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 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 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.

Soda Bar

I'd been to Soda Bar (629 Vanderbilt Ave., between St. Marks Ave. & Prospect Pl., 718-230-8393) a number of times before I ever tried any of their food. I'm not sure I realized they even had a menu, and an interesting menu it is. It's filled with Polish food - Kielbasa, Pierogis and then an assortment of fried things - fish, onions, potatoes. I went with a big group to celebrate a friend's last day of work and we ordered a bunch of things. The Kielbasa Sandwich was the best thing I sampled. Served on Foccacia, it's got a layer of spicy mustard to off-set the salty, juicy grilled meat. I was pretty impressed.



I also got an order of Onion Rings. They were GIANT, and pretty greasy, but they were made with real, thick slices of onion, and shared with a few people, not too deadly.



Our group ordered Mushroom Pierogis and Potato Pierogis, both of which came with bacon sprinkled on top (bonus points!). The potato was hands down the better of the two. The mushroom was a bit funky tasting, whereas the potato was fluffy and light. It was a nice touch with the side of sour cream AND apple sauce!



There was also an order of Fish & Chips placed, which came with a side of tartar sauce. This is such a beige meal, it's pretty unappetizing looking, but the fish was decent and the fries were alright too. If you're hanging out and drinking beer, sometimes a basket of fried foods is just what hits the spot!



Soda Bar is a great place, especially if you're part of a large group, since they have a huge back room filled with couches and comfy chairs.

Dinner at Sel de Mer

It's hard to keep up with all the amazing new restaurants opening up around Brooklyn! Luckily I have friends in a number of neighborhoods, and I can combine socializing with checking out the newest spots. Recently I went to check out a friend's new digs and we celebrated her move with dinner at Sel de Mer (374 Graham Ave., between Conselyea St. and Skillman Ave., 718-387-4181). Mmmmm. Everything on the menu looked good and tempted us. Alas, we had to narrow our choices down, but now I have another reason to head to Graham Ave!

We started out by sharing an order of Fried Green Tomatoes with frisee and brie and a tasty, tangy remoulade. The tomatoes were lightly battered and fried and were tender and juicy. The brie was substantial and the wiry frisee added a crunchy bite. Plus it was gorgeous in its presentation.



I chose to order the Mini Fish Sliders with Slaw for my entree. Two nicely sized sandwiches arrived packed with a fishcake, arugula, ruby red tomatoes and tartar sauce AND a big mound of a slightly curry-flavored slaw. Pink and glorious is was tangy, full-flavored and delicious. A nice take on the mayonnaise-heavy classic.



My friend ordered the Burger with Gouda and instead of fries got a side of Corn on the Cob and the Slaw. The burger was served on a toasted English muffin and was juicy, robust and was made with freshly ground beef.



We then decided to get an order of the Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert. I found it to be underwhelming. The cake was too light & fluffy and I prefer dense, moist and gooey cake. The vanilla ice cream also had a flat flavor to it. I'll make sure to try something else next time.



I really liked Sel de Mer and am excited to go back to taste more of their seafood options like the Mussels, Whole Fish entrees and Smoked Trout Salad. They also have a nice wine list and a cocktail menu with inventive, tasty-sounding drinks.

Dinner at Zenkichi

I was invited recently to dine at Zenkichi (77 N.6th Street, at the corner of Wythe, 718-388-8985), the Japanese Brasserie that offers a range of traditional Japanese items, not the usual Sushi and Yakitori. You can order items a la carte, (like Wasabi cured Octopus, Duck Salad or Sashimi), but what's recommended is the seasonal 8-course Chef's tasting menu that changes every 5-7 weeks that provides plenty of opportunity to sample a number of items in a mostly small-plate format. The maze-like space, with dark lighting, mirrors, and private rooms with bamboo screens that roll down to enclose you and your dining companion in your own little room, creates a quiet and slightly mysterious atmosphere and allows you to focus on the food, which is definitely worth paying attention to.

The 8-course tasting menu started off with a bowl of miso soup, which, unlike previous experiences, had little pieces of some kind of starchy root vegetable instead of tofu. Slices of scallion were also mixed into the delicious, soothing broth.



The second course consisted of a platter of four different items: a spoon of Hamachi Tartar (yellowtail & scallion), a tiny bowl of shredded cabbage with vinegar, seared scallops and a small bowl of creamy tofu topped with uni sea urchin. The fresh tofu was of a consistency I've never had it - creamy and soft, with the strange textured sea urchin paired with it. The Hamachi Tartar was excellently fresh and flavorful, the cabbage refreshing & tart and the scallops tender and meaty. Everything was also beautifully presented.



Our next course was Jidori and Shinoko Salad - grilled free-range chicken & mushrooms on a bed of greens with an onion-ginger dressing. The chicken was so tasty - expertly grilled and seasoned, on a full bed of greens with a savory, full-flavored dressing.



The Shrimp, Uni Sea Urchin & Cod Fish Cake Tempura, wrapped in Shiso Leaf and Lotus Root was next, and it came with a bowl of tempura sauce and a dish of green tea salt that was so delicious and appealing, we were dipping our fingers in it! The tempura batter was light and the shrimp was tender and fresh. Each course was only a bite or two, which made for fun and exciting eating, enjoying one course and then expectantly waiting for the next.



Then we were brought a dish with Japanese Eggplant and Mochi Sticky Rice Cake in a light broth. The juxtaposition of the mushy, tasty eggplant and the chewy mochi rice cake was so strange and intriguing. I loved it!



