Sneakeater

I went back to Trestle to see if I could figure out why I like it less than, say, the new Tasting Room. I can't. I'd say my second meal impressed me more than my first, although the general nature of my reservations about the food here still holds. This time I started with the oxtail and pig's foot terrine. This was another example of my complaint about this place: they took a dish that's not only earthy, but extremely earthy, and somehow made it seem refined. It wasn't bad or anything -- indeed, it was far from bad -- but it just isn't what you (or at least I) expect. For an entree, I had the spinach-stuffed veal loin, with rye berries on the side. Their description of the veal loin doesn't really do it justice: it's stuffed more with a lotta minced veal (and some spinach) than with spinach. This is a very satisfying dish. I've never had rye berries before. They're not incredibly flavorful. On the side, I had something with a German name that can best be described as large pieces of spatzel, with gruyere cheese and maybe (this was a few days ago) mushrooms. This, too, was very satisfying. I sensibly if uncharacteristically elected to forego dessert. One other thing that must be noted about this place are the housemade bitters. I think they make three types, but this night they only had one on hand. It was sort of Chartreuse-like, but different. They use it in some of their house cocktails, and you can have a glass as a digestif (which I highly recommend). This is a strong reason to visit Trestle, if you care about that sort of thing. I should also note that the bartender/head mixologist is a complete sweetheart. Maybe my appreciation of Trestle will rise when the temperature drops and I'm not eating this fairly heavy (although not, arguably, heavy enough) food under tropical climatic conditions. I still have a problem with the basic concept of their food, but I have to concede that this time, I liked it more than my first visit. With so many options, I again don't know if I'll be rushing back. But I wouldn't actively dissuade anyone from trying it (although they might want to wait until October). And there are all those nights when you can't get into Tia Pol . . . .

Ditto!

Same comment. I don't think people are doing this on purpose or anything, but just to keep things clear, if the detractors say, "The dim sum are great, and certainly worth the money, but the main menu is boring, inconsistent, and overpriced," it's no answer to say, "The dim sum are great."

I just wanna reiterate that, as far as I can tell, everything you're talking about is from the dim sum menu. I don't think anybody in this thread has complained about the prices of the dim sum, considering their stupendous quality. It's the main menu that people have been complaining about.

I went yesterday evening to see what it would be like without the crowd. Perfectly pleasant place, although the music was a bit too loud (and sometimes too banal). The bartender was sweet. But he was freepouring. Since I was there on a date, I decided it would be better not to raise any issues about stirring versus shaking. I do have to say, though, that the Bees Knees I drank was perfectly adequate, if not anything approaching transcendent. (It should be pointed out that if you walk a mere two or three blocks south, you can be at the bar at 5 Ninth.)

Maybe that explains this: Maybe I'm overly suggestible, but this quietude did not last through the night. I was going to post event-by-even updates in real time, but decided to spare you all. ←

Jason -- It's unclear from your post. Did you guys order any dishes from the main menu, or was it all dim sum and a side or two? (The reason I ask, of course, is that if I went to CB for a dim sum brunch, I'd think it's great, too. It's only when I get to the main menu that I have problems there.)

I just want to emphasize that, my last comment notwithstanding, I would never contend that the dim sum at Chinatown Brasserie are anything less than fabulously great.

Wow, the new menu sounds pretty great.

Crispo is certainly nearer Hell's Kitchen than, say, Noodle Pudding is.

GREAT DESSERT ALERT I don't know if it's a new addition or if I've just never noticed it before, but there's a great dessert available at Cafe Gray these days. Raspberry mille fuisse. It's got a frozen chocolate/ice wine sabayon in it. A glass of raspberry water or something is served on the side. It's really great.

Ya know, they just added some fancied-up "sliders" as an app at Fatty Crab, too. (Also delicious!) I wonder if this is one of those zeitgeist dishes.

You know, just to be clear, I don't even disagree with that. In fact, I agree pretty strongly.

This is a completely uninformed response, but in the movie Eat Drink Man Woman the chef was held in almost worshipful esteem.

FWIW, I think the blessing and curse of Thomas Beisl's business is that it's largely BAM-dependent. It's outside the more populated part of Ft. Greene; most locals have to walk a bit to get there. (And there are a lot of decent-or-better restaurants they'd pass on the way.) So I don't think it gets a whole lot of walk-in traffic (and I don't think any of us would call it a destination: if you have to travel to get there, you'd do much better traveling to Blaue Gans). If you go on the night of a BAM performance, though -- either before or after -- Thomas Beisl is packed.

Blue Hill is a very interesting comparison. I think something that has hurt the Tasting Room, at least for people like me, has been the (to my mind) overly positive reviews it's gotten. If you read through this thread, for example, you'll see that people were constantly saying that the original incarnation wasn't just great for what it was, but great absolute, as if the Tasting Room were one of the best restaurants in New York. Even in its new improved incarnation (the more I think about it, the more I'm really convinced that they must benefit from vastly improved kitchen facilities), it's not that. The food at a place like Blue Hill rewards concentration; the food at the Tasting Room is just good to eat, in an everyday sort of way. It's near the top of that category -- which is a genuine achievement -- but still, it is what it is. Not to psychoanalyze the posters, but I think the (to me) overly enthusiastic response the Tasting Room has received is attributable to the friendliness of the owners, Colin and (especially) Renee, which their staff, either by instruction or inclination, mimics. There are very few places that give you as warm a welcome as the Tasting Room. I don't want to minimize the importance of being made to feel good in what is essentially a social activity. But I think it can have unforeseen negative consequences if it causes people to overrate the food. It can raise false expectations that lead to disappointment in subsequent diners. That's certainly what happened to me, at least in the old place. (As I've said repeatedly, I find the new place materially better.) I think Landmarc is a good example of this. I always thought Landmarc was good, but I never understood the highly positive write-ups it got here. Finally, recently, one of its enthusiastic supporters acknowledged that at least his enthusiasm for that place was attributable in large part to the warmth of the owners. My point in all this is to say that, difficult as it is, it would be nice if reviewers could try to separate their feelings for the owners of a place, and how they're treated there, from their feelings about the food. I'm not saying we shouldn't say we like places on that basis; only that we should try to be clear why. I know its hard. But in the end, it prevents you from doing a place a disservice by raising false expectations about food quality. (Of course, I do it, too, and I'm sure I won't be able to follow my own advice any more than anyone else will.) Sorry for the presumptuousness of the foregoing.

OK, Jason said it better.

It's definitely one of those two. Vietnamese food definitely seems to me to be much more, I dunno, delicate than Korean.

The Pepe Rosso outlet is still there. But IMO they oversauce their pastas, with sauces that tend to be too watery to boot. When I'm down there, I usually get slice pizza from Two Boots. Or soup from Hale and Hearty, which is a decent enough workday lunch, but not something you'd have when you're meeting people. Of course, oyster pan roast or stew at the counter at the Oyster Bar is still probably the best food down there. (If you're brave these days.)

I wonder where.

How hard was it to get seated at Little Owl?

How would you say Little Owl compares to the new Tasting Room? (You can wait until you have had an actual meal at the Tasting Room if you feel for some reason that your opinion has to have some kind of basis.)

Thanks!

But now that I can compare it to his previous work, I find his work at CB a little disappointing. His stuff at CB is more refined -- the technique is just incredible -- but his stuff at World Tong was more audacious. Partly, I guess, it was just the sheer volume of different things he was turning out. It would be nice if his masters at CB let him loose.

I thought he deserved his own stars (instead of getting swept under the "$25 and Under" rug) in Brooklyn.