cabbage that was tender and crunchy and so flavorful, all topped with a sprinkle of paprika that added a little bite.



We also ordered a salad made with Bibb lettuce and Beets that was delicious. Bright colors, bright and soft flavors, topped with tangy grated cheese.



The Oven Roasted Octopus Salad was one of the best dishes though, with zesty octopus, lemon and olives. It was fantastic. The octopus was tender, not chewy at all, and the citrus provided a good pop of astringent flavor.



We also had a Zucchini Tart that was excellent, topped with crunchy frisee and made with creamy ricotta. The crust was wonderfully flaky too.



For a main dish, we ordered the breaded Cod with green and wax beans. The fish was very good - fresh, flaky and tender, with lightly buttered beans for a hint of decadence.



The only disappointing item was the side of potatoes. While nicely flavored with fresh thyme, they weren't what I was expecting. I imagined crispier potatoes, and these were big chunks of creamy potato - not bad, just not what I was wanting. Plus they looked weird.



I really liked the whole experience. Our server was nice and competent, the garden was pretty, the dining room cozy. I'm definitely planning to head back in colder weather to take advantage of the fireplace!

Dinner at Luna Rossa

***Too good to pass up: Scopello Ristorante in Ft. Greene on Lafayette & Fulton,
will be giving away Cannolis today during Happy Hour from 5pm - 7pm.
Drink specials include buy one get one free as well!
Check it out and let me know how they are!***

There seems to be no shortage of wood-burning pizza places these days, which is fine by me, and we checked out a new-ish spot on the Carroll Gardens/Red Hook border recently (and by new-ish I mean less than 2 years old). Luna Rossa (552 Court St., between W. 9th Street and Garnet Place, 718-875-1384) is located practically in the shadow of the Gowanus Expressway, with dark and cozy interior and a large backyard that needs some work. We sat there one recent evening, with the sounds of the highway in the background, and enjoyed our tasty dinner.

We started out with a Caprese Salad, something I'm quite obsessed with at the moment. It was good, with big, round slices of tomato and mozzarella, topped with chopped basil. The mozzarella was fresh and the tomatoes ripe. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar added some bite. While this isn't as good as the Caprese at The Good Fork, it was good.



We also shared a salad from the specials menu, with mixed greens, thinly sliced green apple, walnuts and goat cheese. It was delicious - the tart apple, the creamy cheese, the crunch of the walnuts all combined to make a great dish.



Then there's the pizza. We ordered a Prosciutto and a Rustica. The Prosciutto had slices of the meat, fresh arugula, thinly shaved pieces of Parmesean and cherry tomatoes. The crust was chewy but thin, not soggy and had a slight sourdough flavor. Yum!



The Rustica had mozzarella, mushrooms and sausages. There was a nice balance of all the ingredients, all were flavorful and the crust was again thin, chewy and slightly tangy.



Luna Rossa is a good local spot, without the crowds, attentive service (maybe too attentive at times), and decent, tasty food. Perhaps not a destination from far away, but I hope enough people go here to keep these guys around.

Dinner at Strong Place

Hey! I'm back! Maybe just part-time for the rest of the summer, although there are a TON of new places that I'm eager to check out, so it's not like I have nothing to write about! Thanks for being patient, but the break was very needed and was quite helpful.

The new Strong Place (270 Court St., between Kane & DeGraw, no website) opened up last Monday, by the chef & owner of Bocca Lupo, (Kenny Tufo and Jeff Lederman respectively) and we took the opportunity to check it out. We also had heard from a photographer we interviewed back in the Fall that her boyfriend was making all the furniture and woodwork, and were curious to see what he made. When you walk in, there is a long, dark bar to your right, the length of which you follow to get to the tables in the back. There are windows on both sides of the space, which is a nice, and rare, touch. The tables are indeed beautiful and interesting. There are two-tops bolted to the floor, and metal fixtures into which you set an addition to expand your table as needed. Very clever.

