Brunch at The Farm on Adderly

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I had dinner at The Farm on Adderley (1108 Cortelyou Road, between Rugby & Argyle Roads, 718-287-3101) back in the early fall and loved it, so I was excited to see what their Brunch was all about. I went with a friend to celebrate her birthday, and ended up bumping into other friends waiting for a table at the bar. It's a central spot in the neighborhood, and crazy-crowded during those prime Brunch times! We got a cozy table for two at the front in the window, so it was bright and semi-private, as there were only two tables up there - it's the rear of the restaurant that has the majority of tables. We settled in and placed our orders.

I picked the Poached Eggs & Grits with cheddar grits and sauteed escarole. I was pretty disappointed with this dish. The eggs were so undercooked, there was raw egg-white pooling in the grits. I hate that! The grits were nice and cheesy and the escarole flavorful and tender, but the eggs just made everything yucky. They started out looking good though.



I also got a side of bacon which was OK. It was a bit greasy, which overwhelmed the meat's
flavor.



My friend ordered well though. She got the Sausage & Eggs with one housemade breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, home fries and salad. The sausage were excellent - succulent, savory with herbs and substantial. The home fries were OK - I prefer mine crispier, but the onions were a good addition and the eggs were nicely done.



She also got an order of the Chocolate Brioche with Sea Salt & Butter which was a bit on the dry side. I liked the juxtaposition of the sweet chocolate and the salt though, and the thick slices made it easy to share.



All in all it was a nice brunch. Next time I'll make sure to ask for my poached eggs to be well-done or something. The food is made with quality ingredients and it's fairly priced at $7 - $9 per entree.

Dinner at The Farm on Adderly

Taking the recommendation of a number of commenters, I headed to The Farm on Adderly (1108 Cortelyou Road, between E. 11th & E. 12th, 718-287-31010) with my family for dinner and just as I was told, it was excellent! It was warm and cozy inside, with a small bar up front, tables in two areas inside, and a beautiful garden out back where we decided to eat and enjoy the last bits of warm weather. There were four of us, so there's a ton of food for me to describe, so let me get started! (There was also a nice wine list and a good, well-rounded selection of beers.)

My Dad got a squash soup from the Specials menu with smoked apple on top. Smoked apple! Have you ever had smoked apple??? It was like bacon, only APPLE! Amazing. The soup was pureed and flavorful with a sprinkling of black pepper.



My Dad's wife picked the Bibb Lettuce Salad with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries & goat cheese fritters which were warm balls of creamy & tangy cheese. Gorgeous, and very autumnal.



My boyfriend got an order of Arugula salad with Roasted Duck with plenty of thick slices of tender duck atop a spicy, crispy pile of greens, lightly dressed with a subtle vinaigrette.



I chose the Celery Root Salad with escarole, candied olive, lemon, olive oil & parmesan. The greens were delicious, the olives were interesting - little bits of sweet and salty - and the dressing was tart and refreshing. The shaved celery root, while earthy & rooty, was a bit chewy, and there was a TON of it, kind of overwhelming the salad.



For his entree, my Dad got the Burger with cheese and a side of fries. The fries were excellent - big, pillowy potato sticks fried to perfection, and the burger was juicy and flavorful, a testament to pasture-raised meat.



My Dad's wife ordered the Grilled Trout with green & yellow wax beans, spring onion & portobello. The mushroom was thinly sliced and dried, so they were like mushroom chips; an interesting texture, with the same earthy, portobello taste. The fish was flaky and succulent and the beans offered a nice, snappy counterbalance.



My boyfriend ordered the Pork wrapped in a filo dough-like wrapping over acorn squash & braised mixed greens on top. It was a little bit Asian-inspired, but really complex in a good, savory way - slightly sweet, tangy and rich.



There were two kinds of steak to chose from and I picked the skirt steak which was served over potatoes with a side dish of a roasted red pepper & peanut pesto-like sauce. The potatoes were tender and ever so slightly salted, and the sauce was really unique and delicious.



Even though we were pretty full, we couldn't resist ordering dessert. We got a Buttermilk Tart with a peanut butter crunch layer and concord grapes on top. Amazing! Custardy buttermilk, intense peanut flavor and the grapes! Silky, tart and sweet. Yum!



We also got a Butterscotch Pudding which came in a tall wine glass that was amazing. Thick, not too sweet and ever so slightly butterscotchy.



To round it all out we got the Brown Butter Apple Cake in a Blueberry Sauce and a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The cake tasted great and was served warm, but was a little dry. The blueberry sauce helped a lot and tasted like summer.



This is totally a top-notch restaurant and I look forward to going back during different seasons and seeing their different menus throughout the year.

Dinner at Mimi's Hummus

The people in Ditmas Park will be glad I finally made my way out to their hood for dinner! I met a friend who lives nearby at Mimi's Hummus, a cute little sliver of a place at 1209 Cortelyou Road (between E 12th St. & E. 13th St., 718-284-4444), a few blocks from the Q train. I immediately felt like regular when, standing near the door listening to the waitress tell us about the specials with another woman who had just walked in, she and I oohed & aaahed upon hearing the description of a lamb dish which resulted in a conversation about visiting meat-eating land vs. living there.

My friend and I were quickly seated (the other woman got her food to go) and began consulting each other on what we wanted to get. We started with an order of hummus, of course! There are a few types served, but we got the classic - made with chick peas, drizzled with olive oil and whole roasted chick peas on top. it was garlicky, creamy and delicious with warm pita bread.



We also shared an order of a Phyllo-wrapped beef dish with a side of beets. This was spicy and earthy, the phyllo was soft and delicate and the beets were bright and refreshing.



I went with lamb from the specials list because it sounded so good. Ground lamb kebab served on a bed of basmati rice. The lamb was perfect - lightly grilled, excellently seasoned with aromatic herbs and topped with a cilantro sauce. The rice was a little dry or something. It wasn't whole grains of rice, more like a fluffy version of basmati that I didn't like. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as it could have been.



My friend ordered the chicken meatballs which were served in a really tasty tomato sauce, but which were too salty to finish. That was disappointing, but it didn't color my overall experience of the meal.



Both of the meat dishes came with tabouli and a tomato salad which were both tangy & acidic and cut the heavy meatiness nicely. Even though we were pretty full from all that food, we couldn't help but get an order of these Chocolate Balls for dessert. The were like chocolate cookie dough, dense and rich, sugary in a good way, moist and intense. I loved them and wish I wrote down what they were called and how they were made. They're on the regular menu, and you can't miss them.



I really liked Mimi's Hummus and am excited to explore other spots in Ditmas Park. Suggestions???