Sneakeater

See original post: I actually DO think Franny's is "umissable". But I can readily understand why other people don't. You're right that Al Di La isn't particularly close to the Botanic Gardens -- but other people were recommending other places in Park Slope. (Certainly, Park Slope is closer than Williamsburg.) I agree with your worship of DiFara.

They definitely DO have food at the Festival.

Actually, as someone who lives within walking distance of Flatbush Farms and easy walking distance of The Beast, I have to say that I never go to them -- and at least one of them I could pretty much stumble into without opening my eyes. If I were to travel to them from Manhattan, I'd feel VERY ripped off. I really think Franny's and Al Di La are the only really notable "worth a trip" "can't miss" places around there. And I'm a local. (I like Barrette a lot as a fun place to hang out.)

Weather Up serves very low end high end cocktails, FWIW.

It is actually easier to get to the Hotel Delmano from Manhattan than it is from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Of course you think Grandaisy is a great idea. I keep looking for a restaurant called Grandsneakeater.

Franny's.

Hey, even I'll admit you need the fat.

Word travels slowly.

Maybe you should all go to Tao. [sarcastic face]

The problem you're having here, Nikki, is that your friends are recommending places that no one in New York would even think about going to. Which makes sense, since your friends aren't in New York. But that's why we're all having trouble responding. I mean, as Nathan said, if any of us wanted sushi, there's a whole list of places we'd go before current Jewel Bako. I could add a few to Nathan's, but it would hardly be necessary. But frankly they (including the ones on Nathan's list) might not satisfy your friends, who don't seem primarily interested in food. For instance, I would never go to Jewel Bako if I could go to Yasuda (or any number of other places). But your friends might not think Yasuda (or our other recommendations) are buzzy enough. Even though Jewel Bako's buzz is definitely over.

Over.

I'm pretty sure H. du Bois got me into PDT last night. I don't think my juice would have done it alone.

I think it's worth noting, for purposes of this thread, how frequently this has been reported to be the case lately. It's certainly a new development. And welcome for habitual solo diners like me, if not for Mario and Joe.

At least I have the comfort of knowing they probably agree with me about the "preferential treatment" issue.

OMIGOD, can I take your dining companion with me next time I go?

Tailor. And believe me, they don't turn me away lightly (if I can say that without sounding like an asshole).

I've been turned away from the bar there at 1 in the morning.

My bet would certainly be against it.

To me, what's most exciting about Ko isn't what it is, but what it could develop into. At a like stage of its existence, I thought the Ssam Bar night menu was nothing more than an extension of the non-noodle menu at Noodle Bar. And we all know what that took off into. Who knows what Ko will be like when it really gets going?

I'm sure you're right.

The website says the bar opens at 5. Whether anyone is actually there to open it then is anybody's guess. The website also says that the dining room doesn't open till 6. So it's unclear whether bar snacks are available at 5 or not -- even if the bar opens on time.

But of course the best sushi chefs need to be chefs, bartenders, psychoanalysts, and teachers all at once because they're leading you through an omakase being improvised in collaboration with you as the meal progresses. A fixed menu, as at Ko, will never be like that experience.

FWIW, I think FG nailed this one. (LOVE those scallops. I don't care what Jesikka says.) (They really DO need to work on the service.)

The fish was not cooked. It was raw. The huckleberries were used in a cold thin sauce. It didn't overpower the fish (which to me is the miracle of the dish). So you got a kind of mellow fishiness accented with what you perfectly describe as the tart sweet flavor of the sauce. It's like the fish cuts the tartness of the huckleberries, while the huckleberries cut the sort of mushiness of the fish. BTW -- That dish wasn't at Ko, but at Ssam Bar.