We started off with some beer and wine. The beer comes in what look like 12-ounce glasses and my pour of wine was quite underwhelming. $11 for a few sips isn't cool. Ah well. Small plates = small drinks? We perused the menu, which is broken up into four sections: raw, market, seafood and meat. We started off with the Fluke Croudo, small slices of fluke with citrus, jalapeño, sea salt and agrumato oil (an olive oil infused with lemon). This was a delicious dish, possibly my favorite of the evening. Light, tender fish, subtle slices of jalapeño and a citrus dressing. It was flavorful and refreshing and topped with slices of pickled red onion.



We also ordered the Grilled Asparagus from the "Market" section of the menu, which came with a mushroom fondue and pecorino. The mushrooms were delicious, a mixture of hen of the woods and oyster in a thin cheese sauce. The asparagus, both green and white, were crisp, grilled just so and wonderful.



We also shared an order of Seared Diver Scallops, with English peas, tasso ham and lemon & honey. There were two large scallops, tender and meaty, over a mash of peas, with a slice of bacon-like ham served with a froth of the lemon & lavender, which had barely a hint of lavender. They were good scallops, nicely done and of good quality.



The dessert menu had a few options on it and for some reason the Upside-Down Pineapple Cake called out to me. This is not something I've ever ordered before, or have found appealing, but the description: with Brandied Cherries, Almond Cake & Lavender sounded intriguing. And it turned out to be one fantastic dish. The pineapple was sweet, the almond cake provided a nice balance, the cherries were earthy & tart and the slight floral addition of the lavender evened it all out. I'll definitely be back for this - perhaps at the bar with some red wine.



So, the food was pretty great, the servings of alcohol were on the small side, but the service and atmosphere are top-notch so I think this place has got a good chance of doing well.

Dinner at Mai

There's a somewhat under-the-radar Pan-Asian restaurant on Atlantic Avenue that goes by the name of Mai (497 Atlantic Ave., between Nevins St. & 3rd Avenue, 718-797-3880). It's simply decorated inside, but it's the peaceful garden that's the big draw, along with the fresh and not-your-usual-Pad-Thai dishes. We ordered take-out from there recently and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

We started with a classic appetizer of Chicken Satay. The meat was tender, slightly juicy and just a bit charred and the peanut sauce was thick with pieces of peanut. It's one of my favorites.



For my entree, I chose to get the Bun Tao, a glass noodle dish with vegetarian duck, shitake mushroom and asian greens sauteed in a ginger sauce. It was delicious. I love veggie duck, and Mai does it the best. It's not greasy, more like baked and a bit crunchy, and there were plentiful slices of mushroom. The greens were crispy, not boiled to death and the sauce was sharp, astringent and light.



My boyfriend got an order of Mee Rojak, a Malaysian style egg noodle with steamed vegetables & tofu in peanut lime sauce. The sauce is more like a curry, and a bit spicy. The noodles were thick and a bit chewy, but in a good way, the veggies nicely cooked and there was a perfectly cooked egg on the side. Very tasty.



I really like Mai. The food is fresh, quality and different from the standard Thai/Pan-Asian places around. Definitely go when the weather is good to sit in the beautiful back garden!

Dinner at Seersucker

****UPDATE - Seersucker has closed. 6/3/15****


The new, Southern Seersucker (329 Smith Street, at Carroll St., 718-422-0444) has a very appealing aesthetic. The interior is all grays and concrete and metal, with 1 x 3s of weathered wood making up one slatted wall, and whitewashed brick on the opposite wall. There's a bar (so I'm assuming they're waiting for their full liquor license - only beer and wine for now) with stools and hanging lamps with metal-capped light bulbs to reduce the harshness. The front window is one big pane, with a simple "Seersucker" written in white letters. The concrete floor made for a noisy dining room though when the place was at full capacity. I could barely hear my dining companion.

We started out with the Crispy Pig's Foot. I asked the waitress if it was weird, but she said that people loved it and that it didn't look like a foot. It came breaded and fried and was served on a bed of dressed watercress and chopped walnuts. I really didn't like it. It was gelatinous and funky, and the nuts and dressing didn't add to the flavors at all and tasted more like spoiled milk.



For my main entree I chose the Skirt Steak, with asparagus and potatoes. This was amazing. Sometimes skirt steak is tough and chewy - this was tender, juicy, flavored just right and cooked to perfection. The asparagus were wonderful as well - nutty and crunchy and the potatoes added a nice, creamy touch.