Next was my favorite - the Grilled Black Cod in a Miso Marinade. The sweet & salty blackened skin was delicious next to the dense and meaty cod. It made us swoon! A little pink flower of daikon radish accompanied the fish.



Finally we received a bowl of Soy-Marinaded Red Snapper over a bowl of Rice. Again, the fish was so tender, so fresh and tasty, it was almost unbelievable. Some pickled radish was served with it to provide some tang.



All along we were sipping glasses of Kokuryu Sake, which was a strong, round, rice-y sake that I loved. The Sake Sommelier, Motoko Watanabe, made a few suggestions prior to our meal and brought out tastes of a few bottles. There was also a young, first-batch sake (Harushika), Bosha which was very floral, and the Daishichi which was very sharp and strong. And, after all that food, we had dessert to look forward to.

The chocolate-based Frozen Black Sesame Mousse that was incredible, silky and strangely nutty.



We also got an order of the Japanese-style non-baked Cheesecake with Pear. It was creamy and light and the touch of pear was a lovely addition.



So let me sum-up! I know I often speak in hyperbole, but this really was a most perfect and delicious meal. The sake was delicious, the food was amazing, the service impeccable and attentive. At only $48 per person for the 8-course tasting menu, it really is an affordable way to have a decadent, luxurious meal.

Lunch at Al Di La Trattoria

I had some time off recently, so I was able to enjoy lunch with a friend at Al Di La, (248 5th Avenue, at the corner of Carroll St., 718-636-8888) one of the best restaurants Park Slope has to offer. The main dining room is spacious and a little funky, with bottles of wine, dark tin ceilings and a pink vine design painted on the walls. It's country Italian food at it's best - simple, uncomplicated meals with quality ingredients and flavorful results.

My friend started with Soup of the Day, made with a basic tomato broth, filled with tasty, meaty, little clams, tomatoes, basil and garlic it was delicious and surprisingly filling.



He also got an order of the Ravioli made with Winter Squash, brown butter and sage. It was light and delicious, albeit very buttery, with just a sprinkling of grated Parmesean on top.



The dish I chose was my favorite though. A bowl of creamy polenta in a broth with tomatoes, kale and sliced porcini mushrooms and a perfectly poached egg resting on top. It was amazing! The intermingling of all the flavors and textures worked perfectly, and it was filling without being too heavy. I've been thinking about it ever since!



Al Di La Trattoria is such a delightful place with comfort food at it's simple best, in a cozy, comfortable space.

Dinner at Noodle Pudding

One of the most consistent and lovely places to have dinner in Brooklyn is Noddle Pudding (38 Henry St., between Cranberry & Middagh, 718-625-3737). Some say the name is off-putting or confusing. It used to be quite common to hear Italian-Americans refer to pasta as "noodles" and there's a dish of the same name that uses sweet ricotta as filling. The food and service are top-notch AND they operate their own farm in New Jersey where they grow many of the vegetables that end up in their meals. It's a favorite in my family and we often go there for special dinners out, especially when friends from out of town visit. We always get an order of the Fried Calamari for the table to start. A fresh marinara sauce is served on the side for dipping, the batter is light and crunchy and the calamari fresh and tender.



My mom is a sucker for Sardines and if they're on the menu, she'll order them. Grilled whole, they're presented on a bed of potatoes, tomatoes and sliced red onion. They're flavorful and delicious, especially with some fresh lemon juice drizzled over them.



The Fried Ricotta was a special appetizer that sounded intriguing so we had to get it. It, too, was served with marinara sauce and was incredible. The mix of soft and crunchy textures and the tangy creaminess all mingled together to create a wonderful dish to share.



I can't pass up Bresaola if I see it on the menu. Theirs was paired with artichokes and shaved Parmesean to make a rich, dry, salty dish that was fantastic.



On to the entrees! My sister always gets the Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato Sauce. It's a classic - simple but done so well, with fresh basil and grated cheese. Part of what makes it so good is the sauce- it's not sweet, which I hate. It tastes like tomatoes, earthy and slightly acidic, rounded out with cheese and spices.



Noodle Pudding makes great seafood dishes as well. My step-father ordered the Salmon Filet with Escarole & White Beans. It's another simple dish, but it's delicious. The escarole is braised in a mellow broth, the beans bring a creamy texture to the dish, and the fish is fresh, nicely charred on the outside, yet not overcooked.



I ordered the Pappardelle with Mushrooms (shitake, porcini & cremini) in a cream sauce. The mushrooms provide a meaty bite and the pasta, fresh-made and light, is wonderful. It's the sauce that'll put you over the edge! It was rich and decadent and therefore best shared with someone else.



My boyfriend got another fish dish but I can't remember what he ordered! It was great though, with parsley, big slices of garlic and fresh basil on top in a lemony sauce. Nicely grilled, it was flavorful and tender and delicious.



Despite being pretty full, we had to get some dessert to share. One had to be chocolate so we got the Chocolate Tart with a scoop of Coffee Ice Cream and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. It was rich, creamy, dense and incredible.



The other dessert we ordered was a Blackberry & Mascarpone Tart. The crust was flaky & buttery, the creamy filling was subtly sweet and the berries tart, combining to make one lovely dish.



One can't say enough good things about Noodle Pudding. It's great. Quality, delicious food, attentive service in a friendly, lively atmosphere.