mjr_inthegardens

While I am on the subject of brooklyn I figured I would list my cobble/carroll and park slope favorites. This is a small list based on my 1.5 years of living in the neighborhood. I haven't been everywhere but I like what I like. Italian: - Casserta Vecchia, good brick oven and excellent pastas, southern italian - Savoia, different dishes, similar neapolitan influences, good wine list (except lacking in supertuscans), has expanded to two rooms each with good ambiance. - pizza at Sam's on court is good NY pizza, but the place is certainly nothin to look at. Sushi-Japanese: -FAAN -- I think a lot of the food sucks at Faan (thai) and the service is very inconsistent, but their sushi is still ok, the drinks are interesting, and the place is open late. -GEIDO -- the most interesting japanese restaurant in the area -- on Flatbush avenue near St Marks, great japanese omelette, onokomiyake, Japanese appetizers (wasabi gyoza) and an extremely friendly staff and sushi bar. Their oshinko rolls suck though. Chinese: -Don't even bother, the whole neighborhood stinks for chinese, go to flushing, manhattan or sunset park. Thai: -TUK TUK -- most authentic in this area -Joya on court st is serviceable as are a couple of the other neighborhood spots, but Joya is a huge bar scene on top of being a restaurant. Their backyard is really cool looking. Breakfast/Diner: -Petit Cafe, on Court near Luquer. Superb food on all fronts including excellent panini, soups, tea selection, prepared sandwiches and a warm welcoming decor and a kick ass backyard. This is my neighborhood spot. Magnifico. -Carroll Gardens diner aka Salonike... it's a diner, yes. But it's new the people are friendly and they are open all the time. Try the chicken club. Middle Eastern: -Zaytoons on smith -Another place on Atlantic near Hoyt that I forget Mexican: -LOS POLLITOS II, 5th Avenue, Park Slope. Delicious, inexpensive, authentic. Good rotisserie chicken. American/Continental: -Chestnut has been solid the 3-4 times I have eaten there. Don't miss the $4 toasts which are delicious and generous, meat centered main courses and their interesting veggie pairings. Well lit clean decor with great service. -CRAVE. This place is on Henry St and focuses on catering/delivery except for their 4-5 elegant candlelit tables. Priced slightly dear for the neighborhood ($15-20 entrees) this is an nice date restaurant given that parties of 2 are the ideal for being accomodated. They have interesting beer choices. I really can't remember what I ate right now but had no complaints. This is a small list based on my 1.5 years of living in the neighborhood. I haven't been everywhere but I like what I like. Forgettable: -Hill Diner (except perhaps for breakfast in the backyard) -Village247 (perhaps they've improved but their burgers were inedible as was their calamari and nachos when we went and the decor is hideous) Coolest other spots in the neighborhood: -SPORTS BAR: 200 5th Avenue -COFFEE SHOP/VINTAGE FURNITURE/RECORD STORE: Halcyon (smith st).. this place is awesome, but not if you're much over 30. -SAHADIS: middle east & gourmet provisions & much more.. a destination of definite note -BEST BARS: ZOMBIE HUT, BAR BELOW (below Faan), but I really go to more bars in manhattan -PASTRIES: Court Street Bakery. I think Monteleone's is overrated. -ITALIAN PROVISIONS: Pork Store on Court above the park & Caputos Fine Foods (not the bakery) down Court Street near Luquer St. Places I have yet to go to but want to: -The Grocery -Cafe Mexicano on Union Street betw 4/5 -Sur on Smith -Sample I'd love to hear what other people think. I think Brooklyn has a lot of things to offer. I have opinions on restaurants in billyburg and greenpoint as well that I may get to later. cheers -MJR

That's a good question. I'm not sure. They have not updated the website of whim to blue star, "gotlemon.com" and they are using the phone # that latin grill had. Blue star is a grateful dead reference, accding to my gf's older sister. I'm sure you see a theme here. -mjr

So I had dinner with my gf and her family yesterday at blue star on Court Street in Brooklyn.. (former Latin Grill space) the restaurant opened recently essentially moves the seafood/raw bar restaurant "whim" from off a side street to a prime court st location.. The chef remains the same, along with his borderline bizarre compulsion to continually play the grateful dead and his emphasis on fresh seafood. (We were six and a baby and although a high chair was available, the baby was content to remain the stroller) Started with oysters and peel & eat shrimp --- 12 oysters for $19, a mix of kumumoto, malpeque and another eastern oyster. I just got to grab one malpeque but it was fresh and the oysters were served with choice of a tomato or blue liquid sauce concoction, both made fresh. Peel & eat were just old bay seasoned but were nice sized. I usually like peel & eat a bit more spicy. Several people had the curried salmon with coconut rice and spinach and really enjoyed it. The vegetable sides (salads, mixed veg and spinach) that came with each fish were pretty consistently good. The salmon was generously sized and well cooked. I had a yellowfin tuna with wasabi ice cream and a red fruit sauce of some kind. It was a dish that was once featured at whim. It really didn't do the ingredients justice. I'm sure the tuna was fine, but the searing texture was lost as it was bottom down in the plate's bath of sweet red fruit sauce. Whereas the wasabi ice cream at whim was served in a scoop in a small steel bowl, here it was dripped through the other sauce, so the individual tastes of the sauce, fish and fruit were commingled and not to positive effect. Pretty forgettable from a portion and taste perspective. Could be vastly improved by separating the ice cream, reducing sauce qty by 1/2, adding a little more tuna and keeping the seared tuna separate from the sauce. Other parties had an atlantic cod & a grilled whole dragonfish. I didn't taste though. Desserts included a fresh apple cobbler with vanilla IC & a banana bread with caramel IC -- simple and delicious. There aren't too many seafood places in CG, so I'm glad that this new large place with fresh fish emphasis opened. If the chef concentrates on cooking and not harassing the customers with trivia about Jerry Garcia's last meal hopefully this place will be good. Note: they are having live bluegrass by the cobble hillbillies on Saturday afternoons. They also play thursdays at the culinary disaster the Hill Diner and are really entertaining. -MJR ps I would like to post this on chowhound, but they had banned all mention of whim because someone 'shilled' the board. I hoped perhaps with a new incarnation it would be possible.