I'll find any excuse to celebrate. So when I needed an excuse for us to be excessive at Brooklyn Fare I decided that the fact that I even got a reservation (for 7:45pm on a Saturday) was reason enough to throw a party. But then, just after I received our email confirmation, the accolades started rolling in-- Three Michelin stars! 29 in Zagats! Three stars in the NYTimes! Praise from almost every food writer in the tri-state. I knew that us going there was meant to be. Especially after our dining neighbors told us they called over 100 times to get their coveted seat. And all it took was me patiently calling their reservation line at 10:29am on the dot on a Monday morning 6 weeks prior. The phone rang, they answered, and we were in. (Editors note: my hapless but well intentioned husband tried for weeks to get a reservation, I suppose it takes a woman's touch.)
When we arrived at the 18 seat sanctuary I was actually nervous with excitement. There I was fidgeting as we stared awkwardly at the other patrons across the table who were part way through the earlier seating. But then I began to watch as César Ramirez's kitchen worked its magic...military precision, silence, artistry. It was beautiful. And everything in the place was minimally elegant and had a clear purpose. And then the food began...
We started the evening with a large shot glass of warm butternut squash soup topped with thick, cool greek yogurt foam. Perfection. It was clear we were in for an adventure. The meal is designed with 18 consecutive one bite dishes followed by 5 larger dishes and 2 desserts. The one bites are meant to be just that and their compositions are like mini masterpieces, each small component deliberately chosen to accentuate a flavor, smell or sense. (By the way, photos, phones and note taking are strictly discouraged so I just have to go with what sticks out in my memory) there was the thimble of salmon, creme, roe over celery & dill compote, the sardine weaved into a homemade potato chip, the fluke with pickled daikon, the oyster in a gelle of its own brine, the mini custard with dashi sauce, urchin, fois gras and truffle. Or my personal favorite of the small bites; the San Diego sea urchin on pillow like brioche with black truffle. Each taste was like a sweet and rich little gift.
On to the main courses which were somehow less impressive than the one bites but nonetheless delicious. Namely the pumpkin ravioli in mushroom sauce topped with a thinly shaved black truffle, the simple waygu beef, the lobster bite with veal ravioli and foie gras, the perfectly cooked duck breast and so on. We finished the evening with a sweet and refreshing lingonberry, frozen yogurt with gold leaf followed by a cinnamon apple cake with sweet salted oatmeal crumble. These descriptions don't do them justice.
I was practically catatonic I was so elated and overcome with beautiful sensory experience. But I guess that's to be expected when you enter your happy place.
Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn Street
Brooklyn, NY
Minetta Tavern. This classic West Village establishment first opened its doors in 1937 and the vibe and mystique hasn't changed. This popular and crowded haunt feels like a vintage speakeasy that then and now is crawling with artists, village bohemians and jet set alike. It's been described as "Parisian steakhouse meets classic New York City tavern" and I couldn't put it better. But even though the environment feels ripped from the pages of the past, the menu prices have raced into the future. And with good reason.