My boyfriend got the Shrimp & Grits, with Country Ham and Mushrooms. Where was the ham??? About 5 minuscule pieces dotted the entire dish, which was unfortunate, because it was the best-tasting part of the whole dish! The grits were tasteless and mushy, as were the shrimp. They seemed overcooked and bland and plain. Bummer. Even the "hot sauce" he was given to go with the dish was seriously lacking in heat - and I have a pretty low tolerance!



I'll definitely go back - the Pork Chops and Chicken & Dumplings sounded great, and the desserts were tempting as well (Pecan Pie, Mississippi Mud Pie). They're closed Mondays but they take credit cards!

Dinner at Henry Public #2

Please excuse the late post. Life is super busy right now!
Happy Eating!

Henry Public (329 Henry St., between Atlantic Ave. & Pacific St., 718-852-8630) is a great place; it's very inviting and they use food made with quality ingredients and cocktails that harken back to an older time, but it's definitely on the pricey side, and a special I got recently really disappointed me. The burger, excuse me, hamburger sandwich, is delicious, made with pasture-raised, grass-fed beef, served with or without cheese and a side of perfectly crunchy, salty fries that have you searching for the last, fried bits of potato they're so good!



On our last visit, my boyfriend and I split the burger and also shared an order of their Brisket/Roast with vegetables (carrots, mushrooms, potatoes), and this is where I became disappointed. While the meat was tender and the brown sauce rich and complex, although maybe a bit too salty, where were the veggies??? There was maybe one quartered mushroom and perhaps one carrot cut in half and then quartered. It was ridiculous. You need the veggies in this dish, otherwise it's just a big portion of meat. The veggies get nicely roasted with the juices and contribute so much to the meal. It just didn't seem worth it to me.



It is such a lively, comfy spot though, that's open crazy late on the weekends (til 4am!). I won't write it off, but I know to stick to the basics from now on!

Dinner at Verde

Don't forget the Book Giveaway! There are only 3 days left to enter. Just comment on Wednesday's post and you'll be entered to win one of these vegan or raw food cookbooks!

I eagerly awaited the opening of Verde (216 Smith Street, between Butler and Baltic Streets, 718-222-1525), the newest spot to open on Smith Street, closely watching it's progress over the last few months. I had the opportunity to go last night with a friend to check it out. I actually walked by earlier in the week one evening and noticed the hostess standing expectantly at a podium that was basically placed on the sidewalk, while the restaurant was totally empty. It struck me as totally desperate and I logged it as Strike One.

The open, glass front is nice, and the wooden fixtures and hanging plants are appealing. The backyard garden is also a draw, especially now that the weather is so perfect. We headed straight back there and surveyed the menus. I ordered a Mojito and she picked a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine wasn't chilled enough, but the mojito was minty, slightly sweet and very tasty. The hard, wooden chairs were uncomfortable though. For my meal I ordered the Penne with Mozzarella, with capers, olives, pignoli nuts, cherry tomatoes and Tarali breadcrumbs. There's a lot going on in that dish, and there for the most part everything worked well together. The proportions were nice, and the mozzarella was smoky, which was a nice & unusual touch. I didn't like the Tarali breadcrumbs though - they were too sweet and were chunky, almost like pretzel nuggets. I would have preferred it to be saltier instead of so sweet.



My friend ordered the Filet Mignon with Polenta, Spinach & Mushrooms. The polenta was a joke. It didn't seem homemade and was a small rectangle of stale & tasteless cardboard. The rest was good though - the meat was cooked to order and the veggies were flavorful, although there was too much lemon thyme used, which gave the entire dish a citrusy overtone that just wasn't right.



We were too full for dessert, but I was intrigued by the Pineapple Ravioli which is a thin slice of ravioli stuffed with vanilla ice cream, frozen and topped with coconut cream. Sounds interesting. So, I'm not so sure about this place. They do have a 2 for 1 Happy Hour weekdays from 4 - 8 pm, but there's also a giant flat screen TV at the bar, that's also back-lit with bluish fluorescent lighting. I'll stick to the backyard, or keep walking to another place.

