Can someone suggest a place in Brooklyn near a 2, 3, 4, 5, R, W, A, C stop?
Not the F
At least moderately interesting food , hope to keep it under $125pp, less is fine
Good wine list or BYO a plus but not a requirement
I have some friends visiting family and they don’t want to venture into Manhattan.
They don’t mind forcing me to cross two boroughs though…
In the Brooklyn Height/Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill area, you might try Bar Bete on Smith Street near Degraw (good French), La Vara on Clinton near Congress (good Spanish), or Gus’s Chop Shop on Union between Henry and Clinton (pure meat). Atti is a new Korean barbecue place near Livingston and Bond – haven’t tried it yet.
Williamsburg/Greenpoint also may work. I’m not as familiar with the places in that area, but it’s fairly foodie. I’ve been told Le Codocdile on Wythe SAtreet is supposed to be good.
Fausto, LaLou, Fradei, Place des Fetes. Oxalis is a bit more expensive with the tasting menu at 150.
Depending on where they are staying in Brooklyn, it might be fast/easier for them to go to downtown Manhattan, but I imagine you’ve already unsuccessfully fought that battle
Al di La is off the R. I think they do corkage.
I’ve brought wine to Ai di La. I have no recollection of corkage fee but I know I was happy with whatever it was. Food has been very good each time I’ve been there. I especially like their grilled asparagus app and braised rabbit entree. I have no idea about where subways are. And I think their largest table is a six top but I’m not 100% sure about that.
Great choices named above. Oxalis has a shorter bar-menu prix fixe that is $65 and terrific. La Vara is outstanding and among my favorites in the borough. Fradei also is great, just went there recently.
We were there a couple of weeks ago and we’re unimpressed in terms of value and corkage. I did enjoy Maison Premiere in Williamsburg but it has a limited seafood based menu and and adequate wine list, but it’s a great room with absinthe, oysters and Pépière, so I was fine
Yeah, I argued for Chambers as I’d Ike to try the new edition and I know we can get great wine. But no go.
Jay, you should make them come to JC and go to Razza.
Except I can’t eat pizza anymore 
Dinner tonight at Charlie Bird. I’ve been a loyal fan for years. And that said, I’ve been with them for their ups and downs. It’s never been bad, but late in the pandemic, I’ve had some sloppy meals here. Early on in the pandemic they were life changing…staff went out of their way to make sure we were safe and happy. And to this day, several of them have become friends. Tonight may have been my favorite meal (and there’s been a lot of them) since 2019. Everything we ate was perfectly prepared. Stalwarts like the razor clams were spot on. The Farro salad which has been on the menu forever was changed up a bit for Spring ingredients. Steak cooked perfectly. Tequila cocktail was world class. And to me, the best part was every table was taken. This includes, indoors, heated patio, and heated cabins. Energy and vibe in the room was A+. So happy for them.
With all but 2 of the suggestions all booked up we’re going to Lalou. Nice wine list though there’s a lot I don’t recognize. Though I have no idea if they’ll even want to order wine.
Since I have been spending more time in LA and traveling constantly I have not been to many of my NY favorites so decided to fix that this weekend.
Atoboy on Friday was all around fantastic. The new chef has a slightly lighter touch. Every dish was great.
Gem Wine Bar is now doing lunch on Saturday featuring a roast chicken. It was a delicious, long leisurely lunch that reminds us of Paris. $60 for the entire menu including the chicken or à la carte.
Any recommendations for a Korean/ Japanese BBQ place? Yoon is typically my go-to but wanted to try out something new.
Not sure if it’s too fancy, but BOM by the Oiji Mi team is excellent.
Went to Raoul’s for lunch last weekend. It remains a fun place… that I can manage about once a year. Decadent, rich… the kind of place to order a glass of wine in the middle of the day and tuck into anything-au- poivre. Not shy about it’s indulgence, but it’s not trying to be.
We did the tasting menu at One White Street last week and were a little underwhelmed. We were seated on the third floor at the kitchen counter. At the beginning of our meal, we were one of three parties seated on the floor – all of the others were couples, too – and it felt quiet and lacking in energy. More of a sleepy dinner than an exciting night out. It was 9 courses and most of the food was good, not great or particularly distinctive. The duck main suffered in comparison to similar duck breast dishes we’ve had recently at other NYC restaurants. The wine list’s focus was in France and Spain if I remember correctly and the glassware was mixed. Perfectly fine and enjoyable meal; just wasn’t excited by it. We agreed that if we go back it will be for a la carte.
Spent yesterday roaming Brooklyn. Had a nice brunch at Inga’s Bar. Short menu, but my wife really enjoyed her reuben. Nice little neighborhood spot.
We dropped by Places de Fete for a drink before dinner. Much bigger restaurant than it appears at first. Very friendly service and a nice list that leans heavily toward new wave Spanish wines. One quirk was that they use Stolzle tasting glasses.
Finally, ate at Fradei, which we liked a lot the last time we visited. We felt the meal was a little uneven with some highs (a white asparagus dish with thai chile) and some dishes that didn’t click for us (a bucatini dish with seaweed that was a little one dimensional). I got the sense they were still iterating on the menu. Our host recommended a bottle of 2021 Sylvie Augereau Rejoussances that was brutally reduced and never came around. Glassware was unremarkable.
A couple more recent meals:
Seoul Salon - new spot from the Atoboy/Atomix/etc. crew in a somewhat industrial (loud) space in K-town. The front room is a small cocktail bar (maybe 8-10 seats) with what looked like an interesting menu of drinks. Unfortunately, they don’t serve the full cocktail list in the dining room. The menu was a mix of fairly substantial small plates, pancakes, entrees, and large format dishes. Lots of protein on the menu. Somewhat curt drink menu - two cocktails, a few beers, soju. Our meal was mixed - for instance, the ramyun hit the mark; the beef pancake didn’t. Cost came out pretty much even with a meal at atoboy (with the fried chicken addition), and I’d rather go there. I’d return, but would probably try to sit at the bar.
Atera - for whatever reason, it seems like Atera manages to fly under the radar (at least relative to other starred restaurants). I’ve had a few really good meals here, and the menu seems to change frequently. The service has been universally fantastic each time we’ve visited, and the kitchen doesn’t seem afraid to take risks (like a bigeye tuna dish in pineapple juice). They got the portions just right – left completely sated, but not overstuffed. If you go, keep an ear out for the playlist; I understand it changes nightly and there are some oddballs in there.
I think Atera flies under the radar because they have had a few different chefs. I always forgot about it because I don’t identify with a specific chef.
That’s an interesting point. They have changed over at least once from what I can tell. It looks like they’ve had the same chef (Ronny Emborg) since 2015 which would cover all of my visits. But, he doesn’t have the highest profile. I think the location also contributes to it.
Wow he has been there that long. He was the Chef during my last visit. I still remember Matt Lightner.