Dinner at Alchemy

I would like to add my thoughts to the overwhelming outpouring of sadness in response to the passing of blogger extraordinaire Robert Guskind. He took notice of Eat It Brooklyn soon after I started and offered me a recurring spot on Gowanus Lounge on Fridays. It was a generous show of support to yet another voice amongst the multitude of writers covering, loving and defending Brooklyn. He will be missed.

I had heard about Alchemy (56 5th Avenue, between Bergen St. and St. Marks Place, 718-636-4385) from a few people, but only went there for the first time recently. I immediately liked the interior, with booths along the right side wall, the bar to the left, and tables set up in the back. The exposed brick lends itself to feeling like an old tavern, with low lighting and candles. The waitstaff was friendly, and the food was surprisingly good.

We started out with the Roasted Mushroom Salad which had loads of Shitake & Button mushrooms along with shaved fennel, arugula and Parmesan cheese. The cheese was perfectly sharp and salty, the dressing was slightly creamy and tangy and the portion made it quite substantial. Delicious and best shared with someone so as to leave room for other dishes!



My friend ordered of the Duck Confit Cassoulet which came with white beans, merguez sausage, braised pork and dried cherries. She was nice enough to share so I got to taste this amazing, dish. The strong flavors of the meats mixed nicely with one another, and the tart cherries stood provided a good balance with a lighter zing.



Her boyfriend chose the Hamburger which he described as "great". It was gone before I could get a good look at it. I did notice that the bacon looked high quality & meaty and the fries were well-done and crispy. The bun was also nicely toasted and on the small side which is good - you don't want your burger drowning in bread!



My boyfriend got the special Catfish entree topped with salsa and served with corn pudding and asparagus. All of the flavors were quite distinct, but worked well together. The salsa was simple but spicy and the corn pudding was the creamiest, most decadent side dish, perfect on a freezing cold winter night. The fish was cooked nicely too, so that it remained flaky and moist.



My favorite though was what I got, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with bacon, arugula, pickled onions, garlic mayo and fries. I do love pickled onions, and they added the perfect vinegary punch to this sandwich. The bread was excellent - thinly sliced and charred just enough to add a bit of smokiness. The bacon was meaty, the arugula added a nice, green, fresh taste and the garlic mayo brought it all together. It really was fantastic. It was also gigantic, and I ended up having it for lunch the next day, which I never do because I don't like to eat the same thing twice, but it was so good I didn't mind at all! Definitely going back for this sandwich!



Alchemy also offers special Mussels Mondays, and special deals on beer & wine pairings on Tuesdays. They have a number of hot drinks on offer perfect for the winter weather, and a great selection of special martinis and cocktails. Hooray for Alchemy!

Dinner at Rose Water

I went to Rose Water Restaurant (787 Union Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues, 718-783-3800) to celebrate the anniversary of a very long friendship. Wouldn't that be nice if we acknowledged the lengths of our friendships as well as our romantic/intimate relationships? Surely they are just as important (sometimes more so) as our boyfriends and girlfriends, so why don't we? We headed to this lovely spot in Park Slope and shared a few dishes that surpassed the many accolades I had heard before this first visit of mine.

The only thing is that I was so engaged in the conversation with my friend, that I neglected to take photos of two of the dishes! I know, I know. I almost didn't even post about this meal, but the food was SO amazing, I thought the photos I did have would make it worth it. The food is superb; thoughtfully prepared with seasonal ingredients; local and organic when possible. The owner's philosophy of sustainability and community makes perfect sense and results in fabulous food served in a warm and cozy atmosphere.

We started with a Mixed Greens Salad with Shaved Fennel. The combination of the flavors created a new, delicious experience while individually, the ingredients sang out in their own unique way. We also shared the Pork Belly appetizer. This was incredible, but so decadent; it was a perfect dish to split with a friend. The fresh bread was good with this as well.

We split the Snapper entree, which came with mashed parsnips on a bed of spinach with a spicy Asian sauce that was incredible. Again, each ingredient retained its flavor, but combined created something even better. The sauce had a distinct zing to it, with a mild hotness underscoring the mild fish and mellow parsnip. I've been thinking about this dish ever since.



For dessert we had the Coffee Chocolate Pot de Creme with shortbread cookie and a dollop of whipped cream on top. The coffee flavor added a nice bitterness to the sweetness of the chocolate and the mint leaves were a cleansing, refreshing way to end the meal. This dish was so amazingly dense and rich though, the two of us couldn't finish it off!

Burgers at Dumont

This meal is probably going to be familiar to a lot of people, being that Dumont (432 Union Avenue, between Metropolitan Ave. and Devoe Street, 718-486-7717) has their regular restaurant AND an outpost on Bedford that are both very popular with burger-eaters and non-burger eaters alike. This popularity and fan-dom is totally and completely warranted.

I first noticed the bun that my medium-rare burger arrived on. It was perfect - the crust nicely crisp but the rest soft enough to squeeze into the burger, yet not too soft to completely fall apart. The bun didn't overwhelm the burger either, which is an all-too-common mishap with burgers. Pickled onions are a nice touch, and are oh-so delicious. Sliced pickles accompany the burger as well as a spear, so you can both garnish your sandwich AND eat a pickle on the side. Can't not love a place that values pickled foods as much as Dumont!



I got mine with sharp cheddar that was perfectly melted and had a good, robust flavor. The fries were also great, well-salted and with parsley flakes too, they're well-done and crispy and none are left over at the end.

For dessert my friend and I shared the Warm Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownie with Coffee Ice Cream and Hazelnut Brittle. Woah, this was great. The brownie was cakey, moist and light and serving it warm makes you feel like it was baked especially for you. The coffee ice cream tasted real, not chemically, and the brittle was sweet and salty and perfectly chewy.



Dumont is a great place, with great food, and warm and attentive waitstaff. The front room feels like a bistro in Paris whereas the back covered deck is more casual, and well-heated in the winter. Good for dinner with friends or family, as there's something for everyone. Offering Lunch and Brunch hours as well!