Dinner at Fatty 'Cue

Since I do most of my living and eating in Brooklyn, I've not yet been to the mini-empire of Fatty Crab, the Malaysian-inspired seafood-heavy restaurants that are super popular in Manhattan. So, I was curious when Fatty 'Cue (91 South 6th, between Bedford & Berry, 718-599-3090) opened up not even a month ago in Williamsburg and headed over with some friends to see what all the fuss was about. What. A. Scene. Dudes in Supreme hats, women dressed in vintage, and music blasting at a level that actually made me clutch my head in discomfort. Since our table was in the bar area, we had to ask about three or four times to have it turned down. I'm not a kill-joy, it's just that I don't enjoy losing my voice during dinner conversation and don't want to develop tinnitus. Once they did turn the volume down I was able to actually hear that they were playing good music. Old Beasties and Snoop; nice touch.

Fatty 'Cue really lives up to its name. The food is decadent, smoky and fatty and is served all at once to encourage sharing, which I love. That way you get to taste everything and ordering requires group effort. I'll start with describing the Food Specials. The House Cured Beef Bacon in Sherry Bouillon with Poached Egg & Lovage, a celery-like green was my favorite. The broth is full flavored & very salty with substantial chunks of tender, falling-apart meat. I also love anything with a poached egg, which added a nice, creamy touch to the entire dish.



The other Food Special was the Seafood Sausage, a cold smoked shrimp & scallop sausage with green curry and charred spring onion. This was surprising. It was delicate and fresh-tasting with a slightly spicy curry sauce. It didn't taste particularly seafood-y, but was more like chicken sausage.



From the list of Specialties we ordered the Pork Spare Ribs with smoked fish/palm syrup and Indonesian long pepper. These were smoky, tender, juicy and slightly sweet. Fun to eat with your hands, they come three to an order, $5 for each extra rib.



Another Specialty we chose was the Bobo Chicken with a red onion, chili & cucumber condiment. This was fantastic, with the big chunks of chicken a deep, smoky flavor, yet moist and delicious. I was really impressed with the chicken, and the sauce on the side was like summer in a bowl. We ended up asking for more it was so good.



The Red Curry Rubbed Duck with sweet pickled daikon was another Specialty we got. The first piece I took from the plate was small and therefore crispy and well-done. The second piece was very rare and lacked the flavor the first piece had. This was the least interesting dish to me out of the bunch.



Then there was the American Wagyu Brisket with chili jam, bao, pickled red onion and bone broth. I think the Bao bun was the best part of this. You basically make your own little brisket sandwich, with either a garlic aioli or chili jam as your condiment and thin-sliced or chunks of brisket. The chunks had more flavor and were more heavily salted than the drier, thinner slices. The bun was soft, pillowy and perfect with the chewy meat and stalks of cilantro.



From the list of Snacks we got just the 'Cue Coriander Bacon, with toast and steamed curry custard. This was a crazy dish. Sort of like bacon candy with thick slices of fatty, sweet, and succulent meat. Totally decadent and over the top, some pieces barely had any meat on them, but were fantastic nonetheless. The yellow curry custard provided a sharp tang that nicely complimented the greasy bacon.



We were pretty satisfied after all that, but my friend couldn't resist getting a slice of the Shoo Fly Pie, a favorite from her childhood. The waiter placed it down on our table and proceeded to poured some cream over it. I'm not sure I've ever had Shoo Fly Pie before, and found it to be like a cross betwee Oatmeal Raisin Cookies & Pecan Pie. I think it's the molasses on the bottom. It was good, with a flaky, buttery crust.



Along with a few wines and draft beers, there are a ton of canned beer and a number of cocktails to choose from. I liked the refreshing The South 6th made with gin or vodka, cucumber, Thai basil, lemon & Ginger ale. My friend enjoyed the Big Ben (Benromach Scotch, St. Germain, Campari & Orange), but it felt like sipping the aftermath of a campfire. There was also a constant backup at the bar, so it took a while to get our drinks. The food was delicious and I appreciate the use of local and humanely grown/raised/fished products and the slow-food methods of preparation, but all those plates really add up. Also, make sure you get a table in one of the dining rooms instead of the bar.